Sustainable Living by Shawn Dell Joyce

The economic downturn we are currently in the grips of follows hot on the heels of an era of unparalleled growth and wealth. Even though our gross domestic product has tripled during the past 54 years, we can't seem to shake that sinking feeling that the third-class passengers on the Titanic must have had. But the numbers don't tell the whole truth.

Uncounted in our GDP are the social and environmental tolls rampant economic growth has had on our families and the planet. For many around the world, it's hard to be happy when you fear for your descendents' future. It is equally difficult to put a price on the crucial services with which nature and its ecosystems have provided us for so many years. Perhaps a truer gauge of human progress would be a measurement that takes into account economic progress, environmental impact and human well-being.

Enter the Happy Planet Index, by the New Economics Foundation. The big difference between the HPI and GDP is sustainability. The HPI is based on the principle that most people do not want to be rich; we want to be happy and healthy. Also, richness comes with an environmental cost that usually is paid by other people, including future generations.

Globally, the U.S. has the highest score in terms of per capita GDP, which means we are a country of wealthy workaholics, but the second-lowest score in terms of per capita happiness on the HPI. (Russia scores the lowest.) Indonesia, on the other hand, is almost exactly the opposite of the U.S. Indonesia has a GDP per person that is the lowest in the world (less than $10,000) but is ranked highest in terms of happiness.

What this means is that impoverished and war-torn countries, where people have a life expectancy almost half our own, actually rank higher on the happy scale than we do. Take Burkina Faso, where the life expectancy is 47 years and the environmental footprint is a skinny 1.1; it rates 30.1 on the HPI. Two slots down on the list, you will find the U.S., with a life expectancy of 77 years, a fat environmental footprint (9.5), and an HPI rating of 28.8. We live large, but apparently we are not too happy about it.

So what would make America a happier place? According to the New Economics Foundation's "Global Manifesto for a happier planet," we could:

—"Eradicate extreme poverty," which "undermines people's ability to provide for … their families. We urgently need to redesign our global systems to more equitably distribute the things people rely on for their day-to-day livelihoods," including income and access to land, food and clean water.

—"Improve healthcare.

High life expectancy in a country reflects good healthcare and living conditions, and has a positive relationship to people's sense of well-being. … The World Health Organization estimates that everyone in the world could be provided with a good level of basic healthcare for just $43 per person, per year." Crucial to global health are clean water, stopping the spread of HIV, AIDS and malaria and reducing child and maternal mortality rates.

—Relieve international debts. Developing countries are forced to pay back ridiculous interest rates and debts instead of providing citizens a basic standard of living and a basic education. In the U.S., we need tighter regulation of interest rates to protect people from predatory creditors.

—Shift our values away from individual materialism and toward stronger, more connected communities. Life satisfaction depends heavily on living a more meaningful life — rich in family interactions, community involvement and volunteerism.

—Have a sense of our own power and autonomy to be happy. "Promoting open and effective governance nationally and internationally, including the peaceful resolution of conflicts and elimination of systematic corruption, is important for all of us achieving greater well-being in the long term."

—Start paying the full environmental cost of consumer goods and making manufacturers responsible for the "cradle-to-the-grave" life cycles of the goods they produce. Our wealth is built by leaving a balance due for future generations; we are using up the environmental assets of our children and grandchildren. "Ecological taxation can be used to make the price of goods include their full environmental cost, and to encourage behaviour change."

—Take responsibility for climate change and cut emissions now. Much of our wealth has been built by generating greenhouse gas emissions during the past 200 years. Of all countries in the world, the U.S. most needs to step up to the plate to curb emissions by 80 percent or more in the next 40 years.

Shawn Dell Joyce is an award-winning sustainable activist and director of the Wallkill River School in Orange County, N.Y. You can contact her at Shawn@ShawnDellJoyce.com. To find out more about Shawn Dell Joyce and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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