Consumer environmental action rated

Indians and Brazilians each scored 60.0 points on the new "Greendex," announced Wednesday by the National Geographic Society.

Americans scored 44.9 points in the survey of 1,000 consumers in each of 14 countries.

National Geographic vice president Terry Garcia said this first Greendex will form a baseline for comparison as the survey is repeated annually.

"It will allow us over time to assess the progress that people are making to conserve, minimize waste and protect natural resources for the future," he said.

The survey, conducted online by the polling firm GlobeScan, asked a cross-section of consumers about their house, energy use, transportation, food, purchases of goods and other activities.

The goal was not to rank countries, but to assess consumer behavior in different locations, Garcia stressed.

Brazil ranked high, for example, because the average household is physically small, most homes aren't heated, few are air conditioned and Brazilians tend to use on-demand water heaters.

How various countries scored:

1. Tie. 60.0.