My new favorite sustainability blog -SusHI (Sustainability in Hawai’i) recently posted on 7th Generation’s Sustainability Index. I’ve posted a partial index below and you can read the whole thing here. The index narrows in on a few major areas -energy, pollution, recycling- and is far from a complete picture, but it does highlight some trends while making a pretty good case for greater investment in clean tech and associated green industries. When I see stats like these, I am reminded (again) that beyond idealistic notions of doing the right thing, there is real social benefit and economic sense behind moving toward a more sustainable future.
- Percent increase in production of solar cells last year: 51
- Number of minutes of sunlight hitting Earth needed to meet global energy needs for a year: 1
- Size of the patch of desert needed to meet all U.S. energy using concentrated solar power: 92 x 92 miles
- Percent of global energy needs that could be met by wind power: 3,500
- Cost to build wind power generators to meet 20% of U.S. electricity needs: $1.2 trillion
- Amount of money spent on foreign oil in the U.S. every year: $700 billion
- Percent of U.S. household waste currently being recycled: 33
- Percent of U.S. household waste that could be recycled: 75
- Cost per ton of garbage collection in the U.S.: $70-$200
- Cost per ton of curbside recycling in the U.S.: $50-$150
- Number of jobs created per 10,000 tons of waste incinerated: 1
- Number of jobs created per 10,000 tons of waste landfilled: 6
- Number of jobs created per 10,000 tons of waste recycled: 36
