This week’s edition of Forbes magazine featured a profile of the "greenness" of all 50 states, ranking them from the most enviro-friendly to the least. Forbes seems surprised that California wasn’t ranked closer to the top given the state’s well-chronicled environmental policies.
Here’s what Forbes had to say about the Golden State:
CaliforniaNo. 14
Score: 37.1 out of 50Despite the fact that Californiaroutinely sets the bar for environmental policies, it takes a hit in our air andwater quality rankings. At least five of its metropolitan areas, including LosAngeles, Bakersfield and Fresno--appear on the American Lung Association’s 2007list of cities with the worst long-term smog and ozone pollution. And 69% of itsmajor water facilities exceeded their Clean Water Act permit limits at leastonce in 2005, according to the watchdog group U.S. PIRG. That’s the 10th worstpercentage in the country.
For a listing of where every state ranks, click here.