U.S Ranks Last of 17 in National Geographic Greendex Survey, How Will You Fare

U.S Ranks Last of 17 in National Geographic Greendex Survey, How Will You Fare

by Serge the Concierge

Is our interest in all things green similar to the Foodies world.

We read about it, we talk about it, how much we really act upon it is another matter.

Do we procrastinate in the same way than we browse through a cookbook, admire the illustrations yet cannot find the time or put the effort needed to turn a recipe into a dish right in front of us?

Does it all come down to discipline?

It takes a sustained effort to be sustainable.

All this came to mind after I checked National Geographic 2009 Greendex Survey of 17 countries.

Greendex

The U.S comes last while India comes first.

Why this surprising result by India, here's the main culprit according to report:

"On housing, Indian consumers rank second only to Brazilian consumers. The margin between these two groups has narrowed this year as Indian performance on this measure improved by 11 points. Factors contributing to their high ranking include a low incidence of having home heating (41 percent) and hot running water (38 percent) and a high incidence of using on-demand electric water heating (45 percent among those with hot running water), using solar energy to heat water (15 percent), and purchasing “green” electricity (34 percent, up 10 points from the past year). Contributing to their increased housing score are improvements in performance on several behaviors such as ownership of energy-efficient appliances, minimizing the use of fresh water, and laundering with cold water. The most notable improvement is for keeping the setting for heating/cooling at a low setting — 64 percent of Indian consumers report doing so now, up 15 points from the past year."

A quick look at the U.S Scorecard shows that what brings us down the ranks is the large size homes we live in and big vehicles we drive.

Here's what Greendex says about transportation in the U.S:

"Transportation scores for U.S consumers have decreased from last year, and their scores on this sub-index continue to be the lowest of all those surveyed. The reasons for this low ranking are consistent with the 2008 findings. The vehicles that U.S. consumers drive tend to be large:
American ownership rates of minivans and SUVs, and trucks and full-size vans are the highest of the countries surveyed. U.S. drivers are also among the most likely to drive alone (58 percent do so daily), and they are among the least likely to drive compact cars, to use public transportation or trains, or to walk or bike to their destinations." 

Curious to know how you would fare, use the Greendex Calculator for your own personal results.

From perception to reality, indexing our earth friendliness for Green Day #125

Previously: Take A Shorter Shower on Earth Day, April 22,
2010

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