Friday, January 15, 2010

A really bad measure

People do funny things with measurement. Here's a measure described in a recent New York Times article:

"The “happy planet index,” [is] devised by the New Economics Foundation, a liberal think tank. This combines happiness and longevity but adjusts for environmental impact — such as the carbon that countries spew."

That's right.. how happy you are, how long you'll live, and how much carbon-based pollution is produced by your country.

What's the overriding them here? Things I like? Life, happiness, and clean air. I say they add a fourth variable for quality of college basketball.

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