The Ten Least Green States In U.S. (PHOTOS)

While Earth Day was an important time to highlight issues surrounding our environment, pollution impacts our world on every single day of the year.

Last year, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed the environmental issues facing each state. In observance of Earth Day, the rankings were updated to reflect the most recent data.

24/7 Wall St. examined energy consumption, pollution problems and state energy policies. The most recent information, issued in 2009 and 2010, was used for all states. Thousands of data points were collected to determine the most and least “green” states.

Below are the ten least green states in the 24/7 Wall St. ranking, based on environmental problems and how effectively these problems are addressed.

CLICK HERE to see the 10 greenest states.

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#10. Illinois

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Population: 12,910,409 (5th) GDP: $630.3 Billion (5th) Toxic Waste: 1.04 Million Tons (43rd) Carbon Footprint: 242 Million Metric Tons (45th) Alternative Energy: 1.6% (47th) Illinois uses the third greatest amount of energy out of all the states. Unfortunately, only 1.6% of this energy comes from renewable sources. This is the fourth worst percentage in the country. The state, with its heavy manufacturing industry, also received the fourth worst toxic exposure score by the EPA. The state does have the seventh highest score for solar energy policy, however. (AP Photo/Exelon Corporation)

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Population: 12,910,409 (5th)
GDP: $630.3 Billion (5th)
Toxic Waste: 1.04 Million Tons (43rd)
Carbon Footprint: 242 Million Metric Tons (45th)
Alternative Energy: 1.6% (47th)

Illinois uses the third greatest amount of energy out of all the states. Unfortunately, only 1.6% of this energy comes from renewable sources. This is the fourth worst percentage in the country. The state, with its heavy manufacturing industry, also received the fourth worst toxic exposure score by the EPA. The state does have the seventh highest score for solar energy policy, however.

(AP Photo/Exelon Corporation)

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Comments

[ProgressivesWin]

08:13 PM on 04/27/2011

Not many surprises on this list. Nice how the southern states are always included!

[ss1517]

09:08 PM on 04/27/2011

True. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio were key members of the Confederacy.

[ProgressivesWin]

01:42 AM on 04/28/2011

What, like I don't know those aren't in the south? Don't be a tw. er.p.

[John Mainstream]

01:31 PM on 04/27/2011

Pennsylvania is mostly beautiful, tree covered mountains. That's as green as it gets.

[Kye154]

11:53 AM on 04/27/2011

They forgot Arkansas. Perhaps the reason why maybe because it now ranks as a 3rd world nation? If not, then it has to rank somewhere between Louisiana (4th place) and Missouri (9th place) as being among the worst.

[Daniel Jackson Freed]

05:26 PM on 04/26/2011

Considering Florida ranks 1st for hazardous wastes violations since 2000, I'm fairly surprised that Florida did not make this list. I'm curious how it ranks outside the top 10.

[YoBear]

09:31 PM on 05/04/2011

I'm guessing the gulf winds blow everything off shore.

[foxbat]

08:40 AM on 04/26/2011

Many of these states are the last of the "manufacturing" or "energy" states. KY and WV being steeped in coal. TX and LA with oil. PA, IN, OH being heavy in manufacturing, in comparison to the rest of the country. Peculiar that MI isn't there. The mix of manufacturing and/or energy plus waterways seems to be a fairly bad mix for those on this list. One thing of note is that having alternative energy doesn't necessarily mean using it in some of these states. Indiana has one of the largest wind farms in the world, as well as a plant that will end up being the largest producer of solar panels in the world, and one of the seven largest ethanol generating states, and even has companies like Subaru which operate a zero-landfill auto production plant, yet it shows up on the list of least green states. Time to write Gov. Daniels a letter and prod him on this.

[justitia]

08:10 AM on 04/26/2011

How about the top 10 greenest states?

[snowmanjny]

12:02 PM on 04/26/2011

That is detailed in another slide show

[minlshaw]

07:16 AM on 04/26/2011

As a Kentuckian, I *knew* we were on this list. In my home county, which has effectively become a glorified suburb of Louisville, voters in 2004 celebrated the end of emissions testing for automobiles as a victory of some kind for personal freedom. It's more important to spew toxic fumes into traffic than it is to say, "You know, maybe we'd breathe better if we didn't do this."

We have a recycling center, but you have to take your materials to them; there's no chance in hell that taxpayers would approve spending money for something as "frivolous" and "stupid" as collecting recyclables. My wife and I recycle, but we've been unable to persuade any of our family members to take up the cause. They think we're silly for bothering. "We have a thing called a 'trash can' you put trash in," my uncle joked, yet again thinking himself clever.

The scary part is, this is one of the more enlightened and best educated counties in the state. The anti-green crowd everywhere else is even more hostile about these things.

[NeverUndecided]

02:58 AM on 04/26/2011

This assessment discounts shifting of emissions via outsourcing production. The offshore footprint of what is imported turns out to be a big number:

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/04/25-9

[jmk6653]

06:13 PM on 04/25/2011

all right - I knew Ohio could be #1 in something!!

