Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Happy Planet Index


Are you happy? Does your environment help or hinder your ability to lead a long and happy life?

There is an index that measures factors that lead to a long and happy life by combining the impact of environment (ecological efficiency) and human well-being, by country. The recently released
Happy Planet Index Report 2.0 lists some interesting results.

Latin American and Caribbean countries occupied 9 of the top 10 slots, while the USA was listed as number 114.


Why are the people in those 9 countries so happy? According to the report, they are “much less concerned with material issues than, for example, they are with their friends and family.” Those countries also have made great progress in ecological sustainability.

Costa Rica has nearly eliminated fossil fuels for energy generation, and Colombia has a “Green Constitution”.
Costa Ricans reportedly have the highest life satisfaction in the world, and their life expectancy is second-highest in the Americas, following Canada.

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