Retail therapy and happiness
- From: "Lance" <LanceGary@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 12 Jul 2006 06:38:59 -0700
Happiness doesn't cost the Earth
People can live long, happy lives without consuming large amounts of
the Earth's resources, a survey suggests.
The 178-nation "Happy Planet Index" lists the south Pacific island of
Vanuatu as the happiest nation on the planet, while the UK is ranked
108th.
The index is based on consumption levels, life expectancy and
happiness, rather than national economic wealth measurements such as
GDP.
The study was compiled by think-tank the New Economics Foundation
(Nef).
Size doesn't matter
One of the authors, Nef's Nic Marks, said the aim of the index was to
show that well-being did not have to be linked to high levels of
consumption.
"It is clear that no single nation listed in the index has got
everything right, but it does reveal patterns that show how we might
better achieve long and happy lives for all while living within our
environmental means," Mr Marks said.
The small island state of Vanuatu is situated in the middle of the
South Pacific Ocean, and has a population of 209,000. Its economy is
built around small-scale agriculture and tourism.
Latin American nations dominate the top 10 places in the index, while
African and Eastern European nations fill most of the bottom 10.
Among the world's largest economies, Germany is ranked 81st, Japan
95th, while the US comes in at 150th.
Although Vanuatu tops the happiness index, it is ranked 207th out of
233 economies when measured against Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Simon Bullock, economics co-ordinator for Friends of the Earth, which
helped compile the data, said the findings showed that happiness did
not have to cost the Earth.
"The UK economy hoovers up vast quantities of the world's scarce
resources, yet British people are no happier than Colombians, who use
far fewer," he said.
"The current crude focus on GDP is outdated, destructive and doesn't
deliver a better quality of life."
Nef is calling for the adoption of a "global manifesto for a happier
planet" that will list ways nations can live within their environmental
limits and increase people's quality of life. The recommendations
include:
Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger
Recognising the contribution of individuals and unpaid work
Ensuring economic policies stay within environmental limits
The index builds on a report that Nef published earlier this year that
warned if annual global consumption levels matched the UK's, it would
take 3.1 Earths to meet the demand.
Source: BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5169448.stm
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