Why Costa Rica is the happiest nation on earth?

Nic Marks, a statistician by trade, makes a compelling statement on the relationship between environmental stewardship and happiness.

In this video he states, "...the ultimate outcome of a nation is how successful is it at creating happy and healthy lives for its citizens. That should be the goal of every nation on the planet. But we have to remember that there's a fundamental input to that, and that is how many of the planet's resources we use. We all have one planet. We all have to share it. It is the ultimate scarce resource, the one planet that we share."

A nation, he argues, should strive to be a place "where good lives don't cost the earth."

According to Marks and the Happy Planet Index, the county that rates the highest in happiness is...Costa Rica

Ceviche recipe

Here’s my favorite ceviche recipe. I found it at www.costaricaparents.com. I use both fish and small shrimp.

Ingredients you will need:

2 lbs fresh sea bass, tilapia or other Fish cut into 1/2-inch cube

½ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 ½ cups lime juice, freshly squeezed

½ cup red bell peppers, minced

½ cup purple onion, chopped

2 medium Serrano peppers, chopped.

1 red sweet banana pepper, chopped.

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

½ cup vegetable or olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients - Shrimp, Avocado, Garlic

How to make it:

Place the fish in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Pour lime and lemon juices over the fish. Cover and let it sit for 1 hour. Add onions, red bell peppers, parsley, and cilantro. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or more before serving.

Add olive or vegetable oil, and salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, with saltine crackers or with tortilla chips and lime wedges.