[chaz]

06:13 PM on 04/25/2011

Texas. Texas where every thing is big even the pollution. GOP's pride and joy example of how much better a CONSERVATIVE state functions. Right. What a joke.

[larrdjones2]

08:41 PM on 04/25/2011

Do you care to answer how many of the 10 voted Blue and how many voted Red? Of course you don't, it wouldn't fit your agenda.

[chaz]

11:30 PM on 04/25/2011

larr,
Sorry but I don't have an "agenda". Apparently you do. I'm not the one who constantly uses Texas as an example of how conservative ideology put to practice proves the conservatives are very right and everyone else is very wrong. The GOP and the Republican controlled media did and do.
Anyone with half a brain knows thanks to all the deregulation and Republican madness in Texas that Texas air quality alone is some of the worst on the planet. Do yourself a favor and turn off Fox and Friends.

[foxbat]

08:23 AM on 04/26/2011

Well, if you are talking the 2008 presidential race, it's 50%-50% with Indiana barely going blue this last time out after a few decades of red.  If you are talking 2004, then it's 70%-30% red.

If you are talking current Senators, then it's 60%-40% red.

[Leadsled]

03:01 PM on 04/25/2011

I find the inclusion of New Jersey to be quite peculiar. Most of our electricity is generated by carbon neutral generation. Consequentially, per capita, new jerseyians have far lower carbon footprints than other states. I don't know what the total "carbon footprint" metrics provided on this site are based off of though because as I said jersey has among the most if not the most green electrical generation of any state. It also has much higher average public transit utilization rates and shorter drives (due to the density of development).

Air quality and ozone concerns and such that are listed here arent really fair to hold against new jersey calling it a less green state due to those issues, as those issues are mostly caused by Pennsylvania and New York, which surround new jersey on three sides. (ok 2 and a part of a side really).

Also it is pretty clear that the "alternative energy" data is a useless figure. It seems to not include nuclear as an "alternative" as most of the state's electrical generation is nuclear.

[Rational Thought Plz]

06:22 PM on 04/25/2011

Pretty sure it's the waste management industry in Jersey, or whatever it is that causes the peculiar smell I hear so much about.

[Leadsled]

06:39 PM on 04/25/2011

You mean the "peculiar smell" which exists in like half a percent of the state or less? Because Im pretty sure you can find specific areas in any given state with similar waste based smells. The issue there is that New Yorkers and others tend to interact with a very small portion of new jersey in making those ideas, essentially secaucus and the meadowlands are the only places with "the peculiar smell". Barely a drop in the bucket when discussing a state as a whole.

[nwlover]

06:45 PM on 04/25/2011

That peculiar smell is Snooky.

[Gridlock50]

02:51 PM on 04/25/2011

Six of the top seven-republican gov's...

[dogscatsgoats]

02:45 PM on 04/25/2011

This poll could have been interesting - but it is not. It is not because it lists the state that still manufacture or mine something - this is not a direct correlation to being the 'least green'.

What would have been interesting is telling us something useful, such as:
(1) per capita rates of consumption of different kinds of natural resources (such as hydrocarbons or coal);
(2) per capita use of alternative energy sources (but please, do not count ethanol or biodiesel in this, it has become clear that the use of these 'renewable' fuels have no net positive environemental impact);
(3) the amount of suburbanization in the state (which has a direct correlation to all sorts of environmental impacts);
(4) political support for environmental protection and regulation
(4)

[safetymel]

02:49 PM on 04/25/2011

Point number 1 would have been interesting. The rest would have made it even more meaningless. Good input though.

[RealConservativeAmerican]

03:21 PM on 04/25/2011

I would have liked to have seen that information as well.

[CivilDebate10]

02:41 PM on 04/25/2011

Gee, look at all those Demorat States...just say'in

[NoWayMan]

04:08 PM on 04/25/2011

half of them were red in 2008.
more than half were red in 2004.
more than half have repub governors.

now, what were you jus sayin?

[whispurr]

04:17 AM on 04/26/2011

Thank you!

[trucker clock]

02:38 PM on 04/25/2011

hey drumz, California gets water and electricity from Arizona... go look at lake mead,

[safetymel]

02:40 PM on 04/25/2011

Lake Mead is the Colorado River not the Arizona River. Just saying.

[dcbarton]

05:56 PM on 04/25/2011

Just because the river is named Colorado, does not mean it only runs through Colorado. Let's not forget that the Mississippi has it's headwaters in Minnessota, and the Missouri has it's headwaters in Montana. Lake Mead is on the Colorado River in Nevada and Arizona. Water is pumped from there to California.

[NoWayMan]

04:09 PM on 04/25/2011

cali owns it.

[dcbarton]

05:58 PM on 04/25/2011

Why does California "own" it? It isn't even "California" that gets it, it is just the LA basin. Perhaps southern California should consider some desalination plants along the coast, rather than demanding water that others don't have just because they all chose to live in a barren desert on the coast.