A better life with a smaller footprint? Understanding happiness, satisfiers and nature’s contribution

Abstract

The desire to increase human wellbeing is the driver for most of the negative impacts humans have on ecosystems and the services they provide. Yet evidence is increasing that many of our actions (e.g. materialistic consumption, pursuit of ever higher GDP) do not deliver the wellbeing and happiness benefits we expect, and also that when ecosystem services are reduced, human wellbeing declines. Some of our actions in striving to improve our wellbeing therefore seem to be actually jeopardising it over the long term. Max-Neef (1991) distinguishes between our basic human needs, which are universal, and how we satisfy those needs, which varies with different individual and cultures. He also recognises that not all ‘satisfiers’ are equally effective at allowing people to meet their needs, and some may actually inhibit our ability to meet our needs and achieve wellbeing. This paper will report on a recent study funded by the New Zealand Department of Conservation which has gathered evidence of the myriad ways that indigenous ecosystem services help New Zealanders to satisfy each of the nine basic needs identified by Max-Neef: subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, idleness, creation, identity and freedom. This is seen as a first step to promoting discussion about the components of wellbeing (e.g. what really does make us happy?), the effectiveness of different types of satisfiers in contributing to happiness and wellbeing, and our dependence on natural systems for providing it. We believe that fostering such discussion and research will broaden our understanding of the many factors that contribute to personal and national wellbeing, and improve our ability both as individuals and societies to choose satisfiers that both make us happier and reduce the level of impact we have on ecosystems that support us, thus achieving the “double dividend” of enhanced wellbeing and flourishing ecosystems.