Infographic: United States Of The Environment

We can't all have the most organic farms or the lowest air pollution, but every U.S. state is No. 1 in some environmental or public health category ... and No. 50 in another. Here's a look at each state's strengths and weaknesses.

By Russell McLendon

In the spirit of two recent infographics that listed the best and worst of all 50 states — the United States of Awesome and the United States of Shame — MNN is taking another look, this time revealing how each state shines and suffers in regard to science, nature, public health or social justice. Check out the maps below, and for more info (or to be reminded which state is which) see the list of states, stats and sources.

Sources for "good U.S." map:

• Alabama: Lowest rate of alcohol abuse or dependence (U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• Alaska: Most wetlands (U.S. Geological Survey)
• Arizona: Most solar power potential (USA Today, National Climatic Data Center)
• Arkansas: Home of Buffalo River, first U.S. "National River" (National Park Service)
• California: Most acres of organic farmland (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
• Colorado: Lowest obesity rate (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Connecticut: Highest percentage of adults who had a teeth cleaning in the past year (CDC)
• Delaware: Lowest cumulative growth in cases of autism (StateMaster)
• Florida: Most recreational fishing trips per year (National Marine Fisheries Service)
• Georgia: Most industrial electricity generated from biomass (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
• Hawaii: Lowest levels of ground-level ozone and smog (American Lung Association)
• Idaho: Smallest per capita carbon footprint (Forbes)
• Illinois: Most electricity generated by nuclear power (EIA)
• Indiana: Burial place of Johnny Appleseed (Johnny Appleseed Festival)
• Iowa: Largest inventory and sales of organic hogs and pigs (USDA)
• Kansas: Most acres of wheat and sorghum grown for grain (USDA)
• Kentucky: Home of Mammoth Cave, longest in U.S. and world (NPS)
• Louisiana: Home of Mississippi River Delta, largest river delta in U.S. (Water Encyclopedia)
• Maine: Most plots of organic mixed vegetables less than 5 acres each (USDA)
• Maryland: Most academic research funding per $1,000 of gross domestic product (National Science Foundation)
• Massachusetts: Highest percentage of students testing above "advanced" level in 4th-grade science (StateMaster)
• Michigan: Best access to freshwater (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
• Minnesota: Highest rate of physical exercise (America's Health Rankings)
• Mississippi: Highest percentage of farms with a black or African-American principal operator (USDA, USDA)
• Missouri: Most Ozarks (NASA)
• Montana: Most acres of organic lentils and dry beans (USDA)
• Nebraska: Highest number of total organic livestock (USDA)
• Nevada: Fewest Superfund sites (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• New Hampshire: Fewest hazardous-liquid pipeline accidents per capita (StateMaster)
• New Jersey: Most commuter rail as a percent of total public transit (StateMaster)
• New Mexico: Home of Spaceport America, "world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport" (Spaceport America, Space.com)
• New York: Lowest total energy used per capita (EIA)
• North Carolina: Highest number of organic Christmas tree farms (USDA)
• North Dakota: Fewest federally listed endangered species (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
• Ohio: Highest percentage of students testing above "advanced" level in 8th-grade science (StateMaster)
• Oklahoma: Most alternative-fuel vehicles per capita (StateMaster)
• Oregon: Most LEED-certified buildings (Forbes)
• Pennsylvania: Most square footage and sales of organic mushrooms (USDA)
• Rhode Island: Lowest sulfur dioxide emissions (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• South Carolina: Most nuclear energy consumed per capita (StateMaster)
• South Dakota: Largest protected mixed-grass prairie (NPS, About.com)
• Tennessee: Most caves (Forbidden Caverns)
• Texas: Most installed wind power capacity (U.S. Department of Energy)
• Utah: Highest rate of breastfeeding (Kaiser Family Foundation)
• Vermont: Lowest carbon dioxide emissions (EPA)
• Virginia: Lowest overall asthma rate (StateMaster)
• Washington: Highest number of organic apples grown (USDA)
• West Virginia: Highest-paid coal miners (StateMaster)
• Wisconsin: Most acres of organic cut flowers (USDA)
• Wyoming: Lowest public health risk from air pollution (GoodGuide Scorecard)

 

Sources for "bad U.S." map:

• Alabama: Origin of U.S. fire ant invasion (Oak Ridge National Laboratory)
• Alaska: Most airports per capita (StateMaster)
• Arizona: Most groundwater-irrigated acres on farms with annual sales of $500,000 or higher (USDA)
• Arkansas: Most tons of poultry waste (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• California: Highest levels of ground-level ozone and particulate pollution (GoodGuide Scorecard, America's Health Rankings)
• Colorado: Most fatalities from avalanches (Colorado Avalanche Information Center)
• Connecticut: Highest rate of pancreatic cancer (CDC)
• Delaware: Fewest national parks (NPS)
• Florida: Most recreational boat crashes (U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division)
• Georgia: Worst water pollution from urban runoff (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Hawaii: Highest number of federally listed endangered species (FWS)
• Idaho: Lowest per capita funding for public transit (American Public Transportation Association)
• Illinois: Most accidents involving hazardous materials (StateMaster)
• Indiana: Most unrecycled trash per capita (Entrepreneur)
• Iowa: Most tons of hog waste (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Kansas: Most cases of pathogens in water (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Kentucky: Highest overall cancer death rate (National Cancer Institute, CDC)
• Louisiana: Fastest loss of wetlands (EPA)
• Maine: Highest rate of esophageal cancer (CDC)
• Maryland: Worst access to clean freshwater (EPA)
• Massachusetts: Highest rate of thyroid cancer (CDC)
• Michigan: Highest risk from Asian carp (EPA, Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
• Minnesota: Highest autism prevalence among 8-year-olds in public schools during 2009-2010 school year (Thoughtful House)
• Mississippi: Most cases of pesticides in water (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Missouri: Site of 1983 Times Beach evacuation due to dioxin contamination (EPA)
• Montana: Most cases of sediment pollution in water (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Nebraska: Highest rate of carbon monoxide poisoning (CDC)
• Nevada: Lowest annual rainfall (USGS)
• New Hampshire: Highest rate of mesothelioma (CDC)
• New Jersey: Most Superfund sites (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• New Mexico: Lowest percentage of total surface water (StateMaster)
• New York: Highest public health risk from air pollution (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• North Carolina: Fewest librarians per capita (StateMaster)
• North Dakota: Fewest clean-energy businesses (Pew Charitable Trusts)
• Ohio: Most cumulative growth in cases of autism (StateMaster)
• Oklahoma: Lowest consumption of fruits and vegetables (America's Health Rankings)
• Oregon: Highest rate of adult asthma (CDC)
• Pennsylvania: Most dams in need of repair (Association of Dam Safety Officials)
• Rhode Island: Highest rate of female breast cancer (CDC)
• South Carolina: Fewest acres of organic farmland (USDA)
• South Dakota: Most tornadoes per capita (StateMaster)
• Tennessee: Most combined sewer overflows (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Texas: Most carbon dioxide emissions (EPA)
• Utah: Slowest growth in clean-energy jobs from 1998-2007 (Pew Charitable Trusts)
• Vermont: Highest rate of brain cancers (CDC)
• Virginia: Most cases of ammonia pollution in water (GoodGuide Scorecard)
• Washington: Highest number of invasive aquatic snail species (USGS)
• West Virginia: Most coal-mining deaths (Mine Safety and Health Administration)
• Wisconsin: Highest binge-drinking rate (America's Health Rankings)
• Wyoming: Most energy used per capita (EIA)