Our 2007 annual report describes a year of many successes:

Energy and Climate

Friends of the Earth, 12 states, several cities and more than a dozen environmental groups won a Supreme Court decision requiring the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas pollution from passenger vehicles. Friends of the Earth was one of the groups that filed the initial petition to EPA.

Friends of the Earth worked to expose the impacts of global warming on the world’s poorest who are most likely to suffer from floods, droughts and famine caused by climate change. Friends of the Earth hosted a summit and led the creation of a Climate Change and Development Network to engage in the development impacts of climate change. The coalition of environmental, faith and development groups convinced Congress to include a provision in the House Energy bill requiring the U.S. to take responsibility for its prominent role in global climate change impacts and assess the needs of poor communities trying to adapt to climate change.

Equity and Justice

Friends of the Earth is leading an effort to minimize the harmful social and environmental effects of the biofuels boom. Our international coalition is pushing for U.S. standards in biofuels legislation covering imported fuel that will mitigate environmental damage from biofuels production such as increased fertilizer use, consumption of scarce water resources, clearing of tropical forests for biofuels plantations, and further consolidation of corporate agribusiness.

Friends of the Earth’s new program to advance sustainability of Chinese investments already boasts two publications on the role of Chinese investment in Africa. Friends of the Earth worked to educate policy makers and the public on the environmental impacts of Chinese investments.

Human Health and Safety

New Campaign! Friends of the Earth’s synthetic biology campaign aims to safeguard the genetic material that is the basis of all life from commercial uses that would exploit and irrevocably alter naturally existing life-forms. We are fighting for a moratorium on the development and marketing of this technology until safeguards are put in place.

New Campaign! Biotechnology and pharmaceutical research companies are cornering the market by acquiring patents for newly decoded genetic material, a practice that has led to the patenting of up to one fifth of all human genes. Friends of the Earth is against the patenting of all life, especially the patenting of human life which has prevented proper healthcare treatment and research. Patents prevent people from gaining proper treatment for their genetic diseases and drastically hinders therapy research. We are working on a bill aimed at stopping human gene patenting.

New Campaign! Friends of the Earth initiated a Safe Kids campaign to ban toxic fire retardants in household products including upholstered furniture, mattresses, toys and carpets. These fire retardants have been associated with autism and hormonal abnormalities and their prohibition will protect the health of millions of children.