The VirtualChase features Internet Research Guides and Teaching Tools. The site, sponsored by Ballard Spahr Andrews and Ingersoll, LLP, was developed by Genie Tyburski in 1996 and continues to be a major resource for the legal community and law librarians in particular. TVCLegal Research Guide: Environmental Law [http://www.virtualchase.com/resources/environment.shtml] features annotated resources and links to databases available from the EPA. (Sign up for an e-alert for notification of Environmental Law page changes.) Links to other useful databases and federal agencies round out the offering. If you toggle down, you will see an annotated list of "Top Resources in Environmental Law."

Law school libraries can prove of enormous assistance in terms of guiding visitors to appropriate legal resources concerning the environment.

• Browse the WWW Virtual Law Library [http://www.law.indiana.edu/v-lib/] by Topic= Environmental Law to view an extensive set of links listed A-Z; search for Environmental Law links at http://www.law.indiana.edu/v-lib/vlib.asp.
   
• Search the catalog of the Arthur W. Diamond Law Library, Columbia Law School [http://pegasus.law.columbia.edu/].
   
• Guide to Foreign and International Legal Databases — Environmental Law [http://www.law.nyu.edu/library/foreign_intl/intenvironment.html]
   
• E. B. Williams Law Library — Environmental Law [http://www.ll.georgetown.edu/lr/rs/envlaw.html]
   
• The Pace Virtual Environmental Law Library [http://www.pace.edu] covers international law, comparative laws, and U.S. environmental laws. Four "special projects" currently cover Brazilian, Albanian, Nigerian, and Russian environmental laws. The Pace Environmental Law Review (1996-2001) is available online.
   
• Special Legal Topics — Lawlinks: Environmental Law [http://library.ukc.ac.uk/library/lawlinks/special.htm#env]
   
• LawLinks from the Library at the University of Kent, Canterbury can be retrieved by special legal topic, in this case, environmental law [http://library.ukc.ac.uk/library/lawlinks/special.htm#env].

See Table 1, "Selected Environmental Law Resources on the World Wide Web," on page 61 for more sites.

Don't ignore individual law firms with large environmental law practices. To locate a specialist, search the Martindale-Hubble Web site by Practice to locate law firms specializing in Environmental Law [http://lawyers.martindale.com/xp/Martindale/Lawyer_Locator/Search_Lawyer_Locator/loc_search.xml].

• Morgan, Lewis and Bockius Environmental Law Information Resources [http://envinfo.com] features an environmental law newsletter; environmental deskbooks; and information about the Clean Air Act, Superfund, and RCRA.
   
• There used to be an Environmental Law Newsletter available from the Milbank, Tweed library [http://www.milbank.com/library/envnews.html]. Like many of its resources, the newsletter has not yet made the transition to the new Knowledge Center. To identify resources available here, you must search the database [http://www.milbank.com/knowledgecenter.html].
   
• Arent Fox'sPractice Area = Environmental [http://www.arentfox.com/quickGuide/businessLines/environ/environ.html] includes occasional articles on environmental issues.
   
• Barlow, Lyde and Gilbert [http://www.blg.co.uk/publications/inhouse/default.asp] publishes a quarterly, Pollution and Environmental RiskDigest designed to "help clients keep abreast of changing legislation and new areas of potential liability. The Digest covers both U.K. and overseas news and provides a concise guide to developments in this complex and rapidly expanding field of legal liability." The current issue, plus archives, are accessible online.

Organizations Concerned with the Environment

As a source of information and expert assistance, we need to distinguish between organizations that issue policy papers dealing with many social issues, including the environment, versus those that might be considered "activist" on behalf of environmental concerns. For instance, the Cato Institute issues policy papers on many subjects, many made available in full text on its Web site. The institute has an entire research area devoted to Natural Resources andEnvironmental Studies [http://www.cato.org/research/natur-st.html], with papers organized by topic (e.g., Risk Analysis and Management, Global Warming and Ozone Depletion, Public Lands Management, Hazardous and Toxic Waste, Air and Water Pollution, etc.).

Finding associations devoted to environmental concerns can begin with Gale's Encyclopedia ofAssociations, of course, but several sites on the Web can also help. You can search the American Society of Association Executive'sGateway toAssociations Online [http://info.asaenet.org/gateway/onlineassocslist.html], which links to 72 associations under the subject category "environment." The TechExpo Directory of Hi-Tech Organizations in the Engineering and Medical/Life Sciences [http://www.techexpo.com/tech_soc.html] may appear an odd choice, but its list of technical, engineering, and science societies and organizations includes some excellent environmental associations. Listings are by name of society (A-Z), making life more difficult than need be; organization by subject would be an improvement.

Some associations may have specific interest groups established to deal with environmental issues. The American Bar Association [http://www.abanet.org] has several sections publishing works and holding conferences concerned with environmental law and litigation (e.g., Environment, Energy, and Resources; Real Property, Probate and Trust Law; Tort and Insurance Practice). Don't limit yourself to searching for books published by the ABA. The Association's Continuing Legal Education (CLE) materials, available in book and tape format, include several resources covering environmental law.

Library associations with special groups devoted to environmental information can be an excellent resource and referral. With the demise of the Federation for Information andDocumentation (FID), we can no longer rely on its international network of documentalists belonging to the Environmental Information Special Interest Group. Perhaps another organization, such as IFLA or ASLIB, will fill the void created by the disbanding of this active FID SIG.

The American Library Association'sTask Force on the Environment [http://www.ala.org/alaorg/rtables/srrt/tfoe/], as well as its Social Responsibilities Roundtable with its "Green Notes" publication [http://www.ala.org/alaorg/rtables/srrt/greenotes/greenotes.html], can help. Not to be outdone, the Special Libraries Association (SLA) has an active Environmental Resources Management Division (ERMD), with a Web site [http://www.sla.org/division/derm/index.html]. ERMD maintains a discussion group open to non-members [listserv@tifton.cpes.peachnet.edu].

See Table 2," Green Organizations: Associations Focused on Environmental Protection and Conservation," above for more sites to check out.

Web sites that market environmentally friendly products should probably be included in this group of organizations. EcoMall [http://www.ecomall.com] links to Earth-friendly apparel and home furnishings manufacturers and retailers, food producers and markets, and travel and restaurant advice. The site has a searchable GreenMagazine and maintains a range of resources for children as well as adults. The Real Goods catalog [http://www.realgoods.com/] features "products for an ecologically sustainable future." If you don't find what you need on either of these sites, try one of the Web sites listed in Google's directory ("Category: Shopping > Niche > Green Living") for additional sites.

Environmentally friendly products, services, and standards will be covered in greater detail in the next installment of this article. For a sneak-peak at these types of Web sites, check out Green Home Building [http://www.greenhomebuilding.com].

Eco-tourism is another relatively new industry, but growing at an extraordinary rate. Many museums and environmental organizations sponsor such tours. For an interesting list of tours arranged by subject (e.g., birds, fish, habitats, etc.), take a look at the trips listed on Wildthings.com [http://www.wildthings.com/environmental/environmental.html], "resources for adventure travel, environmental, and extreme sports." Some of the major travel portals and even the search directories (e.g., Yahoo!) can assist you.

If you didn't see your favorite environmental Web site mentioned here, stay tuned. Much more to follow.

Barbie E. Keiser is an information resources management consultant located in metro Washington, DC [barbieelene@att.net].