So
where does Indiana rank as one of the Greenest States? Well,
it's at the bottom! The five least green states are ranked
like this-Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and at No. 49,
Indiana, with only West Virginia flailing behind.
According
to Forbes, the bottom five states on their list "all suffer
from a mix of toxic waste, lots of pollution and consumption
and no clear plans to do anything about it" and "expect them
to remain that way."
That's
why I have vowed to raise the consciousness of fellow Hoosiers
of this startling statistic.
Sadly,
Indiana's score was 15.3 out of 50. Each state, in this study
by Forbes, was ranked in six equally weighted categories:
carbon footprint, air quality, water quality, hazardous waste
management, policy initiatives and energy consumption.
Forbes
stated that Indiana has the sixth highest carbon footprint
of any state, and four of its metro areas are listed by the
American Lung Association as having bad smog problems, and
one with an ozone pollution problem.
Forbes
also ranked Indiana's water quality worse than only four other
states, using PIRG (Public Interest Research Group) data.
To
my further dismay, I am hard pressed to find Indiana specific
information on plans to get our state green. I did the following
websites that can serve as resources for Indiana residents:
www.earthcharterindiana.org
- where you can learn "Imagine Indiana as a Role Model of
Sustainability by 2016".
www.sustainableindiana.org
- to see how you personally can help. Sustainable Indiana,
Inc. is building their volunteer base of people who would
like to be a part of "the conversation about the future".
www.igniteindiana.org
- to find out more about Indiana's Green Network, Inc. that
specializes in environmental education and energy conservation.
www.nwiqlc.org
- for upcoming events, web postings, and commentaries by the
Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council.
www.indianagreenparty.org
- where The Indiana Green Party welcomes you to join them
as they create an ecologically wiser, more just, democratic
and peaceful society.
