Interactive map produced byMPHOnline.org. Click herefor a larger version.
Questioning the “greenness” of your home state involves accounting for a multitude of factors: Water quality, air quality and the availability of curbside recycling all play a part, of course, but you must also consider your state’s energy makeup, the gasoline consumption per capita and availability of public transportation.
These factors are used to determine the best and the worst state eco-leaders in an interactive map produced by MPHOnline.org. Data from state energy, waste, transportation and environmental management agencies provided the numbers. Click around and see how your state fares.
All benchmarks of sustainability considered, the United States may boast 50 shades of green (or many more). It’s decidedly difficult to boil the data down into a simple color gradient — but this interactive map will provide you the fun, un-nuanced basics for comparing. You may find that the grass (and a few other things) really is greener in your neighbor’s backyard.
Kale Roberts is an Assistant Editor at MOTHER EARTH NEWS. His interests include renewable energy, real food and sustainable rural development. You can find him on Google+.
