I think that the re-discovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker, long believed to be extinct, is a story of major importance.  With all the disasters and gloomy predictions we hear these days, we need to be given some cause for hope, and a reason to celebrate.

In my opinion, human overpopulation is the single most detrimental factor to the world's rapidly declining natural environment. One never sees that mentioned in mainstream headlines though. Women worldwide should give birth to no more than two children each, and then only if they can afford to raise those children without financial or other assistance. There is no longer a reason to "go forth and multiply." In fact, it is primarily because of our success at procreation that this planet is in such sad shape now. And things will only get worse as more people require more goods, defile more resources and create more pollution. Birth control is widely available; we need to use it!

while i agree wholeheartedly w/your comment that overpopulation is a major concern, i must take issue w/how you phrase it, saying that 'Women worldwide should give birth to no more than two children each,' implying that women are always the ones in control of how many kids they have.  how i wish that were so!  i think the majority of women would LOVE to be the ones making all their reproduction decisions, but as we know, sadly, that is not the case.  policy makers need to realize this and help women take more control of their personal destinies, and their bodies.

The cure for overpopulation, sometimes reviled by enviros, is to start moving the human race off planet.  If this does not happen quickly enough only mass slaughter, be it by war, disease, famine, etc. will ease human population pressure and it's effects on the planet.

I doubt that our birth rates have increased significantly over the ages. It is rather our success at delaying death through better health care (lowering infant mortality and increasing life expectancy), technological mastery over nature (however temporary) and perhaps even fewer wars! (without a correspondingly drastic decrease in birth rates) that is responsible for human overpopulation. This is not a headline event for the year 2005, but  arguably it could be the story of the century or the millenium.

You're right all these stories reached me by using my approach to "news" not paying attention to it. This year I plan to pay more attention with the help of Grist. Thank you!

Resourceful Writer

I think you hit the nail on the head with what the larger lesson from Katrina is.

And, similarly with your point about ANWR...Indeed, the symbolic stakes are high.  It is not so much this particular place but what it represents particularly in terms of whether we are going to continue to coddle to our fossil fuel addiction or whether we will instead deal with energy issues in a more comprehensive way that recognizes the connection with climate change, etc.