Perhaps there IS something to sing about as we head into the New Year, 2011! According to statistics, good things are happening in this country even though we cannot always see them. Here is an upbeat list to ponder as we head into the future. We can only hope that we continue on this upward path.1. We are safer. Crime is down. The number of crimes in the U.S. has continued to decrease since 1989.
2. W use less energy. Since 1989, the average per-person consumption of energy has decreased about nine percent. And, the economy as a whole is becoming more energy efficient, down 53 % to produce a dollar's worth of goods and services.
3.We give more. We are giving more time and money to philanthropic endeavors. Americans gave $3 billion to charities in 2009, and more in 2010.
4.The use of public mass transit grew 38 % from 1995-2008 and is even higher today, thus, conserving fuel.
5.We are living longer and feeling better. People today will live, on average, ten years longer than their parents, and according to "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences," people over 50, decrease their levels of stress, anxiety and worry.
6.Young people are making smarter decisions about their well-being. High School students are using less drugs and smoking less with greater numbers of teens perceiving these as dangerous to their health.
7. We are connecting and social networking with people more than ever before resulting in an increase in happiness. For example, more and more marriages are the result of the couple meeting via the Internet.
8.We can connect easier, even while flying in an airplane. And while this can be either good or bad, it is a tool that we have available to us almost anywhere we are in the world. An example, in 1964-66, I was in the Peace Corps living in Africa. I was not able to talk with my family for two and a half years, whereas today, volunteers can call up their Mom from almost anywhere.
9. Our bonds are stronger. The rate at which couples are getting divorced continues to fall, from 4.0 per every 1,000 in 2000 to 3.5 in 2008.
10. We are giving things away before we throw them away. For example: the online site: freecycle.org has mushroomed. In our town of Normal, we have a column in The Pantagraph Newspaper called "Good Neighbor" where people give and take what they have.
11. Our forests are growing. The total acreage of forested land in the U.S. has increased during the last 30 years according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
12. We breath cleaner air. Since 1990, levels of six common air pollutants have fallen, and in most of the country, concentrations of carbon monoxide, lead and nitrogen dioxide are below federal standards to protect human health and the environment.
13. We drive more carefully with the result of less fatal accidents.
14. We are growing more of our own food and enjoying the benefits. Farmer's Markets are everywhere, and people are realizing the value of buying their produce etc. here, and enjoying fresher tastes. The nation as a whole is realizing the amount of fuel, time and preservation it takes to not buy food locally.
15. Public smoking bans are now in almost every state, and places where this law is in place, there is a significant decline in emergency room visits for heart attacks.
16. We buckle up when driving; at least most of us do with the results being less serious injuries in an accident.
17. Bees are making a come-back with the result of less threat to crops and eventually the health of our food supply. More than 100.000 estimated back-yard beekeepers are fighting back the plight of the disappearing bees. A good friend of mine is one of them!
18. Women are healthier. Breast Cancer is on the decline.
19. We move more, resulting in healthier bodies and the message to do this to fight obesity is everywhere.
20. We understand the power of positive thinking with more upbeat attitudes and less pessimism. We now know more about the mind-body connection and how it affects our health.
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