Last year a report found that isolated indigenous groups have been found to have lives just as happy as many groups in highly developed nations. The lead author stated “I would hope that, by learning more about what makes life satisfying in these diverse communities, it might help many others to lead more satisfying lives while addressing the sustainability crisis.”
According to the report, thousands of indigenous peoples that were surveyed around the world were just as happy, even happier than in developed nations.
In recent years there has been a bit of a guilt complex in part built up by projects like https://www.footprintcalculator.org, BBC, and others, under the idea that the world population multiplied by an average person (like you) should not be enormously larger than the earth’s resources!
There are actually several issues with this calculation. First of all, it is unlikely that every person in the world could (or even, would want to) have precisely the same lifestyle as standard American or European lifestyle. And if even a large number of persons have a planetary coefficient of >1 it doesn’t necessarily spell doom and gloom as some would like to report:
Suppose that theoretically around a third of earth’s residents use enough to use 2.0 earths’ worth of whichever resources you are considering – IF, for example, the others have a coefficient of 0.5 earths, that would still add up to 95% of the resources on earth:
| persons | Earth-coefficient | percent resource |
| 30 | 2 | 60 |
| 70 | 0.5 | 35 |
| Assuming equal usage: | ^ sum: 95% | |
| 100 | 1 | 100% |
Second, it probably doesn’t consider expansion of space exploration/mining, and renewable energy. Renewable energy has been doubling at an increased rate and could set a stop at the expansion of fossil fuel projects, more efficient and better apartments and homes would make people happier about their living situation and housing costs.
Conclusion
When you look at a carbon-footprint calculation or otherwise consider the resources you are using, don’t feel guilty, but try to find some positive solutions this earth day. Remember that in the end it will not matter if you have two large houses rather than one, a sum of 2 million dollars instead of 1 million in retirement, or multiple barns of resources more than you need – in fact, with the changing times it is probably a good idea to find ways to join a local Permaculture group and find ways to give back to your community. As Jesus said in Luke 12:
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:16-21