Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up (and down), to the $1.8 million collected by Connecticut municipalities for “nips,” the miniature bottles of liquor, between October and

April. We throw in a “down” because the number of bottles sold in that time frame is a remarkable 38 million. That so many of them landed in yards, parking lots and along sidewalks was part of the motivation for creating the “nickel for nips” program. Towns have flexibility in how they spend the money, as long as it is used to reduce trash or litter. Alas, the nickels have not eliminated the presence of the discarded bottles entirely.

Thumbs up to a historic drop in electricity demand in Connecticut. According to ISO New England, demand dropped to 7,580 megawatts during

the afternoon of May 1, marking the lowest use since ISO took over the system in 1997. The shift is attributed to the rise in rooftop solar panels. In other words, the pivot in the power system is working as intended. Another factor has been the increase in energy-efficient appliances and equipment.

Thumbs up to “No Mow May,” a movement driven in equal parts by concern for the environment and old-fashioned laziness. While most people

who have lawns have by now hauled the mower out of winter storage, a growing number of Connecticut homeowners are eschewing the weekly practice, for now, out of concern for the bee population. A dip in bee numbers nationwide could have wide-ranging impacts, including on our food supply, so keeping them happy is in everyone's interests, and since bees do well on unmown lawns, it can be to all our benefits to hold off on mowing. Blight ordinances and neighborliness are concerns, of course, so mowing isn't going away. But many who are tasked with the chore are happy to put it off for a bit.

Thumbs down to how hard Connecticut has been hit by the shortage of baby formula. No shortage is good, but while the company that tracks the

out-of-stock rate put the national average at between 31-40 percent, it was up to 48 percent in the first week of May in Connecticut. Six other states lapped the 50 percent mark. Recalls and supply chain shortages have contributed to the crisis, which is yet another anxiety for parents of young children.

Thumbs up to concerns for bear cubs in Newtown. After Bobbi, a tagged black bear well-known by local residents, was shot and killed last week,

her cubs had remained in the area even as officials urged the public to stay away, for the good of people and the bears. On Monday, however, state environmental officials said they would attempt to check the condition of the bear cubs “and, if possible to do so safely, remove them from the wild in order to bring them to a rehabilitator.” With a growing bear population and readily available food, more confrontations are inevitable in the future, but the best thing people can do is keep their distance.