When it comes to sustainability, Oregon is No. 1, says the San Francisco-based Resource Renewal Institute. The group ranked states on transit spending, open-space protection, recycling, and pollution prevention, among other things. New Jersey (shocking!) and Minnesota came in second and third, respectively. The institute’s Randy Solomon said Oregon took top honors because the state “has taken its responsibility to think long term very seriously.” Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) signed an executive order last year requiring state agencies to embrace sustainability, and the state legislature this year backed a measure creating a Sustainability Board. The city of Portland, Ore., opened an Office of Sustainable Development a year ago to integrate its recycling, green building, and energy programs.
