Ugh... Well the Solution is Simple - Make Everyone Poorer

The National Geographic Society has done a survey on which countries "care more about the environment" based on the behavior of consumers - and of course the US is at the bottom of the list with Canada not far behind:

A panel of 27 international experts in global sustainability helped identify the crucial issues. Each person was given a score that reflected the environmental impact of their lifestyle which included the size and energy-efficiency of their home, commuting habits and use of fresh water, among dozens of other measures.

Consumption was determined both by the choices consumers actively make - such as repairing rather than replacing items, using cold water to wash laundry, choosing green products rather than environmentally unfriendly ones - and choices that are controlled more by their circumstances - such as the climate they live in or the availability of green products or public transport.

Nevermind that the US has experienced a drop in greenhouse gases, the clear target of the study was consumption - so little wonder that poor countries have performed better. Is it really any surprise that poor people consume less? Well apparently to the media and a segment I just saw in CTV, apparently it is. The solution seems to be simple - let's make everyone poor. The problem of course, is that the people who are often making the prescriptions are making them for others and don't think the rules apply to themselves. Suddenly the fact that Earth Day just happens to fall on Lenin's (that would be Vlad's - not John's) birthday doesn't seem like so much of a coincidence after all.

Update: As a new initiative has been pointing out: "malaria kills more than Hitler, Stalin, Tanks and Bombs". It bears useful reminder that the powers that be have banned DDT in the interest of "the environment". Meanwhile, ever since the bans, malaria infection has skyrocketed. I sometimes do wonder if the the logic as taken by the environmental movement today, taken to its limits, would rather us either poor or dead.