Environmental issues play a huge role in politics, both on the national scale (e.g., Ralph Nader's bid for the presidency) and local (e.g., the siting of incinerators in lower-income communities). This article and its follow-up will focus on sources of information dealing with the issues that are most pressing to researchers:

• What we are doing to our air and water resources

• Policies that affect our environment: local, national, and global

• Collecting scientific data to monitor pollution levels

• Toxins and hazardous materials, including their transport

• Efforts to improve the management of natural resources through conservation and preservation

• Recycling, waste management, and remediation

• Organizations involved in the "greening" of our planet

• Environmental laws, regulations, and precedent-setting cases

• Environmental health and occupational safety, including ergonomics

• Injuries, fatalities, liabilities, insurance, and workers compensation

This article began as an outgrowth of two pieces published in Searcher magazine earlier this year ("The Web as Safety Net: Weather-Related Catastrophes and Other Natural Disasters," January 2002, pp. 68-83, and "Weather, Climate, and Global Warming: A Web Review," February 2002, pp. 28-41). Its organization stems from a presentation given in November 2000 to a group of lawyers participating in an Environmental Reinsurance Claims Conference (Manalapan, FL). Sponsored by Mealey's/LexisNexis, the presentation — "Sources of Environmental and Asbestos Information on the Internet (and Elsewhere)" — began with two questions: What do we want or need to know about the environment? Where do we go to obtain that information?

Writing an article about environmental information resources can be more difficult than you might think. Resources may be consumer/activist-oriented — that's "activist" in the best sense of the word — or scientific/research-oriented. General resources may touch upon some aspect of the environment you would like to include. On the other hand, you can't possibly mention all the resources concentrating on even one specialized niche in this vast field. Information professionals sometimes need to consult more general resources and, other times, require a more thorough analysis that only searches of more focused databases can achieve. In attempting to highlight all classes of resources, this article has grown far longer than either the author or the editor originally anticipated.

The Web sites highlighted within this article are meant to suggest the types of resources you'd want to look for and how you might discover them. It is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of every Web site dealing with the subject (as if that were even possible). If you conduct environmental research every day, you should find many of the resources mentioned very familiar. Hopefully, this article will serve as a reminder for you to check "What's New" on Web sites you may not have consulted in a while or to take a more global perspective about the subject. If you are new to environmental research, we hope the article will provide a logical path through a multitude of offerings.

Novices to the environmental research process might begin as they do all their Web searches — by choosing search engines to identify Web sites containing environmental news and information. Everyone has their own favorites, but some indexes and directories do a better job of identifying and categorizing unique environmental sites than others. One of the earliest directories of the Internet, EiNet Galaxy, still organizes environmental resources in the most logical manner for a novice to understand and appreciate. The Galaxy [http://www.galaxy.com] Community section breaks down the environment into 10 separate categories: Agriculture, Ecosystems, Endangered Species, Energy, Environmental Activism, Environmental Health, Environmental Law, Environmental Libraries, Government, and News.

Popular search directories may also help identify environmental information on the Internet:

• While Google began as a search engine, the newer directory service is an excellent place to begin your search for Web sites covering the environment [http://directory.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/Environment/?tc=1/]. Choose from nearly 40 subtopics and five related categories (ecology, environmental science, environmental law, property rights, and environmental effects of economic sanctions on Iraq). If you find a site that meets your research needs, take advantage of Google's "similar pages" feature to discover more.

• Yahoo!, for instance, classifies environmental resources covered within its Society and Culture section [http://www.yahoo.com/Society_and_Culture/Environment_and_Nature]. In addition to the directory, Yahoo! Groups [http://groups.yahoo.com] provides entrée into a number of discussions and chats concerning specific environmental issues.

• On the other hand, Lycos categorizes its collection of environmental resources within its Science section [http://dir.lycos.com/Science/Environment/]. In addition to its Environmental NewsService [http://ens.lycos.com/index.html], Lycos features an extensive list of categories to help guide users to the right set of resources. Categories cover resources by type (conferences, education, employment, journals, organizations, etc.) and subjects, such as biodiversity, environmental economics, environmental monitoring, sustainability, and water resources, to name but a few (see above).

• Environmental Issues are covered in its usual thorough manner by About.com [http://environment.about.com]. Subject categories range from acid rain and air pollution to trade/NAFTA/WTO and whales. A word of caution about the environmental news page [http://environment.about.com/library/weekly/blvoa.htm], however. When we last checked, it carried some fairly dated material. For the most current information, you should probably choose another resource.

• Science-specific search engines, such as Scirus [http://www.scirus.com/], may provide better access to environmental information, including links to policy papers. Basic searching using Scirus covers journals and/or Web-based sources. Using the advanced search screen, you can limit your search by information source, information type (e.g., articles, patents, conferences, etc.), subject (e.g., "environmental sciences"), and date (an advisable access point if you plan to include papers available via the Web in your search).

