These Maps Show Rankings of Earth's Most Toxic Nations

Pollution - an evil that most nations across the globe still struggle to combat. However, it's no surprise that some do so much better than others. New maps developed by The Eco Experts - a solar panel company based out of the UK - give visuals to those rankings and reveal the most toxic countries in the world.

The Eco Experts compiled the most recent data from the International Energy Agency and the World Health Organization. They then ranked each nation given the information provided on five unique factors:

1. Energy consumption per capita
2. Carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion per capita
3. Air pollution
4. Deaths attributable to air pollution per 100,000 capita
5. Renewable energy production

An interesting map from The Eco Experts shows the most toxic countries in the world.

These factors culminated in an overall toxicity ranking. The team at Eco Experts said:

"It is now more important than ever that countries worldwide launch serious initiatives to tackle climate change in order to save Earth from catastrophic consequences."

The most toxic country

The rankings don't affirm the go-to environmental bad boys of the last 20 years - India, China and the US don't make the top 10.

The most toxic country, according to The Eco Experts, came out to be Saudi Arabia. It has the highest recorded air pollution, even surpassing India and China - nations notorious for poor air quality. Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Turkmenistan, Libya, Kazakhstan, and Trinidad and Tobago round out the top 10 most toxic.

The United Kingdom comes in at 81st, while the US makes 66th on the list.

Subsaharan African nations comprise the 10 least toxic countries, and Kenya was given the title of least toxic in the world. The only non-African countries on the least toxic list? Indonesia (7th) and Brazil (9th).

Nairobi Skyline [Image Source: Pixabay]

Several of the nations on the least toxic list have already shown an international commitment to keeping energy usage low while working on developing renewable technologies. The 47 nations included in last year's Climate Vulnerable Forum at the UN's Climate Change Conference hope to "leapfrog" over the mistakes of other nations during their industrializations. As 'late bloomers,' these countries can skip inefficient technologies and opt for more eco-friendly alternatives.

In a press release, Jon Whiting from The Eco Experts also said he wanted to shame those nations not looking to improve:

“This research is a way of naming and shaming the worst offenders around the world. Their lack of action against emissions not only puts their populations at risk of deadly pollution-related diseases but also threatens the future of our planet. These threats are not distant concerns for future generations; their effects are being felt now and lives are already being lost. This research highlights the need for every country to act fast and put more investment into renewable energy alternatives.”

For a quick primer about pollution and what triggers human-sparked climate change, check out this video from Crash Course's Hank Green below:

*Editorial note: Any country in gray didn't have enough information or reliable data to be included in the Eco Expert rankings.

All Map Images Courtesy of The Eco Experts

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