1.0Sightline Institutehttps://www.sightline.orgLevin Nockhttps://www.sightline.org/profile/levin-nock/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="U0ZUjcjwnQ"><a href="https://www.sightline.org/2011/07/01/the-mystery-indicator-of-sustainability/">The Mystery Indicator of Sustainability</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.sightline.org/2011/07/01/the-mystery-indicator-of-sustainability/embed/#?secret=U0ZUjcjwnQ" width="600" height="338" title="“The Mystery Indicator of Sustainability” — Sightline Institute" data-secret="U0ZUjcjwnQ" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> https://www.sightline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/nock-HealthIndexChart.gif327247If you follow Sightline, you probably believe what I do: that measurement matters. You probably appreciate that Sightline compares the Northwest's performance on key sustainability indicators to other places in the world---the places that have done best at achieving robust human health, for example, or prospering with efficient energy and land use. But what if there's a mystery indicator out there? Some important-but-overlooked variable that could explain many of the other variables? If so, focusing on that single variable could open the way for policy to improve multiple measures at the same time.