Greenopia's research team has released a new ranking: this time it's a comprehensive ranking of all 50 United States governors. Topping the list is Governor Bill Ritter of Colorado followed closely by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. The entire ranking results are available at 50 Greenest Governors. See Top Ten below.

"We looked at all 50 governors in the US and compared their policies, transparency, and interest group ratings and ranked them. It was a monumental task," said Doug Mazeffa, Greenopia's director of research. "People want to know which Governors are the eco-leaders or laggards, and especially identify those making repeated eco-gaffes."

Data for this study was collected from each governor's own web pages and cross-checked against credible sites such as VoteSmart and OnTheIssues. Energy and emission data was collected from the Department of Energy and the environmental platform data for each political party was collected from either the DNC or RNC's main site.

As part of Greenopia's mission to keep consumers (and voters) informed on issues of eco-friendly importance, the Greenest Governors project reveals which state governments are most dedicated to preserving the environment. The US Constitution preserves the notion that America is a federation of sovereign states and legal powers not specifically granted to the federal government are retained by the states. This means that Governors and state legislatures hold significant sway over state-based green initiatives and policies.
 
"Over the past few years we have begun to see certain states emerging as environmental leaders," remarked Gay Browne, Greenopia founder and CEO.  "Those states enacting environmental laws stricter than federal guidelines have gone to greater lengths to protect the environment and to create more sustainable development, including green jobs."

The Top Ten Greenest Governors

1. Bill Ritter of Colorado

2. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California

3. Ted Kulongowski of Oregon

4. Christine Gregoire of Washington state

5. John Baldacci of Maine

6. Martin O'Malley of Maryland

7. Bill Richardson of New Mexico

8. James Douglas of Vermont

9. Jon Corzine of New Jersey

10. Jodi Rell of Connecticut

Way before I knew anything about the coming solar and wind energy revolution, I was using the sun that comes through our kitchen window to defrost frozen fish, heat up burritos and plump up bread dough. I'd dry my hair by riding my bike downhill. On hiking trips, I "cooked" our food in the perfect solar cooker-my car dashboard on a summer day. I also used to set my ceramic artwork out in the sun to harden and dry-instant kiln! Sure, these techniques took more time than zapping something in the microwave, plugging in the hairdryer or heating up our gas oven, but it's fun and free to work with nature.

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I've avoided it for 24 years, thanks to living in big cities, but now that I'm moving back to Connecticut, I can no longer deny it - I need to buy a car. Unfortunately, cars are not like houses, which you earn equity on. The moment you drive a brand new car off the lot, it starts to depreciate in value drastically. Of course, we can't forget the eco-implications of having a car: oil changes, burning fossil fuels, buying something that is mass produced … etc. Thanks to my car-need realization, I began delving into the world of green automobiles last month. You know what I found? Numerous choices, most of them out of my price range. Add on the choice of what type of eco-car to buy (gas hybrid, electric hybrid, ethanol-ready, biodiesel-ready … etc) and you've got one frustrated consumer. If I had the opportunity, I'd save for the new Chevrolet Volt, which is scheduled to be released in 2 years. Reality check: That is 2 years from now. I need a car in 3 months. So, back to the drawing board - and to the Yahoo! Autos Green Center. Those little Smart cars are adorable - I could pick one of those up in NYC after I get back to the East Coast. Reality check: Those suckers are small! For just a bit more, I could get a brand new Prius. I doubt a Smart car would handle the Connecticut winters very well either. Having a Toyota Prius Hybrid or a Honda Civic Hybrid would be a joy! Reality check: they both start around $23,000 for a 2008 model. Then it hit me … used cars. Duh! While buying a used car can be a stressful process (if you work with an obnoxious used car dealer), it will cost you much less and save from having to use fresh resources to build a new car. Yes, there is the undeniable issue of fuel efficiency, but there are a number of ways to improve that. If you are willing to make an investment, you can buy a kit to turn you current vehicle into a hybrid (or pay someone to do it for you). You can also shop around, and compare MPG's of used cars- be sure to check the engine type and any options packages (sports options can make a fuel-efficient car into a bit of a guzzler) against published reports. Some smaller cars can have very good fuel economy, even it they aren't hybrids (the Honda Fit is an example).

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