Gold and Green 2000

U.S. states with the highest environmental standards also boast the best economic performance, finds Gold and Green 2000, a new report from the Institute for Southern Studies. The study ranks states on 20 “gold” economic and 20 “green” environmental indicators to provide a telling snapshot that diffuses the “jobs versus the environment” myth. The report is an updated version of a similar study authored by the Institute in 1994. The original Gold and Green had similar findings; comparisons of the 1994 and 2000 studies offer a useful yardstick for gauging which states are improving – or falling behind – on their environmental and economic records. View the list of ranked states and the criteria used to generate the list, as well as the full text of the report, at the institute’s Web site.