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ENVIRONMENT
CLEAN
LA
This website has information about Los Angeles County's environmental programs,
which are an excellent example of how a city can protect its environment and
educate citizens. But more than that, the site has a wealth of environmental
information useful to individuals, businesses, and other organizations. The
name is based on the County's 24-hour toll-free Environmental Hotline, 1-888-CLEAN
LA, which helps people with all kinds of environmental questions in English
and Spanish. Here you can see what LA County is doing to minimize the pollution
of local waterways, reduce waste going to landfills, and help keep neighborhoods
clean and healthy. There is a section designed to help business owners and
managers with their recycling, surplus, and hazardous waste. Residents can
learn how to minimize household hazardous waste, and there is an excellent
section on smart gardening, yard waste management, and composting. School
activities outlined here can help youth learn environmental responsibility.
There is even a program to reduce the amount of junk mail! http://www.888cleanla.com
Earthsmart Cars
What is an "earthsmart car"? You can find out at this Natural Resources Defense
Council site. Hybrid-car technology combines an electric motor and gasoline
power, producing far fewer pollutants than conventional combustion engines.
These energy-efficient cars recharge as you drive, get double gas mileage,
and can be refueled at any gas station. Here you can find out about various
cleaner technologies for vehicles of the future, and what you can do to help
bring these cars to market. For further research, there are WWW links on alternative
transportation technologies, alternative fuels, and related subjects. http://www.nrdc.org/earthsmartcars/
Zen's Western
North Carolina Nature Notebook
This beautifully designed site is like a refreshing hike in the tranquility
of the North Carolina mountains. Nature-lover, writer, and photographer Zen
Sutherland shares his thoughts and experiences and many tips for hikers. There
are many pages describing different hikes, trails, waterfalls, and scenic drives,
even telling which season they are most pleasant to visit. Photos and descriptions
help identify local plants and animals. Zen's notes are folksy and informative.
This is an enjoyable site even for someone who may never visit North Carolina. http://www.main.nc.us/naturenotebook
Findhorn Foundation
This community on the Moray Firth in Scotland is working on technology to move
the planet towards a viable, sustainable human and planetary future. Findhorn's
eco-village concept provides a model for sustainability that can be applied
to urban and rural settings, in developing and developed countries, and that
can fulfill both human and environmental needs. Here users can find information
and educational programs on solar energy, wind power, renewable energy, responsible
sewage treatment, ecological building, and more. http://www.findhorn.org/index.html
WWF Celebrates Year of the Ocean '98
This beautifully designed and illustrated website from World Wildlife Fund makes
the point about preserving our oceans and the wildlife in them - with clear
and compelling explanations of the current threats to marine species, and ultimately,
to our whole ecosystem. A special section called Sharks in Trouble presents
information on sharks and explains why they are now among the most vulnerable
creatures on Earth. In other sections, visitors can learn about whales, sea
turtles, the shrimp trade, and the effects that toxics are having on creatures
of the sea. Find out here what you can do personally to help save our oceans.
For example, users can send conservation messages directly from the website
to President Clinton and other worldwide decision makers.
The Chemical Scorecard
Millions of pounds of chemicals are released into our air and water each year.
Some are recognized as harmful to human health, others are suspect, and a great
many we don't know much about. The Environmental Defense Fund, an independent
nonprofit organization and sponsor of this website, believes one of the best
ways to protect the environment is to give people the information they need
to avoid chemical hazards. Here you can enter your zip code and get a list of
pollutants in your area. (Thus far, Scorecard covers only the United States,
American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.) Local street maps
show where factories and other sources of pollution are located. For each pollutant,
the site lists possible health and environmental hazards and the amount released
per year in your community. Here you can find out how your state or county ranks
against others in levels of toxic pollutants, and how the government is regulating
various kinds of pollution. Another way to use this site is to select a health
problem that concerns you (cancer, birth defects, respiratory disease, etc.)
and do a search to find out what chemicals are recognized or suspected causes.
