Green Paige

We recycle, drive a Prius and use canvas bags when we do our shopping but to be honest, I was not sure where my family would stand on a world-wide “green” scale.   Thanks to the National Geographic Society’s Greendex, now we know.   

The National Geographic/GlobeScan “Consumer Greendex,” is a scientifically derived, sustainable consumption index of actual consumer behavior and material lifestyles across 14 countries.  National Geographic created the Greendex because they wanted to give people a better idea of how consumers in different countries are taking action to preserve our planet.

Visit the National Geographic site and click on the Greendex Calculator.  Answer the series of questions they ask and calculate your score.  You might be surprised.

When I took the Greendex survey, I scored 50 which put me in league with Spain who is ranked 10th out of 14 countries. Their positive transportation habits balanced by their less-sustainable high consumption of fish/seafood and meat landed them in the second to lowest spot on the scale. 

The sad news:  Consumers in the United States rank 14th out of 14 countries on the Greendex, scoring last on three out of four of its component measures: transportation, housing and consumption of goods - and near the bottom on food.  For more information on the US Consumers’ Greendex  and to calculate your own green score, visit the National Geographic Society’s  Greendex.