Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up to the recent report that Connecticut’s voter registration total is soaring, particularly among young people. According to data released by Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, nearly 325,000 new voters have signed up in Connecticut during the period from the 2016 election through the end of September. The biggest increase, Merrill’s office announced, was in the age group of 18 to 25. It is always encouraging when more people register to participate in the function that is at the heart of a democratic society. As of Oct. 10, roughly 2.1 million state residents were registered

Thumbs down to the doubling in two years of the number of high school students in the state who use vaping products, according to a report released by the state Department of Public Health last week. Last year 14.7 percent of high school students reported they are vaping, compared to 7.2 percent in 2015. Based on misleading claims, many teens believe the products are safe when in fact they contain nicotine and can be highly addictive. While only 3.5 percent of high schoolers smoke traditional cigarettes, the e-cigarettes are not a healthy substitute.

Thumbs up and a well-deserved congratulations to Yale University economics professor William Nordhaus on his award of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences announced last week. He shares the prize and its $1.01 million award with Paul Romer of New York University for their work dating to the 1970s on the economic implications of climate change. Nordhaus, 77, who has taught at Yale since 1967, underscored his commitment to education by delaying the news conference on his award until he finished teaching his intermediate macroeconomics class.

Thumbs up to the East Shore District Health Department and its Shoreline Regional Pump-Out Boat Program for acquiring what is reportedly the world’s first full-sized electric, solar-powered vessel for pumping sewage from holding tanks of recreational boats. This environmentally conscious effort by the agency, which serves Branford, East Haven and North Branford, could serve as an example to many communities along Connecticut's coastline. In an example of government cooperation, 75 percent of the cost of the $200,000, 26-foot aluminum boat was covered by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the health district is funding 25 percent but officials are fundraising for part of the local cost.