Happy Planet Index resizes countries according to their level of well-being
The Happy Planet Index
Statistician Nic Marks makes a great point: We have to stop thinking that our future is going to be a nightmare. It does us no good to be so set on the idea that everything is going to pot. Instead, we need to start thinking about how wonderful our world could be, and begin working toward that.
Marks believes that quality of life is measurable, and he and his team at Centre for Well-Being, an independent think tank at the New Economics Foundation (NEF), in London, have created the Happy Planet Index. During this wonderful TED Talk, he unveils how it tracks national well-being against resource use, showing that the happiest places are not necessarily those with the most stuff.
Marks' methods for measuring happiness can be applied to education, sustainable development, heathcare, economics, and many other parts of our policy-making. The richest countries are not the richest when it comes to a happy and joyful life. As he states, a good life doesn't have to cost the earth.
The HPI is an innovative measure that shows the ecological efficiency with which human well-being is delivered around the world. It is the first ever index to combine environmental impact with well-being to measure the environmental efficiency with which country by country, people live long and happy lives...
With the Happy Planet Index, we can take a measured, information-based look at the possibilities of shifting our thinking toward happiness and contentment, and not the destructive practice of trying to corner all the planet's resources. The Happy Planet Charter helps guide people toward using what they have to be happier. We can more efficiently use what we have available to use to create a joyful, fulfilled life. We may have a lot, but we aren't doing much with it. That can change. This is how.
Follow Jaymi on Twitter for more stories like this
