Some Good News as a New Year Begins

I am a bit dazed and confused at the moment — politically and meteorologically speaking — with roses blooming in December and political outsiders the frontrunners in the polls. Not too much makes sense. On the plus side, all this upheaval has people talking and wondering why things are the way they are, some indication that hope is still alive. 

In that spirit I would like to share some good news that occurred as 2015 came to a close.

• At COP 21 in Paris the world’s nations reached an historic agreement to cut emissions and keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. There is optimism that real progress was made. 
• Connecticut biologists discovered three redds (nests) in the Farmington River watershed made by wild returning Atlantic salmon. This is the first documentation of wild salmon spawning in state rivers since the American Revolution! The exact location is being kept secret to protect the eggs.
• President Obama signed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015, banning cosmetics that contain synthetic plastic microbeads. Research indicates that these tiny particles easily pass through sewage treatment plants and pollute our waterways where they threaten aquatic life. The law will take effect on July 1, 2018, ahead of the date mandated by legislation previously passed in states including Connecticut. 

and

• When Michael Dukakis called for turkey carcasses  the response was overwhelming; his neighbors had to pitch in to store the bounty! There will be lots of turkey soup being ladled out in Brookline, MA over the coming months.

I look forward to sharing more good news with you in the year ahead, and I wish you all peace, health, and happiness in 2016!