The U.S. ranks 16th in manufacturing compensation costs

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011 the total hourly compensation costs in American manufacturing was $35.53 per hour, which makes the United States rank sixteenth out of thirty-four countries ranked in that category. Norway ranks first, with a compensation cost of $64.15 per hour.

The U.S. ranks 9th in retirement security

According to the Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index, the United States ranks ninth out of eighteen countries ranked according to financial security in retirement, with a score of 59.0. Denmark ranks first, with a score of 82.9.  The top ten countries (and their scores) are:

The U.S. ranks 6th in living the good life

According to the OECD “Better Life Index,” the United States ranks sixth in terms of overall quality of life among thirty-six industrialized democracies. The top ten countries are:

1. Australia
2. Sweden
3. Canada
4. Norway
5. Switzerland
6. United States
7. Denmark
8. Netherlands
9. Iceland
10. United Kingdom

The U.S. ranks 22nd in deaths by ultraviolet radiation

According to the World Health Organization, in 2002 the United States had deaths attributable to ultraviolet (UV) radiation at a rate of 2.93 per 100,000 population. That is enough to make the United States rank twenty-second out of one hundred ninety countries ranked in that category. Niue ranked first, with a UV attributable death rate of 2481.51 per 100,000 population.

The Need for Common Frames of Reference

This is my latest piece for Huffington Post.

The U.S. ranks 15th in perceived press freedom

According to Gallup, 87% of Americans believe that the United States has a free media. That is enough to make the United States tied for fifteenth with Senegal out of one hundred thirty-three countries ranked in that category. Finland ranks first, with 97% of Finns believing that their country has a free media.

The U.S. ranks 1st in wine consumption

According to the Wine Institute, 12.54% of the wine consumed in the world in 2010 was consumed in the United States. That is enough to make the United States rank first in that category. Five countries–the United States, France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom–accounted for just under half of all the wine consumed in the world in that year.

The U.S. ranks 7th in natural gas exports

According to the CIA World Factbook, in 2011 the United States exported an estimated 42,670,000,000 cubic meters of natural gas, or 3.7% of the world’s total natural gas exports. That is enough to make the United States rank seventh out of forty-nine natural gas exporting countries. Russia ranks first, exporting 200,100,000,000 cubic meters of natural gas, or 17.4% of the world’s total.

Hanford Is No Place for a Park

My most recent piece for Huffington Post, based on a recent visit to my hometown.

The U.S. ranks 96th in adolescent fertility

According to the United Nations Development Programme, in 2010 there were 41.2 babies born to women aged 15 to 19 for every 1000 women aged 15 to 19 in the United States. This makes the United States rank ninety-sixth out of one hundred ninety-four countries ranked in that category. Niger ranks first, with an adolescent fertility rate of 207.1.