The building and construction sector generates substantial social and economic benefits, employing over 111 million people worldwide and contributing approximately ten percent to the global gross domestic product (UNEP SBCI, 2007). At the same time, the built environment contributes significantly to global raw materials use, energy use, solid waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions (see Figure 1). Attempting to address these sustainability issues, the rapidly growing "green building" industry is employing cost-effective and environmentally mindful construction practices that do not usually require new or costly technologies.

Large tracts of forests within North America have been affected by recent bark beetle outbreaks. Millions of pine trees are turning red and dying throughout the western U.S. and British Columbia. The Ministry of Forests in British Columbia estimated that 7 million hectares of timberland pine forests have been affected and predict that 80% of British Columbia's pine forests will be killed in this beetle epidemic by 2013. While these figures can be daunting, many forest scientists stress that insect outbreaks are in line with the changing nature of forest ecosystems and historical norms. The beetle outbreaks have created challenges for forest managers who must incorporate ecological, economic and social issues into forest management plans.

As traditional cork stoppers for wine are being replaced with synthetic alternatives, 100,000 Mediterranean Basin residents supported by the cork industry await an uncertain future. Cork harvesting and production has provided income to residents in a landscape where other economic means are limited. Cork harvesting also occurs without actual tree removal, retaining wildlife habitat in a uniquely biologically diverse landscape. A handful of severely endangered species have found refuge in the cork forests, but many fear that their fate is tied to that of the cork industry.

Following the 2005 Gleneagles Summit on climate change and development in Africa, the Group of Eight (G8) leaders requested that the International Energy Agency (IEA) document global energy efficiency and assess worldwide potential for energy efficiency in the future, particularly in the industrial sector, which accounts for nearly a third of global energy consumption and 36% of CO2 emissions.

In June 2007, formal revisions were made to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to meet new and emerging conservation agendas. The most notable changes to CITES aimed to create monetary resources for developing countries to fund conservation and help alleviate poverty. Member states hope that allowing regulated and supervised trade of certain species will provide income for poor communities while also protecting species. During the June meetings, the members of CITES agreed to allow a one-time export of ivory from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, the second since the 1989 ban.

Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis may be the event that cements the issue of global climate change into the public forefront. An estimated two billion people received the message on 7/7/07 to Save Our Selves (SOS) from global climate change. The Live Earth concert series was a major media attempt to raise public awareness and to rally support for "The Live Earth Pledge" which calls citizens to reduce their carbon emissions and to demand that businesses and governments follow suit. More specifically, those who sign the pledge support a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 and pledge to demand that their government sign a comprehensive international treaty on global warming by 2009.

On June 21st, the United States Senate passed a new energy bill mandating increased renewable energy use and energy efficiency. Among these mandates are:

• Increased automobile fuel economy from 25 mpg to 35mpg (this is a fleetwide average so not all cars, SUVs and trucks are required to meet the 35 mpg measure);
• Increased production of ethanol and increased number of automobiles capable of running on ethanol and other biofuels;
• Increased energy efficiency for appliances and lighting (this measure requires federal government to install efficient lighting in public buildings);
• Increased grants and loans for fuel efficient vehicles and clean fuel research;
• Promotion of carbon dioxide capture from coal-burning power plants and ground sequestration; and
• Categorization of charging "unconscionable excessive" oil prices as a federal crime, which gives the federal government authority to investigate oil market manipulations.

The House is preparing its own energy legislation as well.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were launched at the 2000 United Nations Millennium Summit to set measurable targets for reducing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, illiteracy and environmental degradation by the year 2015. Since 2000, a series of four Global Monitoring Reports have been compiled by the UN, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other partners to assess the world's progress in meeting the MDGs by region and country. The most recent Global Monitoring Report, focusing on gender inequality and fragile states, depicts a story of promise but also one of struggle, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

With only one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World still in existence, the New 7 Wonders Foundation has been extensively campaigning for world citizens to vote on the New Seven Wonders of the World. The foundation was created in 2001 by Bernard Weber, whose mission is to protect humankind's heritage worldwide. To date, more than 50 million people have voted for the New Seven Wonders (N7W). On July 7 2007, the New Seven Wonders will be revealed at the Official Declaration ceremony to a live audience in Lisbon, Portugal.

Last month, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) held their 59th annual convention in Anchorage, Alaska. Each year, around 400 delegates from 77 membership nations meet to assess the status of whale populations worldwide and to establish harvesting regulations and quotas. Due to a history of widespread overfishing and subsequent decline in whale numbers, the commission has suspended commercial harvesting of whales for the last 21 years. The decision to prohibit commercial whaling was again supported by a majority of countries this year, so the official ban remains in place, despite growing tension in recent years between the commission and some of its member countries that support reinstating commercial whale harvesting.