HAPPY PLANET INDEX July 5, 2009
Posted by wmmbb in Humankind/Planet Earth.trackback
The New Economics Foundation has an index, first published in 2006, that combines scores for most countries into a single index combining life expectancy, carbon footprint and subjective life happiness.
As might be expected the winners of such a world league table do not include the usual suspects. In fact far from it. The Happy Planet Index for 2009 identifies the top five successful countries as Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guatemala and Vietnam. These set of winners contrasts with the 2006 list which had as the leaders: Vanuatu, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica and Panama. What is it about Central American and Caribbean countries that accounts for their success?
Ashley Seager in The Guardian observes:
The report says the differences between nations show that it is possible to live long, happy lives with much smaller ecological footprints than the highest-consuming nations.
The new HPI also provides the first ever analysis of trends over time for what are supposedly the world’s most developed nations, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
OECD nations’ HPI scores plummeted between 1960 and the late 1970s. Although there have been some gains since then, HPI scores were still higher in 1961 than in 2005.
Life satisfaction and life expectancy combined have increased 15% over the 45-year period for those living in the rich nations, but it has come at the cost of a 72% rise in their ecological footprint. And the three largest countries in the world – China, India and the US, which are aggressively pursuing growth-based development models – have all seen their HPI scores drop in that time.
Money is one form of satisfaction, and quantitative measurement, can allow us to lose sight of other possibilities, in particular the social and planetary cost of economic activities. The article in Wikipedia points out the HPI is not perfect, but it has some objective basis. On this basis people who are born in Costa Rica are luckier than those born in Australia.
Costa Rica’s only other distinction that I was aware of was that they did not have an army, although they have armed police. Honduras, by contrast, seems to have an army without a police force. Still the amount of money spent, and proposed to be spent, on defence does not seem to improve the quality of our lives.
I am a bit sceptical of this, I suspect that it measures too many things that are subjective, the human development index seems a little better.
my thoughts http://another-green-world.blogspot.com/2009/07/colombia-6143-in-happy-planet-index.html
You have to wonder about Colombia in general and quality of life. Still it is interesting that Colombia could score so comparitively well given the permanent drug war. Bogota, as far as I know, does not figure as one of the world’s most pleasant cities.
I am guessing the human development index does not take account of the environmental costs.
Thanks for the link, Derek.
I call BS on this survey. The Dominican Republic, while a beautiful country that I love and miss has been anything but happy in the last five years. All the criminals deported form the US end right back in those streets savaging the country! Nothing is scarier than coming up to a red light at night while driving hoping that someone doesn’t pull a gun on you.
Thanks for the inside information, Rad. I do not have your direct experience of the Dominican Republic, so your report is a useful corrective for me.
It looks like the HPI needs some refinement, but I still think it is a worthwhile thing to do. In my case I just then to look at the financial outcome, perhaps as a result of a series of transactions, without regard to the other costs involved which could be social and environmental.
I must admit to being surprised at the conclusions.
Colleen, I suppose if the index is created around the three criteria those countries with low carbon footprints and reasonable life expectancy will be favored. For example, Canada and Australia will probably be down the list just on the basis of per capita carbon dioxide emissions
Dubious indeed. While I am for peace, I cannot help but to wonder about the aggressive nature of man without the threat of a defense or death. Do you leave your doors open at night? I don’t. But there was a time where it was very possible to do so. Don’t know if there is a happiness link here.
No we don’t Judith, we are too territorial for that. Some of us, I have to be careful not to suggest I speak for everyone, do not keep our hearts open, and perhaps the resulting karma will get us in the end.
The aggressive nature of man is not so much a given as a deeply imbued condition. By stopping violence within ourselves from taking form and expression, and diverting anger into productive channels, we might begin to change – who knows where that might lead.
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By the way, thanks for all your comments. I know there is an amount of work in making them. Feel welcome to make them at any time. Sometimes, I am inclined to make comments, but I do not feel competent to make them, and that applies to your posts and those of Colleen. I am regularly reading what you are both writing though.
“The aggressive nature of man is not so much a given as a deeply imbued condition. By stopping violence within ourselves from taking form and expression, and diverting anger into productive channels, we might begin to change – who knows where that might lead.”
This is a powerful statement, wmmbb, as well as the “karma” one. We definitely sow what we reap and influence situations for years to come even after we are no longer physically on the earth. Thank you for these words. You are a fine writer and thinker.
I have not been visiting as I had, as I am writing a book and have been busy with other businesses. But you are not too far from my mind and I hope that all is well with your health. I know that you do not believe in the power of prayer, but as I do I continue to pray for you. Peace and love…
By the way, as you well know, the reaping and sowing goes for the positive and negative. My mother used to say “now we have to pray for crop failures” once the negative has been sown. Grace is available too.
Your mother was evidently very wise, Judith.
Writing a book is big project – all the best with that. I expect to hear more in due course.
She was indeed, wmmbb. She was very wise, but not perfect. Who among us is? Her wisdom looms large in the book. More later for sure.