Earth Day Network [.pdf]
http://www.earthday.net/
Every spring, get ready for Earth Day with a visit to the official Web site of the Earth Day Network Web site, "an alliance of 5,000 groups in 184 countries working to promote a healthy environment and a peaceful, just, sustainable world." The Web site contains a wealth of information and resources designed to increase public awareness of important environmental issues and provide opportunities for individuals and communities to get involved. Visitors may read about current Earth Day Network campaigns and programs, as well as review environmental issues and threats with a collection of fact sheets and other resources. In all, this comprehensive and well-organized site is definitely worth a visit for anyone who would like to learn more about environmental problems and environmental activism. [RS]
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Microbes.info: The Microbiology Information Portal
http://www.microbes.info/
Microbiologist Al Chan has scoured cyberspace for reliable microbiology resources, and has come up with this extensive and frequently updated library of Web links -- a welcome alternative to tedious Internet searches. Visitors will find links to related news and feature articles, FAQs geared toward the non-microbiologist, and other resources organized by topic. A selection of interesting Web links are featured on the main page, which should keep the casual visitor entertained. Those seeking specific information may use Site Search to quickly find links of interest (a Google search is also possible from this Web site). [RS]
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Two On Water Resources
Nature: Global Water Crisis
http://www.nature.com/nature/focus/water/
International Year of Freshwater 2003 [.pdf]
http://www.wateryear2003.org/ev.php?URL_ID=1456&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201
As mentioned in the first Web site -- a free Web Focus from the journal Nature -- over one billion people in the world already lack access to clean water, a crisis that will only intensify as the global population swells and freshwater resource continue to dwindle. Nature offers an analysis of the situation with news stories, features and editorials, interactive graphics, and an archived article from the journal. The second Web site, from the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), provides readers with a mountain of information and resources on the topic, focused primarily on what individuals can do to help in both everyday life (water conservation tips) and community activism. This site is also available in French and Spanish. [RS]
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PBS: The Secret World of Sharks and Rays [RealPlayer]
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/sharks/index.html
The PBS television series Nature recently explored the "mystery shrouding fascinating -- and often fearsome -- creatures" in "The Secret World of Sharks and Rays." This companion Web site offers a number of online features, including feature articles on recreational shark diving, shark and ray diversity, and more. The site also provides a video preview of the program, featuring a segment on the characteristics of sharks and rays that set them apart from other fish. Interesting and informative (but not overly detailed), this Web site is worth a look for any audience. [RS]
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Centers for Disease Control: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars/
Visitors to this Web site from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will find a current and reliable source of information about Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The FAQs section offers a general overview of the disease and recent outbreak -- a good starting point for finding the facts behind the headline news. The site also offers recent CDC guidelines and recommendations geared toward medical professionals, travel advisories and related concerns, and links to World Health Organization and other international resources (WHO is coordinating the international investigation of the SARS outbreak). [RS]
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The Whyfiles Spring Break Edition: Bad News on Skin Cancer
http://whyfiles.org/173skin_cancer/index.html
You are unlikely to meet anyone these days who has never heard that UV radiation from the sun can cause skin cancer, but scientific inquiry into this unfortunate fact is far from over. This Whyfiles feature offers an in-depth explanation of the sun-skin cancer connection, beginning with a highly readable, explanatory introduction to UV radiation, forms of skin cancer, and the ozone layer. This background information sets the groundwork for the next section, an intriguing look at epidemiological skin cancer studies with results that are both frightening and counterintuitive -- that is, before the Whyfiles writers seamlessly step in and turn the story into a (surprisingly painless) explanation of meta-analysis, confounding variables, and experimental bias. Even dedicated math-haters should like it. [RS]
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Environmental Protection Agency: Radon [.pdf]
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/index.html
The Indoor Air Quality division of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presents this Web page dedicated to information about radon, the colorless and odorless radioactive known to cause lung cancer. In addition to general resources on radon (including a guide to reducing radon levels in the home), visitors will find information on how to obtain a free educational video (Breathing Easy: What Home Buyers and Sellers Should Know About Radon) recently released by the EPA. Geared primarily toward homebuyers and sellers (as well as real estate professionals), this video thoroughly reviews radon science, lung cancer risk, home inspection, how to build a new home radon-resistant, and more. [RS]
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Ecological Emergency!: Centuries of Overfishing Push Ecosystems to the Brink [QuickTime]
http://www.sio.ucsd.edu/explorations/biodiversity/index.html
This Web site from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography presents an in-depth feature story about the havoc wreaked on marine ecosystems by overfishing. The article centers on the work of Scripps scientists Jeremy Jackson, whose research has appeared on the cover of the journal Science and includes an interesting section on the various sources of Jackson's data (paleoecological records from marine sediments, archaeological records from human coastal settlement, etc). Another section featuring the Center for Marine Biodiversity Conservation contains, in addition to a related article, two QuickTime movies: What is Marine Biodiversity? and How do you Study Marine Biodiversity? The articles in this Web site are a bit lengthy for casual browsing, but anyone interested in marine environmental issues should find the site engaging. [RS]
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