The past few weeks have seen some of the most crucial media policy developments in recent memory. This has been one of the busiest and most exciting periods for Free Press since it was started five years ago. Stopping Media Consolidation - the New York Times revealed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin’s plan to fast track a vote on media ownership rules - one that would let the biggest media companies control even more local outlets - despite a massive public outcry at the FCC’s public hearings and authoritative research on the potential impact of weakened ownership limits. Making the Internet Open and Accessible - Comcast was caught red-handed blocking the legal file-sharing service BitTorrent - Verizon blocked text messages from NARAL Pro-Choice America to its own members - AT&T blocked statements critical of President Bush from a webcast of a Pearl Jam concert. These are examples of exactly the type of censorship that Americans have warned would occur without Net Neutrality protections.

Causes in Common, the national coalition organized by The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York City, bringing together reproductive justice and LGBT liberation movements, held their first annual national meeting in Chicago the day before the conference of SisterSong, a Coalition partner. This allowed a number of people to attend their conference in conjunction with plans to attend SisterSong’s meeting. With The Overbrook Foundation’s support for the Coalition’s work, they were able to subsidize a number of people’s travel and accommodations for the meeting, which ensured a larger representation of Coalition partners than might have been possible otherwise. Seventy-seven participants attended the annual meeting on Wednesday, May 30, 2007.

According to a recent report issued by the Center for Reproductive Rights, "What if Roe Fell," has rendered shocking and frightening results - at least for those who have an interest in female human rights. Roe vs. Wade, the paramount Supreme Court decision that took place in the early '70s, is under attack by activists more strongly in recent years than since it took place. Activists are fighting at both state and federal level. According to the report, activists are fighting to make abortion at any stage and in any circumstance a criminal act.

Despite Ecuador’s small size, it is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world. Biodiversity across Ecuador, and particularly in the Amazon region, is threatened by unplanned colonization, water and air pollution, and the over-exploitation of natural resources. The forests in Yasuní are subject to hunting by indigenous people and some colonists. Negative impacts of oil exploration, such as oil spills as pictured below, are widespread and will increase if the Ecuadorian government accelerates the production of oil without mitigating the environmental impacts. In the past year, President Rafael Correa has been re-considering opening up pristine areas of Yasuní for oil exploitation.

In November 2007, GreenBlue launched Green2Green.org - a free online green building resource. Green2Green is designed for building professionals seeking technical information and practical advice about green building products. Users can compare products side-by-side on environmental, cost and technical attributes and locate products by zip code, source and dealer location. The site also will include advice from green building experts in order to share best practices and support the growing green building industry.

The declaration of Nangaritza as Protected Forest in 2001, generated discontent among local peasant and indigenous communities, who perceived their land tenure and traditional access rights threatened by the “Protected Forest” status declaration. The lack of information and participation in the process caused the conflict to escalate to dramatic violent confrontation among actors.