Promoting his Executive Order about developing regulation for carbon pricing, Governor Terry McAuliffe tweeted out that this would “keep VA #1 on climate issues“. While that tweet generated some ridiculing from clean energy activists, McAuliffe’s tweeted assertion raises the question: What does it mean to be “#1 on climate issues”?
How might we measure this? Here are some potential items:
- Carbon Emissions per capita?
- Energy use per capita?
- Energy Efficiency? (home? business? car?)
- ‘Climate-aware policies’?
- Industrial pollution?
- “Leading the charge on renewable energy”?
- Or …
Thus, a quick look at ‘what measurements’ might exist to help illuminate the question of who is “#1 on climate issues“. Essentially, across the board, Virginia is middle-of-the-pack (or toward the bottom) in results, and policies to address climate change.
Various Measures of States related to “Climate Issues”
| Category | Best | Worst | Virginia | Source | |
| Per Capita Energy Use | New York | Louisiana | 30 | EIA | |
| CO2 Emissions Per Capita | Washington, DC | Texas | 18 | EIA | |
| Energy Efficiency | MA/CA (tied) | North Dakoa | 33 | ACEEE | |
| Energy Efficiency | New York | South Carolina | 35 | Wallet Hub | |
| Home Energy Efficiency | Utah | Louisiana | 36 | Wallet Hub | |
| Car Energy Efficiency | New York | North Dakota | 31 | Wallet Hub | |
| Worst Industrial Pollution | Ohio | 14 | World Atlas | ||
| Toxic Chemical Releases | Rhode Island | Alaska | 20 | Scorecard | |
| Renewable Energy Leaders | Oregon | Smart Asset | |||
| Clean Energy Momentum | California | Union of Concerned Scientists | |||
| Greenest States | Vermont | Wyoming | 31 | Wallet Hub | |
| Environmental quality | Vermont | Montana | 46 | Wallet Hub | |
| Eco-Friendly Behaviors | Oregon | Louisiana | 39 | Wallet Hub | |
| Climate-Change Contributions | Delaware | Montana | 15 | Wallet Hub |
A simple question:
By what measure is “VA #1 on climate issues”?
(For more discussion, see Ranking: What does it mean to be #1 on climate?)
