Introduction

• What are we trying to achieve as a society?
  
  
• How do we measure whether we are getting closer to our goal or losing ground?

The goals we pursue are the seeds from which our future grows. Our progress towards these goals is assessed by watching changes in specific indicators. To achieve the future we want, we must ensure that our goals are well defined and that the indicators we use to monitor our progress are appropriate.

Let us assume that the fundamental goal of human communities is the "well-being" of present and future generations. What is meant by "well-being" should be the subject of continual debate and clarification on the part of citizens. As time goes by we must be prepared to alter course and refine how we measure progress.

This booklet examines how continual economic expansion as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) may not lead to long-term well-being. It discusses alternative means of measuring our success which, by including non-monetary measures, can give a more accurate estimation of how we are doing.

Initially the areas covered are:

Environmental:

Pollution

Resource depletion

Biodiversity

Social:

Lack of opportunities to participate.

Failure to account for non-monetary

contributions to well-being.

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Political Will

"Our ignorance is not so vast as
our failure to use what we know."

M.K. Hubbert

Measuring techniques are available that would be like new eyes, providing additional insights to guide the governing process. Continued well-being requires looking closely at our changing circumstances and responding to the problems we see. By refining our measuring practices and basing policies on the broader spectrum of observation, we can adjust prices in a way that redirects our collective development without having to change the impulse and habit of wanting to get as much as possible for our money.

We are a remarkably gifted species with enormous potential for securing our place on Earth. To realize this potential, changes must be made. The practice of charting our course by watching the volume of economic activity may have been appropriate when humanity was an insignificant presence on Earth. Measuring a baby's weight tells a lot about how well the baby is doing, but it lacks the refinement needed to gauge the progress of a young adult.

Humankind has matured into a very populous species with enormous collective impact. We now threaten to disrupt the planetary eco-systems upon which our lives and economy depend. Compounding this is the growing waste of human potential and the unravelling of traditional, informal systems of community cohesion. We must respond to these developments when formulating policies and making decisions. Accounting procedures for accomplishing the necessary changes are not new. What is lacking is the political will to legitimize them and require their use.