According to recycling records kept by the Environmental Protection Agency, 38% of post-consumer newsprint was recycled in 1990, 45% in 1992, 47% in 1994, and 60% in 2001.

Written in intercept form is y = 2.1x + 37

Where y = percent recycled (the percent is not converted to a decimal, so 45% would be entered as 45 rather than 0.45) and x = the year number coded as 1990 =1, 1992 = 3, and 1994 = 5, and 2001 = 12

Is the slope positive or negative? What does the slope tell us about the rate of post-consumer newsprint recycling?