• While not as good a search engine as Scirus, SciSeek Science Online: Earth Sciences [http://www.sciseek.com/dir/Earth_Sciences/] offers links to associations, conferences, data centers, education, Internet directories, products and services, and publications.

Problems of dealing with environmental terminology complicates all searching in this field. The word "environment" is used in a social context, business, and the field of science. As a stand-alone, it is imprecise, requiring the browsing of subcategories and the use of advanced features for linking the term with another to yield truly useful results (keyword-in-context). For instance, JSTOR's listing of journals by discipline [http://www.jstor.org/about/field.list.html] shows an excellent collection of journals covering "ecology," but not listed as "environment." Choice of search engines and sites becomes less important than the ability to effectively use each, understanding the purpose for which they were designed and their content. Another caveat for searchers of Web sites: Many sites may appear current at first glance, but further investigation can uncover the fact that some sections are not maintained as well as others.

For advice on building a reference collection, there is no better source to consult than the EPA Core List for an Environmental Reference Collection [http://www.epa.gov/natlibra/core/coretoc.htm]. First published in 1993, the Core List updates regularly, is impeccably organized by subject, and includes a section on key environmental journals and publishers/distributors.

Environmental News

While traditional database vendors do an excellent job collecting news from around the world, some sites specialize in environmental news:

• EnvironmentalMedia Service Facts and Contacts for Journalists [http://www.ems.org/] contains articles from major media organizations, grouped by topic (chemicals and health; climate and air; politics and culture; international trade and development; land and transportation; oceans and water; plants and animals). The site has the "look and feel" of a newspaper, displaying the leading paragraphs of major articles on the front page (screen), with links to the entire article embedded in the headlines.

• Planet Ark [http://www.planetark.org/index.cfm] receives feeds from Reuters Daily World Environment News, stories archived on an issue-by-issue basis, from acid rain and air pollution to whaling and zoos.

• The Earth Times monthlyprint publication is available through the Web, but the heart of the Web site is the updated Earth Times Daily Web Edition [http://www.earthtimes.org]. Site contents and links are organized by subject, but remember that these are reciprocal links.

• European environmental newsis covered by ENDS Environmental DataServices [http://www.ends.co.uk/] in its Environment Daily [http://www.environmentdaily.com/articles/]. ENDS also offers Reports on U.K. environmental business and policy [http://www.endsreport.com/issue/index.cfm] and a searchable database containing comprehensive details on over 550 consultants [http://www.endsdirectory.com/search/].

Environmental researchers should also consult specialized online news services that do a good job identifying, collecting, or linking to environmental stories in the news.

• 1st Headlines culls its environmental news articles [http://www.1stheadlines.com/environment.htm] from such sources as the BBC, World Wildlife Fund, Environmental News Service, Environmental News Network, the Globe and Mail, Los Angeles Times, and Environmental Data Information Exchange, to name but a few. You can also retrieve items by source [http://www.1stheadlines.com/environment-sources.htm].

• Headline Spot [http://headlinespot.com/subject/environment/] functions much in the same way as 1st Headlines/environment-sources, with links to sources listed by category: Headlines (from Moreover, Environment News Service, NewsNet-21); Newspapers (New York Times, Earth Times, Washington Post); Online; Magazines; Television stations and programs (MSNBC, BBC Nature, PBS, Futurewatch, Greenworks); and Radio (EarthNews, EarthWatch Radio, ENN Radio, Great Lakes Radio Consortium, Living on Earth).

• Rocket News [http://www.rocketnews.com/register-bin/agnitio_categories.cgi?idx=Environmental%20Services&ct=1016369846766] approaches news about the environment from a business services perspective, focusing on such matters as contract awards and specific pollution sites and spills.

• The World News Network [http://www.wnnetwork.com/]is best known for its WorldNews.com[http://www.wn.com] Web site featuring news from around the world. Link out to its World Environment site [http://www.worldenvironment.com] and you reach one of the more robust environmental portals on the Web, with links to news by headline or subject (e.g., global warming, animals, forests, oceans, pollution, etc.). There are sections for "breaking news" and "green politics," with links to environmental Web directories. (Note: While the news portions of the site are quite current, links in the environmental Web directories may be somewhat dated or have ceased to exist at all.)

• OneWorld is a community of over 1,000 organizations working for social justice. Browsing by themes [http://www.oneworld.net/themes/topic/], click on "environment" to retrieve current news collected from Yahoo!, Worldwatch Institute, Global Exchange, and the Latin American Center Social Ecology, and many more.

• If you have a small screen, you may not find environmental news on GeoEarth.com [http://earth.geoportals.com/] at first glance. Simply scroll about halfway down the home page to view the Environmental News section, which includes links to CNN — Nature, Environmental News Network, The Earth Times, GeoTimes, EnviroLink, EDF.org, PlanetArk, Lycos Environmental News Service, EarthWatch, and Planet Save. Just below, you'll find Resources (Journals, Magazines, Links) and a section dedicated to Environmental Professionals.

