Just in time for Earth Day, WalletHub has posted on the Most and Least Eco-Friendly States, and it turns out that New York gets a high ranking at #3. Each state was analyzed using 14 metrics, and then broken down according to results. See the interactive map below to scan the various states and their rankings.
Environmental Quality – Total Weight: 5
- Carbon Dioxide Emissions per Capita (or “Carbon Footprints”): Full Weight
- Total Municipal Solid Waste per Capita: Full Weight
- Air Quality (Average Exposure of the General Public to Particulate Matter of 2.5 Microns or Less in Size (PM2.5)): Full Weight
- Water Quality: Full Weight
- Soil Quality (Median Soil pH): Full Weight
Eco-Friendly Behaviors – Total Weight: 5
- Number of Green (LEED) Buildings per Capita: Full Weight
- Percentage of Energy Consumption from Renewable Sources: Full Weight
- Energy Consumption per Capita: Full Weight
- Energy Efficiency Scorecard: Full Weight
- Gasoline Consumption per Capita (in Gallons): Full Weight
- Water Consumption per Capita per Day (Domestic): Full Weight
- Number of Alternative Fueled Vehicles per Capita: Half Weight
- Green Transportation (Percentage of the Population that Walks, Bikes, Carpools, Takes Public Transportation or Works from Home): Full Weight
- Percentage of Municipal Solid Waste Recycled: Full Weight
Sources: Data used to create these rankings were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Green Building Council, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the American Chemistry Council, the Environmental Working Group, the International Plant Nutrition Institute and the United Health Foundation.