You are probably justified in being a bit suspicious. If you examine the methodology of the report it’s not too difficult to find some significant weaknesses, although generally I think it works in terms of giving a general indication.

If I get some free time I might look into the detailed scores for Costa Rica in some more detail because it is interesting to read your comments.

Mark.

Could not believe that Costa Rica placed 5th! These rankings were based on “performance”, were they not? Sorry to say that few places here are not polluted. A filthy creek runs through a ‘posh’ country club & its stench is overpowering & white foam, sometimes a foot high, float on it. Did the Yale researchers actually come here to see this country?

Parts of CR are stupendously beautiful but residents complain constantly of the pollution & garbage & smells.

I commend Costa Rica, being a developing country, for doing what it can, but 5th in the world will give her an exaggerated idea of how well they are doing. They’ve barely begun recycling, the waste is not processed when it is emptied into the sea, etc.

These negative comments are regettable but I was stunned & wondered if CR’s reputation, more than fact, swayed the ‘judges’?

Currently Switzerland’s electricity production is based on aprox 60% hydro, 3 -4 % fossil, and the rest comes from nuclear. Today they have a surplus and export about 10% of thier electricity.

The problem is that by 2020 economic and population growth will create a shortage in capacity, and some of the nuclear stations are due to be decommissioned. This will create quite a large energy hole to fill. Switzerland is short on remaining natural resources that can be exploited: pretty much every source of water has already been dammed. Switzerland is a densely populated country with limited space for vast solar arrays and wind farms that would be required to create masses of renewable power, and is landlocked so off-shore wind and tidal is out of the question. More nuclear would seem to be the only feasible option, but much of the population is opposed to this.

However, there is a current of opinion that says that if Switzerland stops exporting power (and maybe starts buying it instead) then the neighbors will build nuclear stations to meet their demand. It might therefore be better to build new nuclear stations, meaning that at least Switzerland has control over safety and waste disposal rather than trusting somebody else.

The UK Gov also uses a set of indicators for its sustainable development index.

I note the top countries are all European, high per capita earnings, technologically advanced. All have relatively low density of population and large natural resources.

Though not really needing resources for economy. Eg Switzerland -finance and banking. Finland- communications. All have hydro electric potential etc

Easy to finish (and not No 4)near the top if you hve a good hand to begin with. Though no excuse for US being so low down.