Firstly, this website is still a work in progress. There are still some technical difficulties we are overcoming, but this will be resolved very shortly. The 2008 EPI is based online and not in full printed format this year. This was as much of an environmental decision as well as functionality decision. Not only does it have less environmental impact but it is also an experimental and powerful tool for both policymakers and the public alike to facilitate environmental decisionmaking.
This website features innovative data graphics, so that every data point in the graphics links to a point in the Wiki. In this way users can explore the data and find correlations and relationships between a large range of issues and geographic locations. There are many hyperlinks to other areas in the website to facilitate exploration of the website, data and the data graphics.
You will see on every page the Wiki scatter plots. Every dot in the scatter plot has the dual functionality of a button that links to the relevant country’s homepage in the Wiki.
The chart lets users see trends at a glance. It is also possible to enlarge the chart to get more resolution and detail.
Please note that this site will expand over time. In due course more information will be added to each country profile. The funtionality, content and analysis will be further developed, white papers will be added to the site and an interactive weighting feature will be added as an additional feature so that individuals can construct their own rankings based on different weights.
We welcome your comments and feedback, please go to the contact page to submit comments. In the near future you will be able to add comments to each country profile.
Design and programming: Linked by Air & We Have Photoshop.
This report has been made possible through the work of the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University. In collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.
The EPI has been made possible in part by generous support from the Samuel Family Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation and the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation.