In 1934, American economist Simon Kuznets presented a paper to Congress advocating for a new way of measuring economic performance. GDP has become a barometer of economic progress, a kind of one-number-that-rules-them-all upon which national policies turn and governments rise and fall. Clear-cutting boosts GDP not wealthWe need to broaden our vision and definition of economic success before it’s too late. With every forest we clear cut and every ounce of fossil fuel we burn, GDP rises. That is the difference between measuring income versus measuring wealth.