134 trillion could be the world's population in 2300. And we'll reach 6.66 billion in April 2008. Feeding so many people could be an even greater threat than climate change. More cattle will be needed to provide meat, forests will be chopped down.

News about precious species - a giant rat discovered in Indonesia's Papua province; the mysterious jerboa is caught on film; new tiny frog found in India; Scottish red squirrels imperiled; pride of 5 male white lion cubs successfully raised by Aust zoo.

A recent article asks if there is a similarity between the US and Nazi Germany. It highlights the 14 characteristics of fascism - controlled media, obsession with national security, crime & punishment, identification of an enemy as a unifying cause.

Privacy International has released its 2007 map of surveillance societies around the world. The US is in the black (endemic surveillance society). Australia is in the red ("systematic failure to uphold safeguards"). Where is your country on the map?

Top 10 reasons why Australia is now in the grips of an endemic surveillance society. Civil liberties are being attacked, police powers have escalated, there is a campaign AGAINST human rights for Australia. It's 1984 Big Brother.

Top 10 predictions from The Futurist: cashless society, a million billionaires, a new Cold War, a significant extinction event, water scarcity,70 million Africans affected by floods, non-human entities making decisions for us.

As we enter 2008 - total cost of foodstuffs imported by the neediest countries rose 25%, to $107 million over 2007; reserves of cereals have dramatically declined;there are only 8 weeks of corn left in reserve; but food prices are soaring.

Care2 member brother succumb to the injurious experiments that was forced upon him from childhood until the day that he died.

China's social networking site, City8, has 360-degree street-level imaging of extraordinarily high resolution. People's faces & car number plates can be identified. Google Street View also hits Sydney. A further invasion of privacy in our society.

At last, Australia is picking up its game and taking a seat at Bali's climate change conference. Read about the Garnaut Review of Climate Change and its Economic Impact due in 2008, which will help Australia clarify its carbon emissions target for 2020.