Ecologically sustainable countries

With last week's news that Earth's resources have slipped
into an "ecological deficit" for the rest of 2014, many
countries around the world have come under scrutiny for
taking more from nature then their own ecosystems can
supply.
What exactly is this ecological debt? Essentially, it means
we have used up all the planet's natural resources
available for an entire year-think deforestation, soil erosion
and carbon dioxide emissions-so now we're running a
deficit. In other words, human consumption has exceeded
our planet's capacity to regenerate. The calculations are
based on dividing the amount of ecological resources the
planet is able to provide in a year by humanity's demand
and multiplying it by 365.
It is now estimated that 86% of the world's population live
in countries that require more from nature than their
ecosystems can provide. According to the Global Footprint
Network, if everybody were to live like Americans, it would
take four Earths to support the global population. The U.S.
was ranked 33 on the 2014 environmental performance
index (EPI). Consequently, several countries have begun to
adopt the ecological footprint model, which demonstrates
the energy and resources consumed in each country per
person to raise awareness and educate populations about
resource demand.
In the interest of curbing our own ecological overspending,
here's a list of 12 countries with ecologically sustainable
policies.
1. Iceland
Iceland scores high on the EPI for its commendable
sustainable development policies on climate change, for
limiting greenhouse gases and for its clean energy economy
which has been a magnet for foreign industrial investments
with regards to modernizing aluminum smelters.
Iceland is renowned for transforming its energy system so
that 100% of its electricity production as well as all its
house heating is now provided by domestic renewable
energy resources of hydroelectric power (thanks to its
abundance of rivers) and geothermal reserves. It also has
low air pollution, high water quality and runs hydrogen fuel
cell-powered buses in the capital of Reykjavik, increasing
its sustainability. The country's greenhouse agriculture has
also diversified the farming sector enabling the country to
enjoy the domestic production of tomatoes, cucumber and
peppers.
2. Switzerland
Switzerland topped the 2014 EPI list for its ecological and
green policies, even though it is "resource constrained" by
virtue of its fenced-in geographical location. But thanks to
some innovative environmental management practices,
Switzerland has become one of the most sustainable
nations in the world in the areas of climate change,
biodiversity and habitat protection. Over the past five years,
the Swiss introduced 15 regional parks with two additional
national parks underway, scoring higher than any other
country for protected terrestrial areas. It also houses the
densest rail network in Europe and provides free recycling
services while charging for routine garbage collection.
Thirty-one percent of the country is covered in forests,
which provides a lucrative timber industry creating
hundreds of thousands of jobs -most Swiss homes are
constructed of wood. More than half of its domestic
electricity production comes from hydropower plants and
another 40% from nuclear power. In 2013, it reset its goal to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions to at least 20% below
1990 levels by 2020, Huffington Post reported.
3. Costa Rica
This tropical wildlife haven is one of the most ecologically
sustainable countries in the world, thanks to its renowned
rainforest conservation programs and the government's
dedication to preserving its forest and water systems-25%
of the land is protected as reserves and national parks.
According to the United Nations, Costa Rica produces over
90% of its electricity through renewable means such as
hydroelectric, geothermal and wind power.