When it comes to caring for our natural resources, we Americans are in no position to brag. And while we here at Plenty are all for letting he who is without sin cast the first stone, not throwing stones from our glass houses, etc., we couldn’t help but notice this Reuters piece about the United Arab Emirates.

According to a new World Wildlife Fund report, the UAE has the world’s largest per-capita ecological footprint. While this is largely because of the country’s hot, dry climate, air conditioning isn’t all that’s contributing to the UAE’s dubious distinction:

Making matters worse are Dubai's audacious developments, including artificial resort islands that have destroyed coral reefs and an indoor ski slope that still creates snow when it is 120 degrees outside.

"Of all the places to make artificial snow, this has to be the most absurd," said Jonathan Loh, a British biologist who co-authored the WWF report.

And the award for the second-largest ecological footprint goes to…the good old United States. So we can safely dismount our high horses for now.

Posted by Kiera Butler on Jan 17, 2007 at 11:16 AM
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