Michael Oko's Blog

About

Bio:: I’m new to the environmental movement having come to NRDC from the American Red Cross, where I spent about three years working on humanitarian disasters and public health issues. I guess that working on the environment is another way of preventing disasters. My hometown is New York City, where I grew up and lived after I graduated from college (Cornell University). I moved to Washington D.C. in 2003 to attend graduate school (Johns Hopkins University SAIS), where I studied international relations and economics (just don’t ask me about the economics part). In my “previous life” I worked in film and advertising, so I am now applying these creative skills to a new arena. I live in D.C. with my wife, Jennifer, and two little kids, Jasper and Laila.
Roots in:: New York City
Favorite place:: I’ve done a lot of travelling, especially in Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia). I love the beach and I'm lucky to have spent many summer days on Cape Cod.
Why "environmentalism" matters:: My kids. I wonder what kind of world will they inherit? As cliché as it might sound, I left the world of advertising to do something more meaningful, and I hope that my work at NRDC will have an impact-- even it is a small one-- in shaping a better world for my kids and future generations.