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.

The U.S. ranks 1st in plastic surgeons

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, in 2011 there were 5,950 plastic surgeons working in the United States, or 18.7% of all plastic surgeons working in the world. That is enough to make the United States rank first in that category.

The U.S. ranks 6th in public expenditures on health care

According to the United Nations Development Program, in 2010 public spending on health care amounted to 9.5% of GDP. This is enough to make the United States rank sixth out of one hundred eighty-eight countries ranked in that category. The Marshall Islands ranked first, with public health expenditure amounting to 15.0% of GDP.