• For general science news, try ScienceDaily [http://www.sciencedaily.com], featuring news by topic (health and life sciences; physical and earth sciences; and science and society). To search archived news, use the "Advanced Search" page.

• If you want to set up a feed of environmental stories with a scientific bent for your Web site, try Moreover [http://p.moreover.com/cgi-local/page?c=Environment%20news&o=xml].

Environmental Portals and Links

Identifying an environmental portal (a site with an extensive list of links to Web-based environmental resources) might be difficult for the novice searcher, but not for the information professional. Targeted to the layperson, Cool Science's Cool Science Links [http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/amateur/coolsci.html#idx] is an eclectic collection to interesting science sites, including museums, magazines, and archives. Acquainting yourself with some of the sites mentioned on this page may help many of your own library patrons, particularly young students.

The Environmental Site [http://www.envirosite.com] features an extensive set of easy links to Internet-based Environmental Resources: Online Tutorials, Glossaries, Fact Sheets, Online Publications, Current Events, Professional Organizations, Educational Institutions, Books, Software, Electronics, Federal and State Agencies, Pollution Prevention, Environmental Justice, Green Chemistry, Conferences, Environmental Advocacy, and Environmental Services Directory.

One expects a great deal from a Web site named Eco-Portal — The Environmental Sustainability.Info Source: The Gateway to Information Empowering the Environmental Movement [http://www.eco-portal.com/]. The navigation bar on the right contains links to current articles concerning the environment. The number of categories (and sites within each category) is impressive. Each site listing includes a rating and a feature that lets users of the Eco-Portal rate the site, though few seem to have taken the time to do so. The home page looks informal, but the sites included are consistently of high quality.

Often overlooked, EnviroOne — Your One Stop Environmental Center[http://www.enviroone.com/envsearch/] presents headline news on its front page, plus access to its Enviro!Forums (for researchers, environmental professionals, concerned citizens, students, and teachers), and "hot programs/issues" pages (air quality, superfund, brownfields, urban sprawl, global warming). Enviro!Categories permit directory-like access to environmental information sites within an extremely detailed subject tree.

The National Association of Environmental Professionals provides a clearinghouse for Web resources of interest to its members [http://www.naep.org/RESOURCES/Resources.html], organized by subject. The Association's annual conference program typically covers public policy environmental management issues, including brownfield redevelopment, land and watershed management, sustainable development, environmental education, urban ecosystem restoration, "green" transportation, and GIS-based decision-support tools. Proceedings from past conferences are available on CD-ROM.

While developed specifically for environmental consultants and remediation professionals, visitors to the Environmental Professional's Homepage[http://www.clay.net] will be led directly to collections of links: governmental agencies, regulations, legislation, health and safety issues, professional associations, conference announcements, environmental training courses. One of the best sections of the site is the EP Virtual Desktop [http://www.clay.net/ep1.html], with its collection of "quick references" and "new net links."

Academic Info: Environmental Studies [http://www.academicinfo.net/environst.html] provides links to indexes and directories, organizations, resources available from the EPA, digital libraries, databases, and electronic journals dedicated to covering and supporting various aspects of environmental studies. There are subject-specific breakdowns to Web sites devoted to such topics as environmental law, environmental history, ozone depletion, animal studies, water resources, and global warming and climate change, as well as a growing list of related subjects (e.g., earth sciences education). Should you find Academic Info a valuable site and wish the endeavor to continue, you might make a donation (payments made via credit cards are accepted through PayPal). Contributions go to defray the cost of maintaining the site, permitting it to remain free of advertising.

Billed as "the source for environmental information," Earthsystems[http://www.earthsystems.org] is "dedicated to the advancement of environmental information and education to the world community." In addition to carrying environmental news and offering online purchase of environmentally sound products and services on its Web site, the organization "develops, compiles, categorizes, and delivers environmental education and information resources." Through Earthsystems, you can connect to the World Wide Web Virtual Library —Environment [http://earthsystems.org/virtuallibrary/vlhome.html]. Search for sites by subject — a long list of discrete categories stretching from acid rain to weather — or simply review the List O' Lists of Environmental Resources, a collection of environmental indices concerning biodiversity, earth sciences, energy, forestry, landscape architecture, oceanography, and sustainable development. This list especially helps to verify environmental sites most recently updated. (For access to the WWW Virtual Library of Ecology and Biodiversity, go to http://conbio.net/vl.)

