“Localization is the Economics of Happiness”

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:




“Localization is the Economics of Happiness”
We know what makes us happy—but too often our economic decisions stand in the way. Helena Norberg-Hodge, director of the Economics of Happiness, on how to change all that.

by Brooke Jarvis
posted Feb 16, 2011


"The number of Americans who say, 'Yes, I'm very happy with my life' peaks in 1956 and goes slowly but steadily downhill ever since."

That's environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, speaking in the new documentary The Economics of Happiness. While our Gross Domestic Product has increased quite a bit since the '50s, our happiness hasn't (though we have seen hefty increases in the size of our landfills, waistlines, and credit card debt).

Our global economy is effective at many things—moving huge quantities of goods across great distances, for example, or turning mortgages into profits. What it's not so good at is determining whether these activities are worthwhile when it comes to improving the lives of the people who live and work within the economy (not to mention preserving the natural systems on which the whole shebang depends). In many cases, economic policies that increase trade or production actually decrease well-being for millions, even billions, of people.

That's the reality that's leading more people (and, increasingly, governments, from Bhutan and Bolivia to Britain and France) to ask a very simple question: What's the economy for, anyway? Do the rules and policies we create to govern the flow of money and goods exist to create ever more money and goods, or to improve our lives? And if we decide we'd like to prioritize the latter, how do we rewrite the rules to do that? ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/happiness/localization-is-the-economics-of-happiness