Things That Are Getting Better

Not long ago I wrote about the past decade, and how things were looking pretty gloomy. The economy, unemployment, two wars, terrorism, the environment, and much, much more. But I saw an article recently that reminded me that things aren't as bleak as they may at first glance appear. Here are a few things (there are many more) that are actually better than they were in 2000.

1. Paint...Benjamin Moore's Natura line is eco-friendly and odor free. Gorgeous, durable, low maintenance.
2. TV dinners...Remember Swanson TV dinners from years ago? Compare that to what we now have with Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, Kashi and some lesser known great frozen dinners from Trader Joe's.
3. Oak Street, New Orleans. Ransacked by looters during Katrina, Oak Street is back in action. Businesses like Ace Hardware, the Maple Leaf Bar, and the legendary Jacques-Imo's Cafe have reopened and new businesses are popping up all the time. A $5.4 million overhaul helped, as has the annual Po-Boy Preservation Festival.
4.Our reputation around the world...Looks like the Ugly American has gotten a makeover. According to the Pew Research Center, the nation's standing is on the rise in Latin America, Africa, much of Asia and western Europe.
5. Surgery..New techniques in surgery are changing so fast, it's amazing. Using radio waves or ultrasound to destroy a tumor without a single cut would have been something you read about in a sci fi novels not long ago. Now they're here, and often surgeries that used to require several days in the hospital are now done on an outpatient basis.
6. Wind power. Change is in the air, literally. We now produce enough wind power to run seven million homes. The goal is to generate 20%of our power from wind by 2030, which would mean a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions.
7. Diabetes maintenance. Improving on the pincushion approach to testing one's blood, patients can now use a subcutaneous gluose sensor, which gives a reading every five minutes. One of my friends is using this and loves it.
8. Breast cancer survival rates. A recent report from the American Cancer Society found that since 1990, breast cancer mortality rates have been steadily dropping-by 2% a year among women 50 and older, and by 3.2% among women younger than 50. We all have earl detection, healthier lifestle choices, and improved cancer treatments to thank.
9. Animal shelters. Not all that long ago, 17 million abandoned dogs and cats were euthanized each year in the U.S. Today that number is around 5 million. Much of the credit goes to the advocacy movement No More Homeless Pets, which creates rescue networks and educates the public.

So next time I think our country, and our world, is going in the wrong direction, I will think about the positive strides we have taken in the environment, medicine, environmental issues, and the humane treatment of animals. Of course there's much more that is going in the right direction, but these few ideas caught my eye. We can make this a better world, Yes We Can.