As reported by the New York Times, a recent research survey compiled by scholars at Yale and Columbia universities and in collaboration with the World Economic Forum ranks the countries in the world in terms of environmental sustainability.

The overall rankings includes 75 total measures, including such tasks as maintaining or improving air and water quality, maximizing biodiversity, cooperating with other countries on environmental problems, the rate at which children die from respiratory diseases, fertility rates, water quality, overfishing, emission of heat-trapping gases, and the export of sodium dioxide. The study notes,

Finland, Norway and Uruguay held the top three spots in the ranking. . . The United States ranked 45th of the 146 countries studied, behind such countries as Japan, Botswana and the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, and most of Western Europe. The lowest-ranking country was North Korea. Among those near the bottom were Haiti, Taiwan, Iraq and Kuwait.

Although the study acknowledges that there are certain data and measurement limitations, it seems to represent a pretty accurate assessment of where the U.S. stands in relation to the rest of the world. I just wonder if the report mentions whether the U.S.’s ranking has incresed or declined under Bush’s administration . . .