Just about every country in the world grapples with pollution, no matter how rich or poor they are. But you may not be aware of just how toxic your locale is. The Eco Experts from the United Kingdom recently cross-referenced data to rank the countries of the world by toxicity on a new map, and some of the results may surprise you.
To create their map, The Eco Experts scrutinized data for 135 countries on carbon emissions, air pollution levels, and energy consumption, along with how much the countries draw on renewable energy. They also considered how many people have died from poor air quality. Bringing together all the individual rankings, The Eco Experts determined which countries are most damaging the environment and risking public health.
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They ranked Saudi Arabia as the world’s most toxic country, with the highest recorded air pollution levels. Other oil-rich countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates topped the list as well. The United States ranked 66, doing better than countries like Canada, China, or Russia but worse than India and the United Kingdom. One surprise was that Nordic countries like Iceland and Norway guzzle more energy than others.
Meanwhile, the top five least toxic countries are all located in Africa. The world’s least toxic country is Kenya, followed by Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Cameroon.
In a press release, Jon Whiting of The Eco Experts said, “This research is a way of naming and shaming the worst offenders around the world. Their lack of action against emissions not only puts their populations at risk of deadly pollution-related diseases but also threatens the future of our planet. These threats are not distant concerns for future generations; their effects are being felt now and lives are already being lost. This research highlights the need for every country to act fast and put more investment into renewable energy alternatives.”
Images courtesy of The Eco Experts