The National Council for Science and the Environment [http://www.cnie.org] "promotes a new crosscutting approach to environmental science that integrates interdisciplinary research; scientific assessment; communication of science-based information to decision-makers and the general public; and environmental education. As a neutral science-based organization, NCSE promotes science and its relationship with decision-making only and does not take positions on environmental issues themselves." The National Library for the Environment link, made available on this site [http://www.cnie.org/nle/], permits visitors to do the following:

• Search environmental news stories [http://www.cnie.org/news] on The Daily Planet. Topics range from agriculture and climate change to sustainable development and water quality.

• Link to a number of brief papers on specific "hot topics," each of which contains citations (with abstracts) to key papers (a "bibliography") and related Web sites. This section also helps users correspond with the editor of the paper/site. Developed jointly with Cambridge Scientific Abstracts,CSAHot Topics: Environmental [http://www.csa.com/csa/hottopics/hottopics-main.shtml] covers such "hot topics" as the Arctic National Wildlife RefugeDevelopment Issues (August 2001) and Brownfields: Redevelopment of Contaminated Commercial and Industrial Properties (August 2000).

• CSA's Web site also carries detailed summaries of Environmental Sciences and PollutionManagement journal titles available from CSA and access to Environmental RouteNet [http://www.csa.com/routenet/subaccess-new.html], including searchable CSA abstract databases, a current awareness service, and reference desk pointers to material available on the Web. CSA's latest partnership with the Center for Applied Biodiversity Science (CABS) will yield a new and extensive database in the area of biodiversity within the next 3 years.

• Search for Congressional Research Service Reports [http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRS/]. When we last checked, there were 1,240 reports on environmental and related topics.

• Consult the Internet Reference Desk: Environment and Natural Resources
[http://www.cnie.org/nle/info-7/InternetRes/enrpage.html].

• Query Online References, including Toxicology Resources and Environmental News.

• View News and Announcements from the CNIE.

Readers of this magazine should especially appreciate the Environmental Education Programs and Resources page [http://www.cnie.org/education], with its links to academic programs, resources and class syllabi for educators, organizations, projects, and jobs and grant opportunities. While not the only source for such listings, it is extensive and well maintained.

Academic Institutions

Using academics to point the way to resources is always a good notion. Academic departments all over the world have Web sites that researchers should consult to find coursework, research projects underway, completed publications, and even experts.

Sponsored by the North American Association for Environmental Education, Environmental Education on the Internet [http://eelink.net/] features professional resources, class resources, and organizations and projects. (At the time of publication, the ee-calendar was not active.) Its GeneralEnvironmental Information page [http://eelink.net/environmentalinformation-general.html] provides links to Web sites suggested by the public, but thoroughly vetted by the staff. Environmental Links — General [http://eelink.net/environmentallinks-general.html] may sound the same, but these linked resources are organized by topic (air and climate; wildlife and biodiversity; forestry and agriculture; energy and transportation; waste and toxics; population; consumption; and urban and environmental justice).

• For a link to colleges and universities with environmental studies programs, check the Yahoo! directory [http://dir.yahoo.com/Society_and_ Culture/Environment_and_Nature/Environmental_Studies/
Education/College_and_University/Departments_and_Programs/].

• Course syllabi from environmental programs around the world can also be retrieved from
http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~environ/syllabi.

• For one example, check out Boston University'sDepartment of International Relations' Center for Energy and Environmental Studies and its Adil Najam's Global Environmental Negotiation and Policy course [http://web.bu.edu/anajam/ir594.html].

• Environmental Ethics [http://www.cep.unt.edu/] from the Center for Environmental Philosophy not only covers course requirements at the University of North Texas, but also links to graduate programs, publications, bibliographies, funding opportunities, and associations, including the International Association forEnvironmental Philosophy
[http://www.environmentalphilosophy.org] and the International Society for Environmental Ethics [http://www.cep.unt.edu/ISEE.html].

• Environmental Information Sites
[http://www.davidson.edu/academic/economics/website/environ.htm] includes, among other pages, a section on environmental law, environmental organizations, and U.S. government.

Research from universities with rigorous academic programs in environmental studies will often have robust Web sites that include research papers and publications of esteemed faculty members. If you turn directly to the School of Environmental Studies at Queens University [http://www.queensu.ca/envst], however, you could miss the site containing Working Papers and Policy Insights on the subject. These are issued by the School of Policy Studies [http://qsilver.queensu.ca/sps/publications/pub.shtml]. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also has a Web site featuring its projects, people, publications, and partners. Though MIT's Technology, Business, and Environment Program [http://tbe.mit.edu] has all but disappeared from view, its Environmental Technology and Public Policy Program is now prominently featured on the university's Web site [http://web.mit.edu/dusp/etpp].

