Brazilians and Indians are the most eco-friendly folks in the world, and Canadians and Americans are the least, according to a new survey done by the National Geographic Society. Consumers in 14 countries, representing more than half of the world’s population and about three-quarters of its energy use, were ranked on their sustainability in the areas of housing, transportation, food, and consumer goods. Brazil and India tied for the win with a score of 60 on the sustainable-consumption scale, followed by China, Mexico, Hungary, Russia, a tie between Great Britain and Germany and Australia, Spain, Japan, France, Canada, and the United States. Brazilians bested the housing category; Chinese topped transportation, and Indians were first-class in food. The U.S. was lowest or second-lowest in all four categories. The society admits that the high scores of developing countries are likely a product of necessity rather than choice; it plans to conduct the survey annually and watch trends over time.
