“Rather than economic growth, we need happiness and wellbeing”

Well, Star Editor, you recently asked for opinions on global warming, so here goes.

The developed world needs to change priorities from economic growth, an abstract issue only the controlling elite relate to.

But we, the 95 per cent, must also take some share of responsibility. Why protest against oil companies, airlines, palm oil producers, loggers etc. when all they do is provide for our demands? Perhaps we make these demands because we are brainwashed by the world of commerce.

What would happen if the UK dropped out of the rich list? Would the average person notice a difference? What are we actually looking for in life? Lots of us travel abroad nowadays and in many destinations the locals are poorer than us, but always seem more content. Similarly our old folk assure us that people were happier in the good old days when we had less.

Our current way of life involves consumption, which turns the earth’s resources into carbon dioxide and pollutes the world including the low consumers.

Rather than economic growth, we need happiness and wellbeing. These attributes have been proved not to require financial success. Excellent thorough research is described in a book, ‘The Spirit Level’ which offers study after study proving that equality in society is the key to happiness and well-being, regardless of financial status.

Meanwhile the old economic theory that wealth trickles down has been disproved over recent years and the gap between rich and poor has widened exponentially. In the UK the richest 20 per cent have incomes 12 times greater than the poorest 20 per cent. Are they twelve times happier? Meanwhile, the richest eight individuals in the world have wealth equal to the poorest four billion who contribute negligibly to the carbon crisis. Are the mega-rich therefore half a billion times happier?

To summarise, we need to reassess our values, share wealth more evenly, consume less of the world’s diminishing resources and stop chasing after unsustainable economic growth. But those capable of bringing this about have no intention of doing so.