01/30/08 Flunking the Emmissions Test

On the world stage the US is getting used to a substandard performance, like the teen asleep in the back of the class room we're okay with a D plus. Other industrialized nations, notably European and typically Scandinavian consistently beat us hands down in the classroom, outperforming our students on standardized tests and now it seems on the environmental front as well. In a recent international ranking of environmental performance compiled by researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities the US ended up at the bottom of the industrialized nations. Sweden, Norway, Finland and Switzerland led the European groups for their innovative methods to reduce emissions; through public transportation systems, bio mass converters, wind and hydroelectric power. Other top performers were Austria , France, Latvia, Costa Rica .Columbia, COLUMBIA? and New Zealand. Seems we just can't pass smog 101. in fact the smog is so bad in many of our cities, that the US will be back to study hall with the very worst offenders, India and China.