“Growth for the sake of growth doesn’t interest me.” Well, what’s this, another wacky environmentalist spouting nonsense? No, it’s actually Steve Williams, the CEO of Suncor, quoted on the cover of the September edition of Alberta Oil. While Mr. Williams was not really taking on the idea of growth, he does suggest that growth must have a purpose.
Two recently released Canadian reports have converged on the question of growth and its purpose. Both present compelling evidence suggesting that in Canada, growth and well-being might be at odds.
Last week, The Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) released its 2012 report on 64 indicators of well-being. It includes measures of community vitality, health, education, leisure and culture, living standards and the environment.
The CIW report “uncovers some troubling truths about the connection between our well-being and the economy.” The CIW finds that “as the gap between those at the top and those at the bottom continues to grow in Canada… societies with greater inequality are shown to have worse health and well-being outcomes.” And that since 2008, “even though the economy as measured by GDP is in slow recovery, the well-being of Canadians continues to decline.”
Click here to read the full article by Noel Keough in FFWD Weekly.
Image courtesy FFWD.