NRDC Launches Blog Site to Spur Conversation About Energy Solutions, Global Warming

NEW YORK (July 9, 2007) – The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has intensified its efforts to distribute information about solutions to global warming and innovative energy technologies by launching Switchboard, a suite of blogs written by its air, energy and climate change experts.

 

Switchboard gives an inside perspective on the business of solving environmental problems, connecting readers with scientists, lawyers and policy experts who work on these issues every day. The Switchboard blogs create a forum for NRDC’s experts to respond to the day’s news, share their views about policies to combat global warming and address America’s energy needs, and communicate with others who are engaged with these issues.

 

“We realized we have amazing, passionate experts working in the trenches and wanted to let them tell their own stories and interact directly with other people who care about these environmental problems and solutions,” said Phil Gutis, NRDC’s Communications Director.

 

Current bloggers include Julia Bovey, who handles federal communications; Jon Coifman, national media director; Nathanael Greene, an expert on biofuels; Dan Lashof, a climate scientist focused on national energy policy and solutions to global warming; and John Walke, a lawyer who works on clean air issues. Greene, who has worked at NRDC since 1992, is excited about using Switchboard to engage with the community of people interested in biofuels and other environmental solutions.

 

“Switchboard will make NRDC more of an environmental resource for people, and through the comments and feedback that people can provide us, it will make us better at what we do,” Greene said.

 

NRDC is a leading driver of energy solutions, with more than 30 experts working on legal, legislative and market-based mechanisms to curb oil dependence, spur energy conservation and promote clean, renewable sources of fuel and power. With the launch of the Switchboard site NRDC is expanding its Internet resources, which include the Move America Beyond Oil website, a range of energy-saving guides and Beat the Heat, an interactive map that encourages people to share their views about global warming’s consequences and solutions.

 

Switchboard is also a hub for NRDC staff members to post annotated links to favorite environmental sites, important news articles and other interesting online resources. This section, called NetNow: What NRDC Is Reading Today, is powered by del.icio.us, a website that enables users to store and share bookmarks online. It will produce a steady stream of links, filtered and commented on by NRDC’s diverse and accomplished team of environmental experts.

 

NRDC’s main website (www.nrdc.org) received a major overhaul this springto showcase the organization’s core campaigns to curb global warming, move America beyond oil and solve other pressing environmental problems. The new homepage uses stunning photography to illustrate these priorities, and lets users quickly navigate to an online action center, a library of policy materials, and comprehensive sections on environmental news and green living.