OPTIMISTS, TAKE HEART! Some Things Are Getting Better

         I was in the San Fernando Valley, 101 Freeway,  when it struck me: here I am, stuck in a sea of cars, and the air is bright and clear—no smog and not a Smoky Pierre in sight.      

Years ago, the air would have been dark orange, virtually unbreathable. Without fanfare, Detroit silently cooperated with the once-denigrated Air Quality Controllers, who persuaded engineers to create cars without toxic emissions. Ta Da! . . . suddenly we could all breathe again. While they were at it, automotive geniuses improved lights, brakes, and Miles Per Gallon, so we now slurp up half the gas of yesterday. My old Cad got 14 MPG. My Prius gets 39 and Rob’s 43—and it’s no longer news.

Look at our local buses—all running smogless on Compressed Natural Gas.

Remember the days when airplane air was polluted and you couldn’t entertain at home without ash trays?  And restaurants and sports events were stinky with smoke? Who ponders this anymore? Mostly no one. Because we seldom see any smokers.

            L.A. Times columnist, Sandy Banks, reports another victory:  300 Americans imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit have been freed--thanks to DNA. Unlike fingerprints and eyewitness testimony, DNA is reliable.

            Rob will violently disagree with this, and so will a lot of you, but I’m secretly glad that Congress is hitting investors with stealth taxes. People with money were never paying their fair share. And now, without fanfare, more of us are.

            Thank heavens for I-phones with cameras—and those photos of a few savage policemen. We now have evidence about brutality we never believed could happen. 

            How many of you know that California now gets 25% of its energy from non-fossil-fuel sources? Our own solar panels provide monthly gifts--electricity for free. I’ve seen more wind generators and solar panels sprout in the dessert . . . and it’s only getting better.  

            And how about newscasters who believe their viewers relish positive news? Two stations now end their broadcasts on a positive note:  “People Making a Difference,” and Steve Hartman’s “On the Road.”

                       

            One last thing: When, thirty years ago, did you ever see a father and son hugging each other?  Or for that matter, any other two men? Surely these guys have made the world a better place.

            

My humorous books available at Maralys.Com.  Or on Amazon.