This document highlights several positive trends in areas such as human lifespan, health, crime, poverty, and the environment. It notes that the average human lifespan has increased by over 35 years in the last century. It also discusses decreases in teen pregnancy and drug use, cancer rates, poverty levels, divorce rates, violent crime, and endangered species populations. Further, it celebrates the eradication of smallpox and high rates of blood donation.
2. Human Lifespan
• In the last 100 years, the human lifespan has increased by over 35
years. 100 years ago the average lifespan was only 45 years. Now
it's almost 80. And that number is increasing every year. If it keeps
increasing at that same rate, the average lifespan of a child born
in 2008 will be 98 years old.
4. Cancer
• Rates of cancer have decreased steadily in the U.S. for 20 years
and it's not just because people aren't smoking as much, though
that's certainly part of it. It's also because new screening
techniques that can detect pre-cancerous lesions in the colon and
also because of the HPV vaccine which prevents the virus that
causes cervical cancer.
5. Small Pox
• Small Pox once killed millions of people per year, now it has been
completely eradicated. It literally does not exist anymore.
6. Poverty
• Since 1990, global poverty rates have decreased by more than
30%. And they're on-track to have decreased 40% by 2015.
7. Divorce
• Divorce rates are much lower than people assume, and have
consistently dropped since the 1970's in America. Only 20% of
people who got married in the 1980s got divorced.
8. Violent Crime
• Violent crime rates dropped 5% between 2007 and 2008. And
violent crime rates have been dropping consistently every year
since 1993
9. Blood Donations
• The Red Cross collects 15 million blood donations per year. No one
is compensated for those donations, except with cookies and
juice. People just like helping other people.
10. Endangered Species
• In 1970 there were only 400 breeding pairs of Bald Eagles left in
America, but the Endangered Species Act effecively saved the
species. There are now more than 10,000 breeding pairs. During
the same time Whooping Cranes returned from a much more
serious 50 birds total in the entire world. There are now over 500.
11. Laughter
• What's red and smells like blue paint.
Red paint.
YOU LAUGHED! When you're laughing you burn 20% more calories
than you do at a resting state. So make sure you laugh as often as
possible.