Environmental Sciences

Data and Mapping Resources

EPA Envirofacts (http://www.epa.gov/enviro/index.html)
This database contains information about facilities required to report activity to the government. Retrieve information about hazardous waste (including the Biennial Report), toxic and air releases, Superfund sites, and water discharge permits.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculator (http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html)
A calculator provided by the EPA which allows users to estimate personal or family greenhouse gas emissions.
National Biological Information Infrastructure: Gap Analysis Program (http://gapanalysis.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=1482&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true)
Provides information about species distributions to assist land managers in making conservation decisions.
Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/teacher/ozone_overhead.html)
Provided by NASA, this site allows users to find the total column ozone amount using data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) on the Aura spacecraft.
TOXMAP: Environmental Health e-Maps (http://toxmap.nlm.nih.gov/toxmap/main/index.jsp)
A geographic information system from the National Library of Medicine that uses maps of the U.S. to help users visually explore data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and Superfund Program.
USGS Maps and Images (http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/)
Locate maps and environmental images from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Water Resources of the U.S. (USGS) (http://water.usgs.gov/)
This site provides access to water data, publications, and maps, as well as to recent water projects and events.

Ecology

Books on Ecology in the CU Collections ()
Books on Ecology in the CU collections.
Dictionary of Ecology (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
An online dictionary from Oxford Reference Online with 5,000 entries on ecology topics.
Ecology Journals - CU's Online Collection (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Browsable list of full-text journals available on the topic of ecology.

Environmental Health and Quality

Air Quality - AIRNow (http://www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.main)
This site offers daily AQI forecasts as well as real-time AQI conditions for over 300 cities across the U.S. and provides links to more detailed State and local air quality Web sites. Data provided by multiple government agencies.
Chemical Substance Inventory (EPA) (http://www.epa.gov/oppt/newchems/pubs/invntory.htm)
Search for chemical substances manufactured or processed in the United States.
Council on Environmental Quality (http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/)
The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) coordinates Federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives.
Ground Water and Drinking Water (EPA) (http://water.epa.gov/drink/index.cfm)
This site, maintained by the U.S. EPA, provides information on drinking water protections, standards and risk management, water security, and data and information management.
Indoor Air Quality (EPA) (http://www.epa.gov/iaq/index.html)
Provides information about indoor air pollutants including radon and mold and information about common health effects.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/)
A government organization that provides information about how the environment influences the development and progression of human disease.
Pesticides (EPA) (http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/index.htm)
Information about the regulation and health and environmental effects of pesticides.
Superfund Sites (EPA) (http://www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm)
Learn about the nation's hazardous waste sites. Find information about Superfund sites across the U.S., the health effects of common contaminants, cleanup efforts, and community involvement.

Environmental Organizations

Earthwatch Institute ( http://www.earthwatch.org/)
An organization devoted to engaging people worldwide in scientific field research and education in order to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.
EcoEarth.Info (http://www.ecoearth.info/)
An environment portal and search engine which provides links to news about the environment and directories of environmental organizations worldwide.
Freshwater Trust (http://www.thefreshwatertrust.org/)
A non-profit organization that works to preserve and restore freshwater ecosystems in Oregon.
Friends of the Earth (http://foe.org/)
An organization that focuses on promoting clean energy and solutions to climate change, keeping toxic and risky technologies out of food and products, and protecting marine ecosystems and the people who live and work near them.
Greenpeace (http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/)
An international organization that uses non-violent confrontation to raise consciousness of and foster public debate about environmental issues.
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/)
Affiliated with Columbia University, LDEO is a research institution comprised of more than 200 research scientists seeking fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world.
National Wildlife Federation (http://www.nwf.org/)
A non-profit that works in communities across the country to protect and restore wildlife habitat, confront global warming and connect with nature.
Natural Resources Defense Council (http://www.nrdc.org/)
The Natural Resources Defense Council's mission is to safeguard the Earth: its people, its plants and animals and the natural systems on which all life depends.
Sierra Club ( http://sierraclub.org/)
Since 1892, the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities, wild places, and the planet.
United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (http://www.unep-wcmc.org/)
A collaboration between the United Nations Environment Programme and WCMC 2000, a UK-based charity. Their mission is to evaluate and highlight the many values of biodiversity and put authoritative biodiversity knowledge at the centre of decision-making.
Wilderness Society (http://wilderness.org/)
The Wilderness Society's mission is to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for wild places.

General Environmental Sciences Resources

Books on the Environment in the CU Collections ()
Books on environmental issues in the CU collections.
Dictionary of Environmental Science and Technology (Credo) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet. )
Includes in-depth entries on scientific and technical terminology, illustrations, and international case studies associated with environmental protection and resource management.
Earth and Environmental Sciences (Oxford Online Reference) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Dictionaries and other reference tools on ecology, conservation, geography, global changes, and weather.
Encyclopedia of Ecology and Environmental Management, Blackwell Science (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet. )
A guide to the core definitions and issues associated with pure and applied ecology.
McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (Credo) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Includes coverage of all areas of science and technology, including biomedical science, chemistry, cosmology, information science, environmental science, nanotechnology, and theoretical physics.
Science Information Tutorial (http://www.lib.uci.edu/how/tutorials/science_info_tutorial/)
An interactive tutorial created by the University of California at Irvine that explains how information in the sciences is created and shared. Click the "View as a Guest" button to access.
Science.gov (http://www.science.gov/)
Gateway to authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. government agencies, including research and development results.
Scirus Search Engine (http://www.scirus.com/srsapp/)
A search engine that is science-specific. Includes more than 370 million scientific items - journal articles, scientist's web pages, and patents.

