That experiment and the happiness survey have produced the data we may most need in the next half-century. One points toward our signal environmental predicament, and the other suggests a possible avenue out. First the science. The scientific consensus behind the idea of global warming is overwhelming. In other words, in our lifetime our species has grown big enough to fundamentally alter the planet.
Carbon dioxide is instead the inevitable byproduct of burning fossil fuel.
Which is a subversive idea in a consumer economy that defines itself by constant growth. But it's a subversive idea that's gaining ground. More and more people are starting to suspect the truth that the National Opinion Research Center uncovered over the past four decades. In growing numbers, Americans are deciding to get off the path they've followed for years and explore some simpler, easier alternatives. Though we launched this project because we were good environmentalists, we quickly discovered that wasn't the reason people responded so positively.