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The fall of the real estate market was the first visible and measurable consequence of the great credit debacle. Soon after, we began to see wider and deeper consequences throughout the economy that impacted every man, woman and child. We are coming through a truly transitional time. It is a time of economic crisis for some, a time of opportunity for others. When the history is written, our time will be recognized and marked as the great dividing line that separates the old ways from the new ways -- not just in banking, investing, building and buying housing, of insuring, of personal saving, of traveling, of shopping, of entertaining, of eating, of disposing of our waste material, of retiring and of dying.

• EPA ENERGY STAR Energy Efficient Mortgages Conventional, FHA and VA mortgages that are keyed to home energy efficiencies. This is a government site.

• Florida H.E.R.O. This site is from an  independent energy analyst and building science consultant who works  in partnership with developers, builders and homeowners to improve the efficiency, health and durability of homes.    

• National Conservation Guild’s Energy Efficient Financing Information Center 

  If you are in the process of purchasing a home you owe it to yourself and family to look into Energy Efficient Financing and Home Energy Rating Systems.

• National Home Energy Raters Association  The purpose of the National Energy Rater Association (NERA) is to promote energy conservation, consumer satisfaction, rater technical proficiency, peer support and ethical standards.   

http://www.greenandsave.com  Remodeling tips, payback calculators, heating, cooling, landscaping, advice.

• Government DOE Building America Building America works with members of the home building industry to produce quality homes that use up to 50% less energy without costing more to build. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)  The goal of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) is to develop cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that protect the environment and support the nation's economic competitiveness.  Florida Solar Energy Center Administration of Florida Energy Ratings system, software development and training Non-Profit Organizations ASE  Alliance to Save Energy.  Promotes the clean and efficient use of energy worldwide to benefit the environment, economy, and national security.  ERHA  Energy Rated Homes of America.  ERHA promotes national energy ratings and energy efficient mortgages. Florida Green Building Coalition FGBC is a nonprofit Florida Corporation dedicated to improving the built environment. Its mission is "to provide a statewide Green Building program with environmental and economic benefits." Habitat for Humanity Green Team Habitat's Environmental Initiative promotes energy-efficient, environmentally friendly construction, encouraging good stewardship of natural resources and raising awareness of the environmental impact of house building. RESNET Residential Energy Services Network-national network of mortgage companies, real estate brokerages, builders, appraisers, utilities and other housing and energy professionals. NASEO National Association of State Energy Officials-the state energy officials’ Washington Voice on national energy issues.

http://www.greenandsave.com/master_roi_table.html

Americans tend to think of ourselves as an eco-friendly, environmentally-conscious society, doing our part for the planet. But which countries are among the most eco-friendly in the world? How are they ranked? What criteria are involved in grading them? And how does the U.S. stack up against them?

Different surveys or studies have different rankings and results. In general, however, many European and South American countries are some of the world’s greenest.

EPI Rankings

The EPI (Environmental Protection Index) was performed by Yale University, and graded 149 countries on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 being the worst and 100 being the best. To arrive at the score, many factors were considered, including a country’s carbon emissions, sulfur output, conservation efforts and water purity (1, 2).

The top 10 countries and their scores, (out of a possible 100):

1. Switzerland, 95.5
2. Sweden, 93.1
3. Norway, 93.1
4. Finland, 91.4
5. Costa Rica, 90.5
6. Austria, 89.4
7. New Zealand, 88.9
8. Latvia, 88.8
9. Colombia, 88.3
10. France, 87.8

European countries make up 14 of the top 20 on the list, explains Newsweek (1). Specifically, many European countries have clean drinking water, which decreases disease rates.

Out of the 149 countries in this study, the U.S. ranked 39th with a score of 81.0 (1).

Greendex Scores

Greendex scores were calculated by GlobeScan, (an international polling group), and The National Geographic Society, notes MSN Health. The online survey measured responses from 1,000 consumers per nation in each of 14 nations. Multiple factors were examined, including transportation, water usage and energy efficiency. As with the EPI, scores range between 0 and 100, with 0 being the worst and 100 being the best (3).

The 14 countries and their scores, (out of a possible 100):

1. Brazil, 60
2. India, 60
3. China, 56.1
4. Mexico, 54.3
5. Hungary, 53.2
6. Russia, 52.4
7. Great Britain, 50.2
8. Germany, 50.2
9. Australia, 50.2
10. Spain, 50.0
11. Japan, 49.1
12. France, 48.7
13. Canada, 48.5
14. United States, 44.9

Recycling Rates

We pride ourselves on our recycling efforts. Many Americans faithfully push out recycling bins to the curb for collection, or bundle up recyclable paper, plastic, glass and metal to bring to recycling plants. However, other countries recycle even more than we do.

According to the Web site, Aneki.com, here are the seven countries that the recycle the most, along with the percentage of their waste that is recycled (4):

1. Switzerland, 52%
2. Austria, 49.7%
3. Germany, 48%
4. Netherlands, 46%
5. Norway, 40%
6. Sweden, 34%
7. United States, 31.5%

Alternative Energy Rankings

Reader’s Digest reports the following five countries have the highest alternative energy production rates (5):

1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Austria

How Does the U.S. Measure Up?

As you can clearly see from EPI rankings and Greendex scores, the U.S. isn’t the greenest country in the world. This wasn’t always the case, however. At one time, our country was at the forefront of environmental protection. But, other countries have taken the lead, passing new legislation aimed at protecting the environment and creating healthier, more eco-friendly standards. In contrast, the U.S. hasn’t passed any “significant American air quality legislation” since “1990, an amendment to the Clean Air Act,” writes Andy Stone for Newsweek (6).

Moreover, while countries all over the globe supported the Kyoto Protocol for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, “the U.S. was one of only a few countries that failed to adopt Kyoto,” Stone notes (6).

And, our greenhouse gas emissions are astronomical: the U.S. “per capita carbon dioxide emissions were nearly five times the worldwide per capita figure” in 2004, claim Matthew E. Kahn and Fran Lostys in Reader’s Digest (5).

Stay tuned to learn more about other countries and new, greener steps they’re taking.

Sources

1. The World’s Greenest Countries. (January 23, 2008). Newsweek. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.newsweek.com/id/98010

2. Top 10 Eco Friendly Countries. (2009). Eco Friendly Daily. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.ecofriendlydaily.com/news/friendly-countries/

3. What’s Your Greendex Score? (May 2008). MSN Health. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.health24.com/article.asp?contentID=46309

4. Countries with the Highest Recycling Rates. (2009). Aneki.com. Retrieved October 25, 2009 from http://www.aneki.com/recycling_countries.html

5. Kahn, Matthew E. & Lostys, Fran. Greenest Locations on the Globe: Five Key Environmental Lessons. (n.d.). Reader’s Digest. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/greenest-locations-on-the-globe/article45585.html

6. Stone, Andy. The World’s Cleanest Countries. (April 15, 2009). Newsweek. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.newsweek.com/id/194082