Just because a place is environmentally "fit" doesn't mean you'd want to spend your life there; think glaciers and rain forests. But finding the perfect balance between what's green and what's livable could lead you to paradise. Aiming for that ideal, we researched the world's greenest countries while also ensuring they were ones where people could thrive. Along the way, we also unearthed the worst places to live. Hold your breath and hope the country you call home isn't one of them.

We analyzed data from two top sources covering 141 nations to rank the planet's greenest, most livable places. Our analysis delved into social factors (income and education, for instance) and environmental measures (see our chart for who scores highest and lowest for some of them, and how the United States, the best overall, and the worst overall stack up). While helping rank the countries, our analysis also led us to five key lessons: 1) You Can Always Get Greener, 2) Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, 3) Save the Forests and the Trees, 4) Manage Progress for the Benefit of All, 5) Turn Things Around While There's Still Time.

Click here to view the original article as published in Reader’s Digest

Published: Saturday, September 01, 2007

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