In this novel, Beaven discusses a study used to measure the "efficiency, essentially, of a country's economy in terms of health and happiness of it's citizens experienced per ton of greenhouse gas emitted."The number of countries that have had their HPI, "Happy Planet Index," calculated is 178. The United States of America is number 150 on this list, this is a sad fact. Because of our poor HPI rating, this means that the life expectancy and happiness of our citizens is a very low rate. Children are dying because of the pollutant gases being emitted into the air every day, and we over look all of this. How can we just accept this rating of our country and move on knowing that we treat our eco system so poorly, and that it is proven that the majority of our people will not be able to live a full life because of it. That is sad. Money, I guess, has truly corrupted our minds. Apparently people care more about having more money in their short lifetime than living a full life, and enjoying what our earth can provide naturally, and that is very sad. It's scary to think about this, that this is what we're doing to our home, we're ruining our land, and ruining ourselves, by continuing our way of life, our current way of life, that supply and demand comes before love, and natural living. Think about it.