Costa Rica Tops World as Greenest, Happiest Country

Positive ecology and being happy complement one another when it comes to the Happy Planet Index (HPI).  The HPI was developed by the New Economics Foundation (nef), and Costa Rica tops the charts as the happiest, greenest country on planet Earth.

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nef is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being.

We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first.

nef was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) which forced issues such as international debt onto the agenda of the G7 and G8 summits.

We are unique in combining rigorous analysis and policy debate with practical solutions on the ground, often run and designed with the help of local people. We also create new ways of measuring progress towards increased well-being and environmental sustainability.

nef ranked 143 nations on the HPI, covering 99% of the world’s population.  The United States came in a sobering 114th place; however, Latin America dominated the top ten.  According to the Guardian:

NEF says the HPI is a much better way of looking the success of countries than through standard measures of economic growth. The HPI shows, for example, that fast-growing economies such as the US, China and India were all greener and happier 20 years ago than they are today…Costa Ricans top the list because they report the highest life satisfaction in the world, they live slightly longer than Americans, yet have an ecological footprint that is less than a quarter the size.

HPI considers the relationship between resource usage and lifespans in individual countries. The more conservation is practiced, the longer resources last and the happier the citizens.  Smaller ecological footprints go hand-in-hand with well-being and longevity.

Image:  mikebaird on Flickr under a Creative Commons License

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