Some business schools provide access to case studies online and, while usually intended for management training, environmental concerns are often the subject of business cases. COLIS — European Case Clearing House gives you access to a wide range in one fell swoop [http://www.ecch.cranfield.ac.uk], including Harvard Business School, Darden, IMD, INSEAD, MIT/Sloan Management Review, Western Ontario/Ivey, and IESE Publishing. Individual schools may also be consulted:

• Harvard Business School case studies [http://www.hbsp.harvard.edu/hbsp/search_results.asp]

• Darden Case Bibliography, University of Virginia [http://www.darden.edu/collection/index.htm]

• Thunderbird [http://www.t-bird.edu/research/cases]

• International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne [http://www.imd.ch/faculty-research]

• Knowledge@Wharton [http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu] presents academic research in a different way than many other universities. Its magazine-type format can be searched for articles concerning the environment, though the online publication does not focus on this topic.

With the disappearance of Contentville, searching for theses and dissertations via the Web would appear to be limited. However, a search of electronic theses and dissertations by "subject = environment" does yield hits on the Networked Digital Library of Theses andDissertations [http://www.ndltd.org/browse.html]. Until a federated search is possible, you will have to search two catalogs. Be forewarned: the search engine is quite imprecise, yielding many false hits on simple, seemingly straightforward searches, so construct your search string carefully.

You can search dissertations in the Web-based version of UMI's Dissertation Abstracts database for the degree year 2001 or 2002 via the Web [http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/] and order any thesis that appeals to you through Dissertation Express [http://wwwlib.umi.com/dxweb/]. There are 66,115 indexed as "earth and environmental sciences," and you can narrow your search further by keyword (e.g., "pollution" yielded 163 titles). UMICurrent Research [http://wwwlib.umi.com/cresearch/], however, requires some work before it is truly useful. First, the title of the database may mislead searchers, as the database covers dissertations dating from 1996, but not graduate research currently underway at the participating institutions, as the home page states. The search mechanism makes it easy to choose subsets of the database to search (by institution), but offers no global searching. Would it not be better to fold the contents into the Web-based Dissertation Abstract product? And would it not be simply grand if a database of ongoing research being conducted at academic institutions were created? One way to approach this might be to search FINDAPhD [http://www.findaphd.com/indexmain.htm], which includes "earth sciences" as a discipline. (Don't let the .com fool you; the search is limited to research projects underway in the U.K.)

To find additional "current research," you may have to look at active discussion groups with academics participating. Diane Kovac's excellent Directory of Scholarly and Professional e-Conferences [http://www.kovacs.com/directory/] is back online now, identifying 70 monitored discussion groups concerning the environment. A similar service is offered in the U.K.: the National Academic Mailing List Service — Land Use and Environment [http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/category/Land_Use_and_Environment.html]. Other, more general discussion group search mechanisms exist, but those who participate can be scholars or "just us" regular folks interested in the environmental topic at-hand.

• Search CataList [http://www.lsoft.com/lists/list_q.html] for discussion lists with "environment" (or any other keyword or phrase) in the title.

• The old standby Deja remains available [http://groups.google.com], though you might want to use the advanced search page to achieve more targeted results [http://groups.google.com/advanced_group_search].

• Liszt [http://www.liszt.com], now incorporated into Topica [http://www.topica.com], features both newsletters and discussion groups searchable by subject.

• Perhaps the least known of the group, MessageKing [http://www.messageking.com], searches message boards and forums for keywords or phrases.

The Scholarly Societies Project has 83 listings of electronic resources for environmental sciences
[http://www.scholarly-societies.org/envirsci_soc.html], though the groups listed range widely, including such topics as crop protection, astronomy, geology, and energy. You'll have to link to each and then determine where on the site to find the type of material you need. A better choice might be Sources and Experts [http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/internet/experts.html]. Simply browse by subject to find the 11 institutes and academic centers concerned with environmental science. For a directory of experts that limits itself to ecology and environmental sciences, search the Earth's Environmental Experts (3E) Database [http://ww.3eltd.com]. Originating in the U.K., the database's scope is global, and you can limit searches by country. Experts, including expert witnesses, specialize in ecology, pollution, waste, environment, weather and climate, and fisheries.

Identifying experts in any subject area can be tricky, but there are several sites on the Web that can help:

• ExpertClick.com provides access to experts and journalists specializing in environmental issues [http://www.expertclick.com/Search/default.cfm?SearchCriteria=Environment]. Experts are listed here by association and tend to be more authoritative than some other listings.

• Designed to enable the news media to "quickly and easily secure authoritative analysis, insights and commentary for news and feature stories from leading academic and industry experts," ExpertSource [http://www.businesswire.com/expertsource/] changes frequently, adding new content coverage each week. It may run a few weeks behind, but this should not stop you from reviewing the listings from time to time.

• ExpertPages.com, a leading directory of expert witnesses and consultants, contains an extensive list of detailed chemical and environmental subjects for which the site has identified expert witnesses [http://www.expertpages.com/chemical_and_environmental.htm]. The process for inclusion in this directory is not particularly rigorous, but it is a place to start. (For a better expert witness directory, try the new service offered through the Defense Research Institute at http://www.juritas.com/search/home_dri.asp.)

