Pursuit of studying happiness
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS — College students report higher happiness on average in comparison to others, according to Juan Camilo Chaparro, a doctoral candidate in applied economics at the University of Minnesota, and Carol Graham, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of “Happiness Around the World: The Paradox of Happy Peasants and Miserable Millionaires.”
The lecture explored what affects happiness levels globally. Graham explained how finances, environment, relationships and health factor into how happy individuals are.
There is a positive relationship between income level and happiness, said UNLV Associate Dean Chris Heavey, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, but after reaching an upper-middle class income around $75,000, there is no significant increase in happiness.
“More and more money doesn’t buy you more and more happiness, but being destitute is terrible for happiness and well-being,” Graham said.
“Everywhere we studied … wealthier people, on average, are happier than poor people.”
-The Rebel Yell
By Camalot Todd
World population growth could spur food shortage
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA – Global food demand could double by 2050, according to a new projection released by University of Minnesota researchers Monday.
This could severely increase the amount of environmental pollutants and threaten extinction for many species, according to the findings of David Tilman, Regents’ Professor of Ecology in the College of Biological Sciences, and his colleagues.
As poorer nations increase their populations’ annual incomes in future decades, there will be a large increase in demand for animal products like meat and dairy, said Jason Hill, an assistant professor in the university’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. As a result, demand for grain crops to feed livestock will also increase, he said.
“It’s long been known that there’s more that we can do to ensure that there’s a sustainable food supply for the future,” Hill said. “But in this paper we put some hard numbers behind the claims.”
If current agricultural techniques continue, the article stated, critical levels of nitrogen and carbon could be released into the environment and excessive use of fertilizer could contaminate groundwater.
“It’s not an emergency, but it’s not something we can wait until 2050 to start doing,” Tilman said. “By that time, we will have the environmental damage done, and we’ll have lots of people with very substandard diets around the world.”
-The Minnesota Daily
By Megan Nicolai
Thefts Increase During End Of Semester
UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS – Students should pay extra attention to personal belongings during finals, UAPD officials said.
“There is somewhat of an increase in theft during these last few weeks,” UAPD Lt. Gary Crain said.
Most of the reports UAPD officers are receiving are thefts of laptops, iPads and iPhones, Crain said. This is especially prevalent in libraries, computer labs and other popular public spaces, he said.
Last semester there were only three thefts reported, UAPD Lt. Matt Mills said.
These types of crimes occur when someone walks away or turns their back on their belongings. Someone can just come along and pick it up, Mills said.
These crimes are really very easy to prevent, Crain said.
“Don’t be a victim. Pay attention to your stuff,” he said.
-The Arkansas Traveler
By Amanda Pogue