Happiness requires clean air & a blue sky

Last week we talked about Under the Dome, the profound investigative documentary about China's terrible air pollution, attracted extensive attention in China. It proves that many people in China, are concerned about the air quality in their living environment, but why? As I see it, air pollution makes humanity extremely unhappy. For example, if I woke up and looked outside, a grey sky would definitely depress me to do my work. Most people would have the similar experience/feeling as me. In 2012, Levinson (2012) reported that people have low levels of happiness in days having heavy air pollution in the United States. Welsch (2002, 2006, 2007, 2009) also points out that air pollution has a significant bad influence on humanity's happiness in European countries. Similarly, air pollution also has a negative impact on Chinese's happiness. Moreover, besides its direct influence on mood, air pollution is also a major threat to people's health. It is not surprising that air pollution causes a wide range of symptoms from painful breathing and eye irritation to lung cancer. This adverse effect also notably decreases happiness. So let us improve the air quality as to regain a high level of happiness and health along with a beautiful blue sky. :)

My friend Chenming Huang smiled happily under the blue sky in Xinjiang Province

References: 

LEVINSON, A. (2012) Valuing public goods using happiness data: the case of air quality. J. Public Econ. 96 (9-10). p869-880.

WELSCH, H. (2002) Preferences over prosperity and pollution: environmental evaluation based on happiness surveys. Kyklos. 55 (4). p473-494.

WELSCH, H. (2006) Environment and happiness: valuation of air pollution using life satisfaction data. Ecol. Econ. 58 (4). p801-813.

WELSCH, H. (2007) Environmental welfare analysis: a life satisfaction approach. Ecol. Econ. 62 (3). p544-551.

WELSCH, H. (2009) Implications of happiness research for environmental economics. Ecol. Econ. 68 (11). p2735-2742.