• Astleford'sDirectory of Expert Witness Directories [http://www.mindspring.com/~astinc/expdir.html] permits one to search no-fee, fee-based, and international directories.

• CyberAttorney's Experts Online [http://www.cyberatty.com/experts/] will help you find an environmental expert. If you wish, you can limit your search by state.

• Experts.com [http://www.experts.com] has experts in several areas concerning the environment (e.g., sanitary engineering, environmental law, environmental medicine, toxicology, environmental repair).

• ExpertCentral [http://www.expertcentral.com], powered by About.com'sAllexperts.com [http://www.allexperts.com/searchcat.asp] feature, has 20 environment category subdivisions for which it has identified at least one "expert." When considering any of these individuals as "experts" for employment, it would be wise to investigate their credentials.

• The Northern California Association of Law Libraries has an extensive list of links to Expert Witness Internet Resources[http://www.nocall.org/experts.htm].

Conferences provide an additional venue for networking with colleagues and identifying experts. In addition to the portals listed above that have a calendar of events, other conference sites track environmental meetings:

• All Conferences.Net [http://www.conferences-calendar.com/]

• Fair Data Worldwide [http://www.auma.de/daten/suche.asp?area=1&sprache=2&spdata=2]

• Meeting/Conference Announcements from the Scholarly Societies Project, University of Waterloo: Environmental Sciences [http://www.scholarly-societies.org/meetings.html#ENVIRSCI]

• WorldMeet [http://www.thescientificworld.com/worldmeet/]

• TSSN.co.uk,the ultimate exhibition resource [http://www.tsnn.co.uk/]

• The German Environmental Information Network [http://www.gein.de/en/calConferences.html] with a calendar of conferences by year (1990-present) and decade (1950-1980). Coverage of conferences and conventions held during that time is global, and brief summaries of the agenda are available.

Academic Libraries and Services

Libraries that support academic study in the environmental sciences also offer Web access. You can even use some of the tools academic librarians employ to keep on top of new resources introduced throughout the year. In the area of environmental sciences, one of the most important is the Social Science Information Gateway's Environmental and Geography Section, edited by Phil Cross of the University of Bristol. The Environmental Sciences and Issues Web page [http://www.sosig.ac.uk/environmental_sciences_and_issues/] is divided into sections containing links to articles/papers/reports (collections and individual); bibliographies; bibliographic databases; books; companies; data; educational materials; governmental bodies; journals; mailing lists/discussion groups; news; organizations/societies; research projects/centers; and resource guides.

A keyword search of the Internet Scout ProjectArchives [http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/index.html] can also prove useful. Though not specific to the environment, a subscription to one or more of the NSDL Scout Reports (Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, or Math, Engineering and Technology) will provide biweekly e-mailed newsletters of newly discovered resources [http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/nsdl-reports/]. It's a convenient way for librarians (and others) to stay informed as to valuable online and Web-based resources in the environmental sciences, as what is covered by these reports can prove most helpful.

Librarians around the world refer to the BUBL service developed and maintained at Strathclyde University. Providing an effective route to information resources across disciplines,the BUBLLink Catalogue of Selected Internet Resources: Environment
[http://link.bubl.ac.uk/environment] consists of nine categories: General Resources, Journals and Magazines, National and International Centres, Societies and Pressure Groups, Science and Research, Forest Lands, General Energy Resources, Nuclear Energy, and Renewable Energy Resources. Each category includes at least five relevant resources from around the world.

Another U.K.-based tool for information professionals, Free Pint [http://www.freepint.com] offers the Free PintEnvironment News Feed [http://www.freepint.com/news/?news_include=environment]. This service pulls items from the international press, including the BBC, New York Daily News, Japan Times, and the National Post.

While no longer actively maintained, the organization of environmental resource listings on the Argus Clearinghouse [http://www.clearinghouse.net/cgi-bin/chadmin/viewcat/Environment?kywd++] can be enormously helpful (Ecology, Environmental Activism, Environmental Law, Sustainable Development, and Waste Management). Since the resources selected for inclusion in the Clearinghouse were of extremely high quality, most remain active and useful; what's missing are the newer additions to the Web.

Other tools employed by librarians include the WebGEMS Index
[http://www.fpsol.com/gems/webgems_toc.shtml]. The section on Environment
[http://www.fpsol.com/gems/environment.html] currently consists of 31 records, scientific as opposed to activist in nature, including text and data sources, articles, and guides. Some links connect the user to older versions of what are purported to be annual reports.

You may have a favorite university library you like to consult, and there are other universities so well known that their virtual libraries are routinely viewed for suggested resources no matter what the subject area. For collections of environmental resources, several universities you might not know about do a particularly good job of collecting environmental resources and building links:

• O'Keefe Library — Best Information on the Net EnvironmentalManagement Web page [http://library.sau.edu/bestinfo/Majors/EnvMan/envindex.htm] is divided into four major categories of resources: general, data sources, law and regulation, and organizations.

