The Economics of Happiness

Last Thursday (Jan 27) I went to a screening of the documentary "The Economics of Happiness at the Cooper Union in downtown Manhattan, New York City. It was a great documentary documenting the need for the world's economy to shift from globalization to a locally based one. There were 8 key facts that they highlighted about globalization.

Globalization…

1. Makes us unhappy (There is now more depression and stress than ever because we are constantly striving for more. Our happiness is based on "stuff," of which we always want more!)
2. Breeds insecurity (corporations are raising our children!)
3. Wastes natural resources (consume, consume, consume)
4. Accelerates Climate Change
5. Destroys livelihoods
6. Increases conflict
7. Is built on handouts to big businesses
8. Is based on false accounting

One great quotation from the movie:

"You cannot have infinite growth on a finite planet."

So simple - yet so true. After this was said the entire audience released a sigh of understanding and contemplation.

But the film did have a sort of sense of hopelessness. It is great when a movie can make you feel depressed about a subject and then lift you up at the end with an inspirational call to action, but at the end of this movie the message was that we really can't change most of this. It is up to governments and big businesses to change regulations. The U.S. currently imports and exports similar amounts, and that is not something that is going to change by using reusable bags and reducing your waste - this is something that has to change fundamentally with policy and from the top.

However I do highly recommend the film. Here is a link to the website: http://www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org/

No Impact Eater

This week my goal is going to be to eat sustainable. I am going to go all out this week - eating the most local, sustainable, organic, and least processed food as possible. Next week I will choose the changes that I can reasonable stick with for the long term.

We already eat relatively sustainable at home - minimal processed foods and as much local and organic produce as possible. This week I will aim for the following goals:

1. No corn or soy products: This is actually one of the hardest things to do! We don't realize it, but corn and soy are in everything from Splenda to almost all packaged foods. Our food system right now is suffering from our excessive use of these products. 
2. Organic: Saying no to pesticides!
3. Local: This one is the hardest for the time of year. It really is hard to find all local products in the middle of the winter in New York City (where we have recently had a record 56 inches of snow!) I will do my best, but undoubtedly there will be some food this week that won't be local. 
4. Sustainable: I'm going to use the Good Guide on as much as I can - although many of their products are (understandably) processed and prepackaged.
5. The fewer the ingredients, the better!
6. No Aspartame: I just had to add this one with all the health risks I have heard recently about Aspartame. Although it is not directly related to sustainability I am currently an aspartame junkie and would like to kick the habit!

This is my own modified and simpler version of No Impact Man's conditions. (If you haven't seen his movie i highly suggest it). 

I also have a facebook page that I made for this over the summer (when i tried this before). 

I will be writing there this week as well.