According to Gold & Green 2000, a new report from the Institute for Southern Studies, the answer is no. The report finds that states with the highest environmental grades also boast the best economies—debunking the “jobs vs. the environment” myth.
The Institute is pleased to present this entire report on–line, complete with state–by–state reports on every state and a full set of Internet links to over 40 data sources.
Gold and Green 2000
States with the highest environmental standards also boast the best economic performance, finds Gold & Green 2000, a new report from the Institute for Southern Studies.
The study ranks states on 20 “gold” economic and 20 “green” environmental indicators to provide a telling snapshot that diffuses the “jobs versus the environment” myth:
Seven states rank in the top 15 for both economic and environmental health. Vermont, Rhode Island and Minnesota rank in the top six on both lists. Other “top performers” on both scales are Colorado, Maryland, Maine, and Wisconsin. Conversely, 10 states — mostly in the South — are among the worst 15 on both lists. For example, Louisiana ranks 48th on economic performance and 50th on the environment. Others in the cellar are: Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Indiana, Arkansas, West Virginia, Kentucky, and South Carolina.
The report released today is an updated version of a similar study authored by the Institute in 1994. The original “Gold and Green” had similar findings, and comparisons of the 1994 and 2000 studies offer a useful yardstick for gauging which states are improving — or falling behind — on their environmental and economic records. For example: While there was some jockeying among “bottom performers” — those ranking neat the bottom on both environmental and economic scales — since the 1994 edition of the study, only two states managed to escape from the bottom of the barrel in 2000: Ohio and Oklahoma. Since 1994, the list of environmental and economic “top performers” has ,seen more turn–over, with Rhode Island and Maine adding themselves to the honor role. While New Hampshire and Massachusetts continue to post strong economic numbers, greater environmental threats removed them from the top of the list. Similarly, the strong environmental records of Hawaii and Oregon could not offset these states’ sub–par economic performance.
Top Performers Vermont (gold rank 3, green rank 1) Minnesota (gold 2, green 6) Rhode Island (gold 15, green 4) Colorado (gold 5, green 14) Maine (gold 13, green 6) Maryland (gold 6, green 15) Wisconsin (gold 11, green 12)
Bottom Performers South Carolina (gold rank 38, green rank 45) Kentucky (gold 44, green 41) West Virginia (gold 46, green 39) Arkansas (gold 49, green 37) Indiana (gold 40, green 48) Mississippi (gold 50, green 38) Tennessee (gold 45, green 44) Texas (gold 43, green 46) Alabama (gold 47, green 49) Louisiana (gold 48, green 50)
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