Three things are pretty central to my hometown, Springfield, IL: the state capitol, Abraham Lincoln, and corn as far as the eye can see. In a way, all three of these central Illinois icons pushed me to where I am today with an abiding love for nature, history, and catty politics. They also combine to make me acutely aware that we occupy a unique moment in history where our actions or inaction will resonate for generations to come.
As for NRDC, I handle communications for a weird mix of NRDC's efforts including energy issues in the Midwest, greening of Chicago, endangered species and western wildlife issues.
When I am not worried about dirty fuels and changes to the Endangered Species Act, play bass guitar, try to keep my 120 year old house on the south side from crumbling and chase around a wee-bitty son, born on … you guessed it … Lincoln's birthday.
Posted January 13, 2012 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, The Media and the Environment
Over the long Keystone XL campaign, I have continued to be astounded at how differently the pipeline---and tar sands infrastructure projects in general---are seen in the U.S. and Canada. The narratives from binational pipeline supporters couldn’t be further apart...continued→
Posted December 23, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Moving Beyond Oil
Channukah. Hannukah. However you spell it, we are now half-way through a holiday commemorating one day's worth of oil lasting for eight days. It is a pretty minor holiday in the Jewish calendar, but perhaps we should be making a bigger deal about...continued→
Posted November 10, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming, The Media and the Environment
Maddeningly, like a ton of issues that we work on, the Keystone XL pipeline debate has been boiled down to jobs vs. the environment in the media repeatedly. The pipelines proponents have told a shovel-ready story that has been picked...continued→
Posted October 25, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, The Media and the Environment
As sports paraphernalia goes these days, it pains me to say that Green Bay Packers fans are tops with the foam cheeshead hat. Yeah, it is played out. Still, you have to admire the statement that fans are making in...continued→
Posted September 27, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Solving Global Warming
I take the L to work most days. And for the most part, I love it. (There is still something fun about hopping a train...) But on my travels, I hear plenty of riders complaining about the Chicago Transit...continued→
Posted September 15, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming
I’ve never liked the University of Nebraska football program. Years of watching them run up scores against my beloved Missouri Tigers in the Big 12 filled me with jealous disdain. And the sea of red in Faurot Field created...continued→
Posted September 2, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming
I am ready for the Labor Day weekend because, frankly, it’s been a disappointing couple of weeks with some hugely disappointing messages coming from the administration on Keystone XL pipeline and ozone. Can someone please show me the research that says...continued→
Posted August 31, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in The Media and the Environment
In the last 48 hours, two spectacular New York Times pieces on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline hit the Web. The fact that the Times has been on the right side of the pipeline debate (in the opinion of a...continued→
Posted August 25, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Solving Global Warming
Over the weekend I drove from Chicago to Springfield, IL. I’ve always dreaded the brutally boring three and a half hour trip and the inevitable battle with highway hypnosis brought on...continued→
Posted August 17, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, Solving Global Warming
I was recently quoted in a Greenwire piece that was picked up by the New York Times online related to some tar sands oil industry practices in Canada. The quote came out of a very long conversation, largely focused...continued→
Posted August 12, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably
Transit is critical to the Chicago region’s environment, economy, and quality of life. Blah, blah, really, I care most about this because I take the Chicago Transit Authority’s Green Line L to work every day. And I pop onto the...continued→
Posted August 10, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
A five-mile stretch of the Lochsa River in Idaho has been toilet papered. It sounds like a High School prank until you realize that these are really, really big rolls of toilet paper that were dumped into the wild...continued→
Posted May 26, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution
The Environmental Protection Agency held public hearings in Chicago Tuesday on proposed new standards to protect the public from hazardous power plant pollution. It was one of three opportunities for the public to weigh in on the prospect for more...continued→
Posted May 9, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Curbing Pollution
It has been a very bad couple of weeks for the Canadian oil and pipeline industries. This weekend, the Keystone pipeline popped, spilling more than 20,000 gallons of tar sands oil and sending a 60’ spout into the air from...continued→
Posted May 2, 2011 by Josh Mogerman in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places
It has come to this. The Asian carp infestation in Peoria has some intrepid water skiers taking to the Illinois River in spiked body armor with wolverine claws and samurai swords to take the fight to the invasive species. This...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
