How does AZ place on Best States for Environmental Protection?

With over half of Americans greatly worried about contamination of our waterways and soil, the non-profit organization SmileHub today released new reports on the Best Charities for Environmental Protection and the Best States for Environmental Protection in 2025.

The U.S. produces over 292 million tons of waste per year, or over 4.9 pounds per person per day, according to the latest data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, over 50% of Americans worry a great deal about pollution of water sources and the contamination of soil and water by toxic waste. Pollution and waste are issues across the U.S., but some states work harder than others to limit their impact.

To highlight states that understand nature’s importance and the ones that need to improve, SmileHub compared the 50 states across 25 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of environmental charities per capita to industrial toxins per square mile of land area to climate change vulnerability.

Best States		Worst States
1. California		41. Tennessee
2. Washington		42. Iowa
3. New York		43. Kansas
4. Vermont		44. Wyoming
5. Maryland		45. Kentucky
6. Hawaii		46. North Dakota
7. Massachusetts		47. Alabama
8. New Jersey		48. Mississippi
9. Oregon		49. West Virginia
10. Virginia		50. Louisiana

*Arizona landed 23rd

Key Stats

• California has the highest number of environmental protection charities per capita – 9.9 times higher than in Oklahoma, which has the lowest number.
• New York has the highest share of workers that use green transportation – 3 times higher than in Mississippi, which has the lowest share.
• South Dakota has the highest share of renewable energy consumption – 18.3 times higher than Delaware, which has the lowest share.
• Hawaii is one of the states with the highest soil quality – 27 times higher than New Mexico, which has the lowest soil quality.

JANA'S NOTE: Despite having an abundance of sun, we didn't even place on highest share of renewable energy consumption! What is keeping us from that? 

The majority at our state legislature pushes through bad bills that prohibit the advancement of clean energy in favor of fossil fuels.  They have also sponsored several bills that prohibit water conservation and even allowed landowners to dump toxins in dry washes on their property. 

To view the full report and your state’s rank, please visit: 
https://smilehub.org/blog/best-states-for-environmental-protection/123