http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Planet_Index

Rank ↓ Country ↓ HPI ↓
1 Costa Rica 76.1
2 Dominican Republic 71.8
3 Jamaica 70.1
4 Guatemala 68.4
5 Vietnam 66.5
6 Colombia 66.1
7 Cuba 65.7
8 El Salvador 61.5
9 Brazil 61.0
10 Honduras 61.0


The Happy Planet Index (HPI) is an index of human well-being and environmental impact that was introduced by the New Economics Foundation (NEF) in July 2006. The index is designed to challenge well-established indices of countries’ development, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the Human Development Index (HDI), which are seen as not taking sustainability into account. In particular, GDP is seen as inappropriate, as the usual ultimate aim of most people is not to be rich, but to be happy and healthy.[1] Furthermore, it is believed that the notion of sustainable development requires that we have a measure of the environmental costs of pursuing those goals.[2]

how about Americans start with banning free plastic bags, to raise their "happiness index"?

or maybe they don't like to lose their top spot in the "@$$hole index"

http://www.thanhniennews.com/entertaiments...mp;newsid=50518

"Vietnam is the fifth happiest country on earth and the happiest in East Asia, a British non-governmental group announced last weekend.

In the East Asia region, the Philippines was ranked behind Vietnam at rank 14, while other, more developed countries and territories of the region including Japan and Hong Kong only made it to 75th and 84th spots respectively."

Map of East Asia