Government Agencies and Resources

Bureau of Land Management (http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html)
Department of Energy - The Environment (http://www.energy.gov/environment/index.htm)
Energy Information Administration - Environment (http://www.eia.doe.gov/environment.html)
Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/ )
Fish & Wildlife Service (http://www.fws.gov/)
Forest Service (http://www.fs.fed.us/)
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (http://www.epw.senate.gov/)
USAID - Environment (http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/environment/)

Journals & Journal Articles

Academic OneFile (Gale) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Peer-reviewed, full-text articles from leading journals and reference sources. Extensive coverage of the sciences, technology, and medicine.
Academic Search Complete (EbscoHost) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Full-text database that covers many academic disciplines.
Biology and Science Journals (ProQuest) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Search full text and images for the leading periodicals in the sciences.
Environmental Journals - CU's Collection (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet. )
Browsable list of full-text journals available on the topic of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Environmental Studies and Policy Collection (Gale) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
Journal articles, news, and reports on environmentally-related inquiries with coverage of more than 700 journals and reference content. Includes diverse perspectives from the scientific community, governmental policy makers, and corporate interests.
GreenFILE (EbscoHost) (For CU faculty, staff, and students only. Must log in through CU Intranet.)
A collection of scholarly, government and general-interest articles on the environmental effects of individuals, corporations and local/national governments, and what can be done at each level to minimize these effects.
How to Read a Scientific Paper (http://www.lib.purdue.edu/phys/inst/scipaper.html)
This quick tutorial from Purdue University gives strategies for reading a paper in the sciences so you won't feel frustrated or overwhelmed with information.

Related Subjects

Biology (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=17)
Chemistry (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=18)
Geography (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=36)
Geology (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=27)
Health and Physical Education (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=30)
Law (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=32)
Physics, Astronomy and Math (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=26)
Political Science (http://www.cu-portland.edu/library/subject_guides/topic_guide.cfm?TopicID=24)

Soil Conservation

National Association of Conservation Districts (http://www.nacdnet.org/)
An organization that responds to and tries to influence conservation policies and environmental and natural resources legislation.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/)
Part of the USDA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service is charged with ensuring private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges.
Oregon Department of Agriculture Soil and Water Conservation Districts (http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/SWCD/index.shtml)
Provides support, technical assistance, and administrative oversight to Oregon’s SWCDs. Its major responsibilities are to administer various SWCD programs, keep district directors informed of activities of other districts, and provide employee training.
Soil and Water Conservation Society (http://www.swcs.org/)
A nonprofit scientific and educational organization, founded in 1943, that serves as an advocate for conservation professionals and for science-based conservation practice, programs, and policy.

Sustainability Resources

Environmental Protection Agency - Sustainability Programs (http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/)
The Sustainability Program of EPA's Office of Research and Development maintains this Web site to provide access to EPA and related programs and the latest research and activities related to urban settings, water, energy, and materials management.
International Institute for Sustainable Development (http://www.iisd.org/)
A Canadian-based, non-partisan, charitable organization specializing in policy research, analysis and information exchange regarding sustainable development.
NOAA Fisheries Office of Sustainable Fisheries (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/sfweb/)
This site provides information on government management of fish stocks important to commercial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries. Provides reports on the status of U.S. fisheries, bycatch reduction, and Atlantic migratory species.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality - Sustainability (http://www.deq.state.or.us/programs/sustainability/)
Provides information on the Oregon DEQ's sustainability programs and links to other state and federal resources.
Portland Metro Sustainable Living (http://www.metro-region.org/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24199)
Metro regional government provides information to citizens on how to live more sustainably. Includes information on transportation, gardening, green cleaning, composting, waste prevention, and more.
Sustainability in Agriculture (http://afsic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=2&tax_level=1&tax_subject=292)
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library on standards, research, people, organizations, and events related to sustainable agriculture.

Water, Ocean, and Fisheries Management

America's Wetlands (EPA) (http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/toc.cfm)
An educational site provided by the Environmental Protection Agency which describes wetlands' roles in the environment and conservation issues. Links to other resources about water are provided.
Coastal Program (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) (http://www.fws.gov/coastal/)
This site highlights federal projects focused on coastal restoration. Find links to policy and other water related programs run by the Fish & Wildlife Service on this page.
Directory of Oceans and Oceanography Sites (http://www.science.gov/browse/w_119E.htm)
A list of government sites related to the oceans and oceanography.
National Wetlands Inventory (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service) (http://www.fws.gov/wetlands/)
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provides information to the public on the extent and status of the Nation's wetlands. Find topical maps and other geospatial mapping tools that show wetlands and deepwater habitats.
NOAA Fisheries Service (http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/)
NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and promotion of healthy ecosystems. Provides information on habitat conservation, protecting marine species, & policy.
Oregon Water Resources Department (http://www.wrd.state.or.us/OWRD/index.shtml)
Provides information on water conservation, drought, water rights, streamflow data, dams, and mapping resources.
Water Resources of the U.S. (USGS) (http://water.usgs.gov/)
This site, provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, provides access to water data, publications, and maps, as well as to recent water projects and events.
Watersheds (EPA) (http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/index.cfm)
The Environmental Protection Agency provides information about water quality, watershed management and restoration.