Carbon inefficiency 'harming wellbeing'
Monday, 16 Jul 2007 16:57
Industrial output is not leading to increased happiness, study claims
Science In Focus
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Despite the rise in Europe's carbon footprint the industrial output is not leading to an increase in people's well-being, a new study has warned today.
It claims that the level of carbon efficiency in terms of creating happy, long lives is at its lowest level of the past 40 years.
The New Economics Foundation (Nef), which conducted the report, placed the UK as 21st out of 30 countries for carbon efficiency in relation to well-being.
Europe as a whole is said to have become less efficient in translating fossil fuel use into happy lives.
Nef's 'happy planet index' was created by ranking countries for their carbon footprint, life expectancy and life satisfaction. The thinktank then ranked each county for people's well-being.
"Countries like Iceland, the highest scoring nation on our index, clearly show that happiness doesn't have to cost the earth," said Nic Marks, founder of Nef's centre for well-being.
"Iceland's combination of strong social policies and extensive use of renewable energy demonstrate that living within our environmental means doesn't mean sacrificing human well-being - in fact, it could even make us happier.
"By learning from the differences between European countries and by copying the best practices, we believe it will be possible to both greatly reduce our carbon footprint, and increase our well-being," Mr Marks added.
Commenting on the findings, Friends of the Earth economy campaigner Simon Bullock said: "Our economy has been binge-drinking fossil fuels for decades. But not only has this been wrecking the environment we all depend on, it's not been making us any happier either.
"Gordon Brown needs to set the UK in a new direction – where the aim of government is to improve the quality of people's lives, without costing the earth. This means an explicit focus on the type of economy we have, not just its size – we need low-carbon and high-happiness as goals for our society, not just ramped-up GDP [gross domestic product]."