Ecologist says Cebu has high Happy Planet Index potential

In terms of Happy Planet Index, Cebu is a potential place to post a high HPI, said Dr. Glen Green, one of the resource speakers in the Climate Change Action Forum held at the University of Cebu-Banilad Campus yesterday.

Green, an ecologist at the Department of Ecology and Sanitation of the University of Washington in the United States, said that the Philippines ranks 17th in the worldwide survey of countries having a high HPI.

According to its website, the HPI, created by the New Economics Foundation in England, “is an innovative measure combining environmental impact with human well-being to measure the environmental efficiency with which country by country, people live long and happy lives.”

A lot of people have not heard about HPI, said Green, but the HPI website stated that “it teaches us that the success or failure of a country in making good the lives of its people” may be attributed to its respect in its environmental resource limits.

A study that Green presented during the forum showed that Luxembourg, which ranks first in terms of gross domestic product, is at the bottom of the HPI list.

HPI, compared to GDP as a measure of productivity, deals more on the correct choices of resources towards the development of human well-being, said Green adding that HPI focuses more on social network and life satisfaction.

Cebu showcases the quality of considering less its resources just to satisfy social needs of its people, he explained on why Cebu has the potential for a high HPI.

Green cited the trisikad, which runs by manual pedaling, as a good example of correct use of resource. Compared to motor engines, “trisikad” uses physical energy to run, without any adverse effect to the environment.

Cebuanos enjoy riding the vehicle to get to places, especially in the rural areas, said Green as he emphasized that while a country is more developed, its socializing network and its chance to improve the well-being of its people decreases.

The HPI does not reveal the ‘happiest’ country in the world but “it shows the relative efficiency with which nations convert the planet’s natural resources into long and happy lives for their citizens.”

How it is calculated?  The HPI site said that three indicators are taken into account: Ecological footprint, life satisfaction, and life expectancy. This means that it “represents the efficiency with which countries convert the earth’s finite resources into well-being experienced by their citizens.”

Green clarified though that HPI is not a perfect standard of measure for productivity, but he countered that it could also be a great help towards solving problems of pollution resulting to climatic changes.

While Cebu’s economy is said to be threatened by prevailing weather pattern changes, Green said that HPI may serve as an inspiration to everyone that we could still keep Cebu a better place to live.  —  Anthony S. Teo/RAE