• Environmental Resources on the Internet
[http://www.southampton.liunet.edu/library/environ.htm] has 19 separate categories, each with multiple Web site links.

• Best Environmental Resources Directories [http://www.ulb.ac.be/ceese/meta/cds.html] consists of a rather lengthy set of links listed alphabetically. What is useful, however, is the new section. Resources chosen for inclusion reflect the global nature of the site.

• Environmental Sites on the Internet [http://www.lib.kth/se/~lg/envsite.htm] maintains an up-to-date collection of conferences, directories, general environmental sites, guides, Internet tools and engines, journals, and newsletters. The in-depth subject index is searchable and links to useful resources.

Unique among these entries is the New Zealand Digital Library Project's World EnvironmentLibrary
[http://www.nzdl.org/cgi-bin/library?a=p&p=about&c=envl]. Developed in December 1999 and searchable by words (to the chapter and even paragraph level), title, subject, or organization, the Library "contains 400 publications (45,000 pages) of ideas and solutions in the fields of Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environmental Impact Assessment, Energy, Health, Natural Resources, Policy, Sustainable Development, Waste Management, and Water."

Academic libraries are certainly not the only institutions open to visitors. Many museums and public libraries have created exhibitions and special Web pages highlighting environmental issues. The Internet Public LibraryAssociations on the Net's [http://www.ipl.org/ref/AON/] Science andTechnology section contains links to authoritative listings of Earth Sciences associations, as well as Environmental Sciences and Ecology. Florida's Lake County LibrarySystem is a good end-user site, with a diverse set of links to popular environmental/ecology resources designed for educational purposes [http://www.lakeline.lib.fl.us/nature.htm].

The Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Natural History [http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/] contains a section on Environmental Studies: Biodiversity, Global Climate Change, Understanding Ecosystems [http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmnh/ecology.htm], which links to all the separate Smithsonian projects, Web sites, and online exhibitions (e.g., forest biodiversity, tropical rainforests, marine ecology). For a link to science museums on the Net (particularly natural history museums for which you cannot remember the name), try MuseumSpot [http://www.museumspot.com].

Traditional publishers and database vendors specializing in environmental coverage should always be consulted, whether via the Internet or otherwise:

• LexisNexis Environment Universe
[http://www.lexisnexis.com/academic/1univ/envir/default.htm] is a subset of its academic offering. Here you can search newspapers and journals, case law and regulatory decisions regarding agriculture; air pollution; energy; toxicology; land use and pollution; water pollution; wildlife/biodiversity; population/sustainable development; global warming; and waste management.

• BNA Environment, Health and Safety Products [http://www.bna.com/products/ens/index.html] includes its famed Environment and Safety Library and 26 other databases, loose-leaf reporter services, newsletters, and guides.

• Croner CCHWebcentre [http://www.environment-centre.net/
cgi-bin/croner/jsp/CronerHomeEnvironmentCentre.do] will not only allow you to review the entire line of Croner/CCH publications in its product catalog, but also access "environmental law, management, and training for U.K. business." Registration is free and customizable to your interests. Information "zones" include air pollution; contaminated land; energy management; environmental management systems; substances in the environment; waste management; and water pollution. New legislation and fines imposed are listed on the home page for easy viewing. An active discussion forum is featured on this as well as other Croner Web Centres.

• Browse the Elsevier Science [http://www.elsevier.com/inca/tree/?key=SSAG] Environmental sciences subject category to find journals, online journals, books and book series, major reference works, dictionaries, newsletters, and electronic products offered by the publisher. If you prefer, you can limit your search to Ecology and conservation or Environmental technology, policy and management.

• If you do not have a subscription to Elsevier's Science Direct [http://www.sciencedirect.com], you can log on as a guest to view the environmental science journals available. These are categorized by subject: ecological modelling (sic), ecology, environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, global and planetary change, health and toxicology, management/monitoring/policy/law, nature/landscape conservation, pollution, waste management/disposal, and water science and technology.

• The ISI Web of Knowledge [http://www.isi.com] includes the searchable databases of Current Contents for both Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences (186 environment/ecology journals]), and Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (218 journals covering earth sciences). I find the journal scope notes from ISI particularly helpful ("The Earth Sciences category includes resources that deal with all aspects of geosciences, including geology, geochemistry, geophysics, mineralogy, meteorology and atmospheric sciences, hydrology, oceanography, petroleum geology, volcanology, seismology, climatology, paleontology, geography, remote sensing, and geodesy."). This section lists journal coverage changes, by title, in the past 12 months.

• Environment and Energy Publishing [http://www.eenews.net/] features its three major publications tracking environmental issues: GreenWire (policies, politics, and the press); Environment and Energy Daily (congressional actions, bills, appropriations, and reports); LandLetter (natural resources weekly report).

