This is an interesting report:

South Korea has ranked 51st out of 149 countries in environmental performance.

The finding was included in the 2008 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) report compiled by Yale University and Columbia University. It was released Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

According to the report, South Korea scored 79-point-four out of a total of 100 points to come in 51st place, slipping from the 42nd spot it held in 2006.

In terms of environmental health, the nation ranked 37th. It came in 109th place in ecosystem vitality and air pollution.

Switzerland topped the list with a score of 95-point-five while Japan had the highest point total in Asia.

The EPI ranks 149 countries using 25 indicators under six established policy categories: Environmental Health, Air Pollution, Water Resources, Biodiversity and Habitat, Productive Natural Resources, and Climate Change.  [KBS News]

If you are wondering where the United States finished, it finished at number 39.  You can view the whole list here. 

Looking at the overall results most of the countries ranked towards the top are not big manufacturing nations like Korea or the United States.  The fact that Japan finished 21st is quite impressive considering their economy is based around manufacturing.  I think 51st for Korea isn’t to bad either considering how their economy is so focused on manufacturing.  Korea actually beat out a number of European nations such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and the Czech Republic that you would think would rank higher.  In Asia only Japan, Taiwan, and Malaysia beat out Korea.  So I think it is safe to say Korea did pretty well for themselves even though they went down in ranking from two years ago. 

Something else I found interesting is that considering all the bashing of Japan by people in Australia their country finished just slightly better than Korea at number 46 well below Japan’s 21st ranking.  This just validates my prior opinion that it is hypocritical for Australia to bash Japan for whaling because of environmental conservation reasons (this reasoning is false by the way) when they have huge environmental problems of their own that receive little attention.  Some how I doubt the eco-loons care because it is funner to throw acid bombs at Japanese whalers and be treated like heroes for doing so. 

Anyway, I hope Korea can improve on their score in the next rankings, but I’m not hopeful when a big canal is about to be dug through the middle of country.  If the canal isn’t constructed I think working to improve on these rankings would be worthwhile goal for the Korean government.