After thousands of human generations, ours is the first to grapple with environmental problems on a scale that threatens our planet's systems of life-support: its fragile atmosphere, its vast oceans, its great boreal forests. We no longer have the luxury of taking half measures. Now is the time for visionary and resolute action -- the kind of action that has distinguished NRDC's record of effectiveness for nearly 40 years.

Under the inspirational leadership of John Adams, NRDC's world-class team has tackled the most serious environmental threats of the past four decades -- acid rain, dying rivers, overlogged forests, ozone depletion -- and emerged with innovative, enforceable solutions that continue to protect both nature and human society. In the process, we have grown from small law firm to leading champion of the environment, wielding a potent combination of courtroom prowess, scientific expertise, policy influence, media outreach, and the grassroots energy of 1.2 million concerned citizens.

As NRDC's second president, I have assumed the helm of an environmental powerhouse. And I am committed to pushing NRDC to the next level of success. That means advancing solutions that match the enormity of crises now unfolding at a global level. Where NRDC could once engage a single threat on a single front -- smog, a clearcut, an oil slick -- today we must defuse planet-wide perils like global warming that are the outcome of entire industrial sectors and an unsustainable way of life. Such complex problems call for equally complex solutions -- solutions rooted in new thinking, new strategies, and new partnerships.

Adaptability is the hallmark of NRDC's success. No group is better at sizing up new conditions, then responding on multiple fronts to change the outcome of the toughest issues. Today, NRDC is rising to the challenge again. Our Partnership for the Earth campaign, unparalleled in size and scope, will sharply focus NRDC's work over the next decade on solving the most daunting environmental problems now confronting humankind.

Toward that end, we are integrating teams of experts from across the institution to advance bold, cross-cutting strategies that can drive transformative change. We are augmenting NRDC's traditional strengths -- in the courts and hallways of federal government -- with new partnerships that unite corporate leaders, local governments, and leading scientists in our common cause. We are championing private sector initiatives and emerging technologies that can yield smarter, cleaner ways to power our growing economy. And we are vastly expanding our online network so that more than 2 million concerned Americans -- from every walk of life -- will be able to speak with one powerful and effective voice on behalf of our planet. NRDC is the only group that can deploy that kind of people power in tandem with first-rate policy prowess to propel environmental change.

Legions of concerned policymakers -- from New York to Beijing -- are looking to NRDC for the visionary yet measurable steps that will lead humanity to a more livable future. Our Partnership for the Earth points the way there. I can think of no better way to fulfill our mission of safeguarding the planet than to carry out this ambitious campaign with passion, with determination, and with hope.

Frances G. Beinecke
President, Natural Resources Defense Council