• Link to Environment, Conservation, and Ecology Journals through MedBioWorld [http://www.sciencekomm.at/journals/environ.html].

• The Electronic Green Journal [http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/index.html] "provides peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, news and information on current printed and electronic sources concerning international environmental topics."

• Environmental News Network [http://www.enn.com] serves as an education tool for the public regarding environmental issues. The site attempts to present all sides of a controversial issue in order to stimulate community response.

• Oriented to the general public, E: The Environmental Magazine [http://www.emagazine.com] presents fewer "hard science" stories, but its coverage of pollution, for instance, is often informative.

When searching for books dealing with the environment, don't limit your search to the major publisher Web sites (e.g., Van Nostrand Reinhold, John Wiley, McGraw-Hill, etc.).

• Browse the National Academy Press Web site for titles by Category =Environmental Issues [http://books.nap.edu/v3/makepage.phtml?val1=subject&val2=ev] to view not only NAP publications but others made available full text on this site.

• Kluwer Academic Publishers can also be browsed by Subject = EnvironmentalSciences
[http://www.wkap.nl/home/topics/3/].

• CRC Press
[http://www.crcpress.com/shopping_cart/
categories/categories_products.asp?parent_id=90] has a long list of titles from Lewis Publishers and St. Lucie Press, all devoted to environmental sciences. The general subject listing further breaks down to cover environmental and ecological modelling, environmental engineering, environmental chemistry and toxicology, risk assessment and management, to name but a few topics with extensive lists of titles available. In addition to its book publishing unit, CRC publishes several excellent journals concerning environmental science, including Human and Ecological Risk Assessment and Environmental Claims Journal.

• Government Institutes [http://www.govinst.com] offers training courses on environmental health and safety and publications on such topics as environmental law, pollution prevention, environmental audit protocols, RCRA hazardous waste, toxic substances, underground storage tank management, and environmental management. These directories and reference works include several Guides to the Internet (e.g., Chemical, Environment, Safety and Health), which can be of enormous assistance to those just beginning their research in the field.

• Business and Legal Reports publishes compliance training products, helping employers avoid legal problems. Don't bother subscribing to the Environmental, Health, & Safety e-mail newsletter, but do take a look at the Environmental Product Directory [http://www.blr.com/enviro/index.cfm]: aboveground storage tanks, agricultural waste, asbestos, contingency plans, drinking water, environmental management systems, groundwater, hazardous waste, medical waste, mobile sources, pesticides, pollution prevention, property transfer, risk management programs, solid waste, stormwater, training, transportation, underground storage tanks, wetlands.

To identify electronic journals, start by searching the Electronic Journal Miner
[http://ejournal.coalliance.org/searcher.cfm]. Browse by subject to discover the 116 journals online covering aspects of the environment; search by keyword to uncover 274 journals. (Don't forget to use related terms, such as "earth sciences," when searching by subject.) In a very basic and unstructured search, 71 journals included "environment" in the title, 51 of which were peer-reviewed and 27 free. Ingenta'sSubject Area Resources:Earth and Environmental Sciences [http://www.ingenta.com] segments 342 journal titles into six major categories: ecology, geography, geology, geophysics and geomagnetism, meteorology and climatology, and oceanography.

To keep track of new e-journals, use American NewJour [http://gort.ucsd.edu/newjour]. You can always review the entire list (A­Z), presently consisting of 11,578 titles, but regularly checking the "Recent Releases" may be easier to manage. (Today, there are 143 titles listed here, added between 1/27/2002 and 3/13/2002, including Environmental Monitoring andAssessment, Environmental Lawyer, Environmental Conservation, Environmental EducationResearch, Environmental and Resource Economics, Environment, Development and Sustainability. Descriptions for each title are accompanied by links to the publisher's Web site and often directly to the current issue's contents.)

Should you find an article or document you cannot view in full text, contact the CanadaInstitute for Scientific and Technical Information [http://www.nrc.ca/cisti/cisti_e.shtml]. Its comprehensive collection and strategic partnerships have created a reliable and cost-efficient document delivery service.

Enviro-Science e-Print/Pre-Print Service [http://esn.osti.gov/enviroscience.html] is a multi-agency project of the Department of Energy'sEnvironmental Management Science Program. "It uses the Environmental Information Management System to access manuscripts of journal articles and book chapters, conference papers, presentations, posters, and selected technical reports in environmental management science." E-Print partners include the Department of Defense/DTIC and the Environmental Strategic Technologies Certification Program; Department of Energy/OSTI; Environmental Protection Agency/ORD; and the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program.

For those concerned about academic excellence and declining information literacy, you might want to look at the material on the environment available from the Questia library [http://www.questia.com]. The majority of articles retrieved through a simple search appeared a bit dated, but right on target. (There are 1,632 books currently available on the subject through Questia.)