http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/study-us-ranks-among-the-worst-countries-for-environmental-impact/3600/<snip>
“The environmental crises currently gripping the planet are the corollary of excessive human consumption of natural resources,” said Corey Bradshaw, the institute’s director of ecological modeling. “There is considerable and mounting evidence that elevated degradation and loss of habitats and species are compromising ecosystems that sustain the quality of life for billions of people worldwide.”
The ten countries with the worst environmental impact, according to the study, are:
1. Brazil
2. United States
3. China
4. Indonesia
5. Japan
6. Mexico
7. India
8. Russia
9. Australia
10. Peru
Most integral to a country’s environmental impact — more so than human population size and governance quality — was its gross national income, the study said. “Total wealth was the most important explanatory variable,” Bradshaw said. “The richer a country, the greater its average environmental impact.”
And although wealthier countries have better access to clean technology and more “green” awareness, the researchers found no evidence to support the theory that environmental degradation levels off or declines past a certain wealth threshold.