Keeping tabs on the best indicators for quality of life among 12 advanced democracies

The U.S. for the second consecutive year has lost a spot in the rankings for highest investment in clean energy. The U.S. now ranks behind Germany and China and has also fallen to 11th among developed countries in clean energy investment growth rate over the last ten years. Chairman of the Sierra Club Carl Pope contends in an article on the Huffington Post website, that the results from the Pew Report are indicative of a growing complacency to the potential in the clean energy market being swallowed by China’s aggressive approach. Pope argues that arguments favoring a more complacent outlook which include concerns over whether other countries have cheaper labor, looser environmental standards,  less regulation, and easier access to raw materials are all thoughtfully considered and repudiated. Pope urges that the requisite component that is missing is a revived manufacturing sector. Without it, the U.S. will only continue to fall further behind in the clean energy market.