You can search for official statistics related to the environment around the world using New Zealand's OFFSTATS database [http://www2.auckland.ac.nz/lbr//stats/offstats/OFFSTATSmain.htm]. A more limited set of resources can be searched for similar statistical data on the International Business Resources on the Web Resource Desk [http://globaledge.msu.edu/ibrd/busresmain.asp?ResourceCategoryID=10]. Search the Eurostat database for items related to environmental issues [http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat]. (Simply click on Environment and Energy to view current publications, print and electronic. The EU Environment Statistics Pocketbook is an essential.)
Individual country governments sometimes provide access to government statistical resources:
Environmental Laws and Regulations
One can go to government Web sites to locate environmental legislation. Search the U.K. Parliament Pages [http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/cgi-bin/empower?DB=UKParl] for the appropriate document by keyword, date, and document type (including bills). Legislative actions of the U.S. Congress [http://thomas.loc.gov] and regulations (U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLaws and Regulations) are available online through the EPA's Web site [http://www.epa.gov/epahome/rules.html], 40 CFR — Compendium of U.S. EnvironmentalRegulations [http://www.epa.gov/epacfr40/about.htm], and U.S. Federal Register [http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr]. However, legal issues related to the environment are covered in a variety of types of resources and sites. Use a search engine or directory or turn to several legal portals that can assist.
As with any search, understanding the scope, including the geographic region covered by a resource's content, is critical. Sources such as Kluwer'sInternationalEncyclopedia of Laws: Environmental Law [http://www.wkap.nl/prod/l/90-6544-945-0] can provide an international perspective, but the number of countries covered in this loose-leaf service is limited. Updated only 4-6 times per year, with entire country sections replaced by a revision, there is no way to know about minor changes in environmental laws. (Better use of the Internet to provide updates for the entire series should be considered.)
You can search for European environmental treaties, legislation in force and preparation, case law, Parliamentary questions, and "documents for public interest" on EUR-Lex, the portal to European Union law [http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/]. For a more direct, but unofficial route to the region's environmental law, consult the European Environmental Law Homepage [http://www.eel.nl). The site provides a regional perspective regarding treaties, legislation, case law, documents, and dossiers. Registered users can subscribe to a free e-mail EEL News Service.
Treaties relating to the environment can be retrieved from many Web sites dealing with international law.
The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation [http://www.cec.org/home/index.cfm?varlan=english] was established to address regional environmental concerns, complementing the environmental provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Programs and projects center around four major initiatives: Environment, Economy, and Trade; Conservation of Biodiversity; Pollutants and Health; Law and Policy. You can download publications and search four databases — Electricity and Environment; Sustainable Tourism; Transboundary.
Agreements; and Summary of Environmental Law in North America. Links to related documents and sites are extensive and not restricted to the region.
Topic-specific World Wide Web sites often also publish copies of laws that affect their product/service/industry. For example, Pesticide.net [http://www.pestlaw.com] features full-text documents from the Federal Register, regulations, EPA Pesticide Registration Notices, and an EPA Label Review Manual.
Law schools around the world have developed sophisticated Web sites devoted to researching specific law topics. Their coverage and scope differ, as the following list highlights.
Many law schools publish quarterly law reviews on specific topics such as environmental law (e.g., Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum or Berkeley's Ecology Law Quarterly). For a convenient selection by subject, try Legal Journals on the Web [http://www.usc.edu/dept/law-lib/legal/journals.html#subject]. For another way to search legal journals for articles or experts, log on to the Social Science Research Network's [http://www.ssrn.com/update/lsn/index.html] Legal Research Network [http://papers.ssrn.com].
Some of the tools discussed elsewhere in this article (e.g., SOSIG) can identify environmental law resources available on the Net, but two services focus on legal resources. The Law Library Resource Xchange provides "legal and library professionals with the most up-to-date information on a wide range of Internet research and technology-related issues, applications, resources, and tools." On the subject of environmental law, try a quick check of Zimmerman's Research Guide [http://www.llrx.com/guide]. The current edition of the LLRX Environmental Law Guide can be reached directly at http://www.llrx.com/guide-gen/2/352.html.