This website also provides information on environmental groups in your area,
and how to prevent pollution.
http://www.scorecard.org
EnviroLink
EnviroLink is a comprehensive, searchable database for environmentalist resources,
the project of "a grassroots online community that unites hundreds of organizations
and volunteers around the world with millions of people in over 130 countries." This site is beautifully designed in earth tones, using painted rocks as icons
for the various sections. Here you can read news about the latest technological
breakthroughs that will help the environment, find links to environmentally
conscious businesses, and participate in chats and forums about environmental
questions. Get links to government agencies here, and information about laws
and political initiatives concerned with the environment. Enjoy some art that
expresses appreciation for the Earth, or browse through a big list of environmental
publications and educational material. Look up the events calendar of environmental
happenings around the world, and get some ideas on what you can do as an individual
to help preserve the environment. A special resource available here is the World
Species List, a comprehensive list of all species on the planet.
http://www.envirolink.org/envirohome.html
International Wildlife Education and Conservation
IWEC strives to help preserve the future of thousands of endangered animals
worldwide, by public education and conservation of habitats. Some of IWEC's
activities, presented on this web page, are environmental enrichment for captive
wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, animal-assisted-therapy, and shark conservation.
Teachers will find wildlife education and conservation activities for students
here, plus a FAQ on wildlife and a gallery of color wildlife photos and sounds.
Wildlife kits, activities, and interactive educational games can be ordered
here. Those interested in supporting conservation can browse the database of
internships, volunteer positions and jobs. If you're planning a vacation, find
out about EcoTravel expeditions, where you can see wildlife and support conservation
while having fun. IWEC encourages people to become members and get involved
in its projects.
http://www.iwec.org
Energy Quest: Energy Education from the California Energy Commission
This beautifully presented educational site explains all types of energy resources.
With good content and colorful pictures, it is a wonderful resource for K-12
students, and has much of interest to adults. There are sections covering energy
topics from Ben Franklin's discoveries to the latest developments in energy
technology, rated by level of difficulty. New readers can explore such topics
as "Fossil Fuels," "Nuclear Energy," "Solar Energy," and "Saving Energy," while
high-schoolers can learn about "The Sun's Joules," "Energy Safety," or "Alternative
Fuel and Electric Vehicles." There are energy science projects for all levels
of skill, puzzles and games for various age levels, and biographies of energy
pioneers. Students can learn how to set up an Energy Patrol to help their schools
save energy and money, or send their questions to "Ask US," an advice column
on energy saving. And everyone will have fun with "WATT's That?!" -- the Internet
energy game show.
http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/eduhome.html
GAIA Alert
"On the eve of the millennium, there is more interest than ever in issues that
concern human survival on planet Earth. What will global warming bring? Could
we collide with an asteroid? Will there be another record-breaking season of
hurricanes? How can we prepare for an earthquake ominously named 'The Big One?'
Can we survive emerging diseases like Ebola? Will changing weather patterns
create worldwide famines?" GAIA Alert provides links and articles which address
these critical questions. The website is divided into eight areas: Geology (earthquakes,
volcanoes, seismic prediction); Weather (hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, El Ni^o);
Environment (global warming, ozone, emerging diseases, vanishing species); Oceans
(habitat destruction, overfishing, tsunamis, rising sea levels); Celestial (comets,
asteroids, new planets, cosmic rays, solar wind); Prophetic Voices (predictions
from the Hopi, the Bible, Edgar Cayce, and others); Preparation Checklist (to
prepare for, survive, and recover from disasters); and How to Help the Earth
(care for the planet, turn commitments into action). There are many useful Internet
and traditional media resources listed here.
http://www.m-m.org/jz/gaia.html
John Muir Exhibit
"The forests of America, however slighted by man, must have been a great delight
to God; for they were the best he ever planted. The whole continent was a garden,
and from the beginning it seemed to be favored above all the other wild parks
and gardens of the globe." - The American Forests, John Muir. The John Muir
Exhibit web page features the life and legacy of John Muir, naturalist, farmer,
explorer, inventor, writer, and conservationist, named the Father of Our National
Park System, and voted Greatest of All Californians by the California Historical
Society. The page features selections from the writings of John Muir, pictures,
biographical information, educational resources, news and upcoming events, and
the history of his tireless efforts to preserve the wilderness areas of California.
http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/
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