“Making America Better”

Why We Need To Listen Globally

(And Especially to Sweden/Scandinavia)

A. Technology

The U.S. has lost its position as the world’s primary engine of technology innovation, according to a report by the World Economic Forum. The U.S. is now ranked 7th in the body’s league table measuring the impact of technology on the development of nations. The top spot went for the fist time to Denmark, followed by SWEDEN. China is 59th!

B. The Environment

The U.S. is ranked 28th on the global index of environmental performance, a value based on six measurements of environmental health. Denmark gets 20% of its energy from wind and ranks 7th; SWEDEN is 2^nd, trailing only New Zealand.

C. Quality of Life

The United States does not have a city in the Top 20 worldwide. Zurich is No. 1. Germany has 3 cities in the Top 8!

D. Infant Mortality

On the Economist’s global index of lowest infant mortality, the U.S. is nowhere to be found. SWEDEN is 4th in the world trailing Singapore; Iceland; and Japan.

E. The Secret to Smarter Schools

In Finland, a school teacher’s status is equivalent in society to lawyers and doctors. In the most recent Program for International Student Assessment

(PISA), here’s how Finland compares to the U.S. out of 40 industrialized nations:

Reading Literacy Finland 1st U.S. 18th

Science Finland 1st U.S. 22nd

Math Finland 2nd U.S. 28th

F. Sex Education

Since 1956, sex education has been compulsory in Swedish schools. The message being delivered seems to work: The rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease in Sweden are among the world’s lowest. Sweden’s teenage birthrate is 7 per 1,000 births compared with 49 in the U.S.

G. Life Expectancy

The U.S. average life expectancy is 77.9 (40th in the world); Costa Rica and Cuba are both ahead of the U.S. SWEDEN is 7th worldwide at 80.8. Andorra is No. 1 at 83.5 years. Adult obesity calculates directly into these numbers as the U.S. has a 32% adult obesity rate compared to 4% for the Japanese.

(Source of Information: April 2, 2007 issue of U.S. News & World Report)