The Academy of Natural Sciences is pleased to introduce the new webpage of the Center for Environmental Policy.
At the end of 2008, with the generous assistance of the William Penn Foudation, The Academy initiated the Center as a non-partisan, knowledge-based unit that focuses on building public awareness and on accessing, networking and guiding a variety of environmental stakeholders. Building on four years of successful operations of the Town Square program, the Center convenes, facilitates, mediates, build collaborations, injects technical expertise, and provides a structured setting for dialogue and problem solving.
In the seven months since the Center was launched, we have been working to improve communication and interactions with, and among, our various audiences. This new web page represent our next stage of connection with the many audiences and stakeholders who are committed to protecting the environment and promoting environmental sustainability.
Using a new modified “blog” format this page will serve as a running update of the many different projects on which the Center is working; it will provide postings of articles, images and video on critical environmental issues, feature links to partner organizations and resources, and include frequent opportunities for discussion and comments.
The blog reflects the fast pace and eclectic themes that mark the Center’s activities; it will allow visitors to start at points of interest, to learn more about topics and how to act on them, and to communicate with others with who share your interests. Like Town Square and many of our other programs, this web page will be an on-going dialogue, with new material being added regularly.
More important, we want this new web page to be a crossoads for information and action on critical environmental issues that are impacting lives and livelihoods in Philadelphia and around the world. With a new set of moderated forums, both stakeholders on specific topics and members of the general public will be able to communicate with the Center and with each other. This will include opportunities to make announcements, post ideas, and carry on in-depth discussions of complex topics The Center is committed to free and open exchange of information, and to helping to guide and facilitate productive discussions.
Public forums will be accessible to anyone, and comments will be welcome after completion of a simple registration form. These will include a forum for general discussion of CEP projects and one that focuses on the programs of the Urban Sustainability Forum. Limited-use forums are being hosted for specialized groups supported by the Center, such as the Green Condominium Initiative and the Philadelphia Interfaith Network for the Environment.
We also hope that this new format will give readers a chance to get to know the CEP Staff through our writing and activities. Roland Wall, Director of the Center has been with the Academy for almost a decade, as a science writer, policy specialist and administrator. Erin Johnson, Program Specialist, also has many years of experience in environmental education and organizing. Other Academy experts, partners and guests will also post to this blog, and as time goes on, we especially hope to hear from all of you. Join us as we work to make the CEP web page Philadelphia’s window on the environment.
Please visit our feedback site if you are interested in regular updates on Center projects and activities. To learn more about the forums or specific questions about our new webpage please contact cepforums@ansp.org.
