Happiness and sustainability go hand in hand, right? Proof that sustainable societies are happier societies (and unsustainable ones, like the U.S., are unhappier) was evident in the announcement that Vanuatu, an island nation in the middle of the South Pacific, was rated the Happiest Country in the world. (The U.S. ranked 150—all 178 ratings are here.)

No doubt this news will make Vanuatu the once-happiest-country-that-now-as-a-lot-of-
tourists-visiting, but never mind. An author of the study noted that the results “reveal patterns that show how we might better achieve long and happy lives for all while living within our environmental means.” Amen to that.

Finding balance in the midst of hectic, stressful lives, is, without question, a global aspiration. In what I found to be an illuminating piece on this subject, Reuters featured an article about the growth of spirituality-themed television in India. As Western values and lifestyles (read: stress of a consumer society) have become more pervasive in the world’s biggest democracy, there has been an accompanying growth of television channels featuring yoga, alternative medicine, and meditation classes. As N. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the New Delhi-based Centre for Media Studies, puts it succinctly, “Spirituality sells in a world jaded by consumerist excesses.”

As further evidence of the increasingly unsustainable contemporary lifestyle, a story in The Guardian reveals that schoolchildren in the U.K. will be given “happiness classes” in an effort to treat depression, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, and anti-social behavior among them. The Brits are bringing in influential American psychologist Martin Seligman to teach methods that have been successful in the U.S., including breathing exercises and relaxation techniques (sound at all like yoga?) designed to help the kids cope with pressures of modern living. Funny how the Americans are the ones giving advice in this case.

In the category of “We’re still not sure if this makes us happy or sad,” Al Gore had kind words for Wal-Mart this week, praising the company for its sustainability strategy and goals. There’s no doubt that Wal-Mart is doing a lot to promote sustainability in its own practices and those of its suppliers. But we shouldn’t all be putting our outrage to rest just yet: Considering its impact on the world at large as well as its policies toward employees and competitors, the retailer still has a lot of work to do. Nevertheless, the remarkable transformation of such a behemoth suggests that perhaps there’s hope for other egregious environmental offenders. And that makes us happy.