The recently developed Eco2 Index sheds a different light on how healthy the globe’s nations are. The new ranking system monitors the extent of which countries damage their ecosystems in an effort to build up their economies. In other words it measures the overall economic and ecological health of the countries.
The team of the University of British Columbia that developed the new index, worked together with the Global Footprint Network to compile a list of good and bad countries based on this index.
The Eco2 Index builds upon the Club of Rome publication of 1972, updated in 2004, called Limits to Growth. The different scenarios presented in this publication did give a warning about mankind heading for an extreme overexploitation of planet Earth’s resources. Though warned, we now are in global ecological overshoot according the Global Footprint Network. Today humanity uses the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. This means it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate what we use in a year. Based on the ecological footprint the Eco2 Index shows that some high-income countries are the least healthy and that many low-income countries are in better shape. How killing growth can be!
Unfortunately, the ecological footprint of most of the rich countries extends beyond their own boundaries. They affect other countries’ ecological footprint too. Canada, for instance, produces oil for other nations that, in turn, feel the effects of air pollution and fuel consumption.
So, while many high-income countries have stable economies, they rank among the least healthy on the ecological index. Overall, the index shows decreasing scores over the past decade as a result of depletion of resources on which human life and biodiversity depend. Thinking of short-term purposes only, and forgetting about long-term sustainability of planet Earth.
The Eco2 index give officials a final warning, and a need to plan for a better future.
The rankings according the Eco2 Index
The best 5 countries:
1. Bolivia
2. Angola
3. Namibia
4. Paraguay
5. Argentina
The worst 5 countries:
1. Singapore
2. Kuwait
3. Israel
4. Korea
5. United Arab Emirates
The G8 countries:
1. Canada (15th)
2. Russia (31st)
3. France (77)
4. United States (103)
5. Germany (119)
6. United Kingdom (129)
7. Italy (135)
8. Japan (144)
(Sources: Global News, 20.02.2012; Environment News Service, 21.02.2012; Global Footprint Network)