Can environmentalism be the key to health and happiness? According to a report from the New Economics Foundation, eco-friendly Costa Rica garners the top spot of the Happy Planet Index (HPI). The United States checks in at a somber 114 on the 143-country list.
The report’s author, NEF, was founded in 1986 in Great Britain with a mission to redirect debate surrounding economic and environmental policy. "The world faces the triple crunch of deep financial crisis, accelerating climate change and the looming peak in oil production,” said NEF founder Nick Marks. “We desperately need a new compass to guide us.”
The second installment of HPI “shows that a good life is possible without costing the earth,” said the report. “The results turn our idea of progress on its head.”
HPI integrates statistics such as life expectancy, ecological footprint, and life satisfaction to produce scores from 0-100. While winner Costa Rica scored an impressive 76.1, the United States managed less than half that score at 30.7 on the index. Despite America’s low numbers, the new ranking actually indicates an improvement from 2006, when it ranked 150 out of 178 with a score of 28.8.
In the United States, the poor ranking stems mainly from environmental policies and realities. While Americans enjoy high life expectancy and satisfaction, over-consumption and waste erase the positive effects of those indicators. As Congress and President Obama move to pass comprehensive energy reform, the HPI may take on a new level of significance. Maybe “it’s not easy being green” at the moment, but pro-environment policies could spell happiness in the future.
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