DURHAM, N.C. – From energy costs and fuel shortages, to hurricanes and off-shore drilling, environmental issues relating to global change are front and center in the public debate this year.

The Green Grok (), a blog by Bill Chameides, dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at 91, aims to help nonscientists make sense of these issues.

“The science of environmental change can be complex. The goal of The Green Grok is to explain issues in ways that everyone can understand and relate to, without oversimplification,” says Chameides, an atmospheric scientist and member of the National Academy of Sciences. “By fostering a real-world discussion between reader and expert, blogs are the perfect platform for this type of learning.”

The official launch of The Green Grok to national audiences begins today (Sept. 29), however Chameides has been posting blogs since May. Many of his posts have been picked up as guest blogs on popular sites such as the Huffington Post, Gristmill and Sustainablog.

The term “grok” was coined by novelist Robert Heinlein in his 1961 science fiction classic, Stranger in a Strange Land. To grok means to understand and communicate a topic so thoroughly and intuitively that it becomes part of who you are.

Chameides’ posts on The Green Grok examine a broad array of provocative and sometimes controversial issues, many inspired by the day’s headlines. Topics can range from how much oil could be added to the nation’s supply by drilling on the outer continental shelf to the pros and cons of biofuels.

“Some of our best posts are inspired by reader feedback and questions,” Chameides says. “The only thing off-limits is advocacy. Our posts don’t advocate for one piece of legislation over another, or for any political platform.”

Blogs offering practical consumer tips, such as ways Americans can reduce their carbon footprint, cut energy costs and “green” their food shopping, are also featured.

To take advantage of the web’s multimedia platform, videos are added to the mix “when a picture or two can save a thousand words,” he says.

The Greek Grok’s content is carefully sourced, and most posts include links to references or related materials for readers who want more information. Leading scientists and policy analysts lend their expertise as guest bloggers.

“Our aim is to help people become more fluent in environmental science so they can better understand a world that becomes more technological and scientific every day,” Chameides says.

Chameides has been the dean of the Nicholas School since 2007. An atmospheric chemist by training, he has more than 30 years experience in academia as a professor, researcher and teacher. Prior to joining the Duke faculty, he served for three years as chief scientist at Environmental Defense Fund. In addition to being a member and National Associate of the National Academies, he is a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and a recipient of the AGU’s prestigious MacElwane Award.

Erica Rowell, online managing editor for the Nicholas School, serves as editor of The Green Grok. Rowell has more than 15 years of experience writing for news outlets and Web sites. She has focused on environmental science since 2003, and spearheaded Environmental Defense Fund’s online consumer guide to energy-saving compact fluorescent (CFL) lights, which Smithsonianmagazine called “the best CFL guide on the Net.”

Research associate Wendy Graber, who holds a masters 91 in geology from Duke, is lead researcher for The Green Grok. Prior to joining the Nicholas School staff, she worked for 15 years as an environmental consultant.

Stephanie Thirolle, Web developer for the Nicholas School and Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke, serves as the blog’s lead technician.