Warmer Weather? Whoopee!

Global warming may not be all bad, at least not to all creatures.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that the sole naturally migrating flock of whooping cranes now numbers a record 237 birds, up from the previous year's 220. No less than 45 chicks were born last year, including seven sets of twins. Not bad for a species whose population was 15 at one point.

And what is the explanation for these increasing numbers? Mild weather in Wood Buffalo National Park, where the birds nest. The lack of freezing temperatures and drizzle meant that more chicks survived. I just hope that Big Oil and the US government don't start using this good news story as an additional reason to avoid taking action on global warming.