The Web's Wild World

By Morris Barrett

Major environmental organizations have well-organized, slickly produced websites that are worth a visit. Off the beaten cyberpath, however, are many colorful and sometimes quirky sites that show off the Web's greatest asset: its diversity. Here's the lowdown on some sites we liked.

WHERE TO BEGIN A good entry point for Web newcomers with an interest in all things ecological is the appropriately named Envirolink www.envirolink.org) It boasts one of the largest and best-arranged listings of environmental organizations on the Web. Another excellent launch pad is the Amazing Environmental Organization Web Directory www.webdirectory.com)

THE RATS HERE ARE GREEN Eco Mall www.ecomall.com) like its real-world counterparts, is a great place to browse, be entertained or just hang out. And you'll be linked to all sorts of useful environmental sites. For example, click on "Eco Investments" for mutual funds specializing in the stocks of companies judged to be environmentally responsible, or "Energy Efficient Homes" for a handy list of eco-conscious designers and architects.

GUILT-FREE SHOPPING Wish you knew more about what goes into the products you buy? Now you can. The Green Marketplace www.greenmarketplace.com promises that its goods, which range from household soaps to gardening supplies, weren't tested on animals and don't contain toxic chemicals. You can order online.

YOU VOTED FOR WHAT? Check out the League of Conservation Voters site, which lets you track how your U.S. Senators and Congressmen voted on antipollution laws or Endangered Species Act revisions. Don't like what you've learned about your lawmakers on Capitol Hill? The LCV has listed their e-mail addresses so you can give them a piece of your mind. Go to www.lcv.org and click on "Congressional Lookup."

WHO'S POISONING YOUR TURF? You don't want chemicals spewed into your backyard, do you? The Scorecard www.scorecard.org features interactive maps that enable you to home in on the companies you should be concerned about. Simply enter your ZIP code and go.

ONE-STOP NEWS SHOPS For news junkies, the Environmental News Network www.enn.com provides a clearinghouse for relevant bulletins from the Associated Press, Reuters and other wire services. Full access costs $12.95 a year; for those unwilling to pay, ENN writers churn out four free stories daily, plus an array of multimedia reports. Another good source for all the eco-news you can use is at www.ens.lycos.com

BEAR ESSENTIALS As Web design goes, the Bear Den www.nature-net.com/bears is a tad unsophisticated, but it's a treasure trove of facts on grizzly, brown and black bears and pandas (which, biologists tell us, aren't bears but big cousins of the raccoon). There's plenty of information about easily bearable books, videos and other websites, plus a frighteningly good picture gallery.

I WANT MY MTV Well, you can have it. The World Wildlife Fund has teamed up with MTV to provide 60-sec. videos aimed at inspiring viewers to environmental heroism. Also worth a look are the video Earth Reports, viewable with the Vivo or VDO plug-ins. Go to www.panda.org and click on "Video Library."

PEDAL OFF THE METAL Getting people out of their cars and onto bicycles is the mission of the International Bicycle Fund www.ibike.org) But first, a little reading. The site has the scoop on air-pollution dangers, safe biking practices and even cross-country bike trips in Africa and Cuba.

WHERE THE HOGS ARE Did you know that 10 million hogs poop nearly 19 million tons in North Carolina each year? It's a mounting problem wherever pigs are raised. Hog Watch www.hogwatch.org includes an up-to-the-minute poop counter, interactive maps and audio clips of citizens telling you just how bad the stench has become.

NATURAL RIGHTS AND WRONGS What is the life of a spotted owl worth? Maybe it's a matter of your personal values. Click on the Environmental Ethics website at www.cep.unt.edu for background on this wonky field and information about related books, journals and academic programs.

YOU CAN HAVE A DREAM A change of mind-set may be all that stands between humanity and a healthy environment, according to the Dream Change Coalition www.dreamchange.org) The site invites visitors to join trips (real, not virtual) into the Amazon and the Himalayas to learn about eco-concepts known as dream changing and psychonavigation. "Earth-honoring changes in consciousness," says the coalition, are what's needed to put the planet on a path toward environmental and social balance. Far out!

GET A JOB Hate your boss? Would you like to work for the environment instead? Look at Earth Works ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eworks for job listings by field. You can post your resume on the site and sign up for e-mail alerts about new positions.

--By Morris Barrett