Exploring the Web for Outstanding Sites: Part 2

This week, I further enhanced my research for outstanding, high-quality sites that would complement and provide supplementary information in my area of emphasis, the field of environmental protection and preservation. Once again, while engaging in deep explorations of the web, I made judgments based largely upon the criteria set froth in the Webby Awards and the IMSA evaluation assessment. This beneficial exercise was certainly well worth the time and effort, as I had to narrow and pick sites for the second set of ten, well-rounded linkrolls. My goal was to find and narrow down excellent sources in various governmental and non-governmental spheres. Hopefully, these provocative and informative sites will enlighten readers in significant ways.

First, the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a national non-profit organization, dedicated to bringing together scientists, law-enforcement officers, and other professionals, work to ensure the implementation of environmentally safe laws. This exceptional website boasts great content, ranging from breaking news, upcoming events, and various campaigns (an image from their website is posted to the left). The vast source of information is engaging, relevant, and multi-faceted in nature. Second, the National Geographic Society inspires to spread the seed of knowledge, and promote natural and cultural conservation. The main strength of this website is the supreme level of interactivity; it combines different modes of medium (magazine, shorts, documentaries, films) and brings it into one, highly interactive, and entertaining source. Unlike the previous source, this site is more stimulating in the entertainment sense, yet valuable nevertheless. Third, the U.S. Department of the Interior, whose mission is to protect the nation's natural heritage, and honor the Indian tribes and island communities, has an overall poor structure and navigation. The organization of the content does not honor any prioritization of information; instead, it requires more effort from readers. They can strengthen this by providing a more clear, and coherent structure. Next, the Pew Charitable Trusts, who work diligently to solve today's most challenging problems, such as global warming and pollution, is a valuable site to take note of. This almost minimalist site has good functionality, given that it anticipates the diversity of user requirements, and makes navigating both smooth and effortless. At the same time, they should better understand and take advantage of the use of graphics. Subsequently, eNature, an award-winning source for vast amount of information concerning American wild animals and plants, contains information that is updated daily. This site's main weakness is the visual design; even though it still contains high-quality, appropriate, and relevant information, the visual appeal of the site hinders the communication of information. Next, my favorite, Planet Green, run primarily by a talented, six-person panel is an essential site that helps citizens detoxify their homes, their workplaces, and ultimately, the planet. The site's main strength is the extraordinary amount of content; it functions as if it is a culmination of six blogs, yet the posts come together coherently. There is a high level of interactivity from both the panel and the readers; this makes the site highly addictive. Additionally, EnviroLink, a non-profit organization serving to unite environmentally concerned organizations and volunteers around the world, is the perfect source for bringing together vast number of sites under one search. This site introduces and familiarizes readers with organizations they might not have been aware of. The overall experience of using this site is definitely positive; I even signed up for a newsletter. From EnviroLink, I came across Action Network, a government watchdog website that encourages the participation and teamwork of environmental activists around the country. Not surprisingly, the level of interaction between the activists is extraordinary as there is an unbeatable equation of give and take. With just a click of the mouse, someone can become an activist by becoming aware of various environmental issues that interest them the most. This site allows a great medium for inclusion. On the other hand, the Sierra Club, America's oldest and largest grassroots organization has a praiseworthy site to effectively communicate its vast knowledge and influence. Structured in such a way to encourage mebership, the site has a clear and fluid visual design, and brilliant content. Some of the functions, which encourage interactivity, include a focus on local environmental concerns, and the latest news in Congress. Finally, the World Bank Organization, focusing on environmental issues, provides vital assistance to developing countries; with this power, comes the opportunity to implement environmentally friendly and cost-effective policies. The site offers a vast array of information, ranging from their various projects, members, and partners. The level of interactivity may be improved by providing forums for discussion.

The Fooding of the Grand Canyon: An Act of Betrayal

On Wednesday, March 5, federal officials from the Department of the Interior began a three-day mission of flooding the Grand Canyon by pouring millions of gallons of water in order to restore its precious ecosystem and to rebuild the beaches along the Colorado River. This man-made flood was yet another, desperate attempt to restore the canyon to its former glory days since its ecosystem was permanently and drastically altered after the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and the Hoover Dam. Although the canyon has been flooded twice before, in 1996 and 2004, scientists claim that this exercise must be conducted at least once a year, depending on the arid Arizona conditions, to observe any positive outcomes. Dirk Kempthorne from the Interior Secretary optimistically noted, "This gives you a glimpse of what nature has been doing for millions of years, cutting through and creating this magnificent canyon." Although the Department radiates the picture of perfection on the outside, this false deception should not take attention away from the real issues at hand- they are not acting in an environmentally safe and responsible fashion by not following through with the necessary repercussions after the initial flood; the implementation and execution are, for the current time, failing miserably.

Historically before the Glen Canyon was ever built in 1963 to generate vital hydroelectric energy, natural floods from the warm and muddy Colorado River enabled the existence of numerous native plant and fish species. Unfortunately, after its construction, the once warm water quickly turned into a cool and clear fluid, which perpetuated the extinction of four fish species, while two other species came to the brink of extinction, including the endangered humpback chub. In essence, this sixty-hour flood replicated the natural floods that used to nourish the ecosystem by leaving behind vital sediment. Not only does the Grand Canyon face a loss of richness of the habitat, this disheartening loss is also paralleled with "shrinking beaches" along the Colorado River. A superintendent for the Grand Canyon National Park noted, "shrinking beaches have led to the loss of half the camping sites in the canyon in the past decade. Since Glen Canyon Dam was built, 98 percent of the sediment carried by the Colorado River has been lost."

While examining the complexity of the recent event, one is most likely to contemplate whether the flooding is just too little, too late? Proponents of the flood argue that the new flood will not be fatal to the existing ecosystem and species; instead it will remarkably be beneficial, as it will revive both the ecosystem and the beaches. The followers of this argument essentially emphasize that Mother Nature is capable of withstanding drastic changes, while species alike, will also adapt to the new environment. Even though this argument may hold some ground, the negative consequences of the flood are extraordinarily overpowering. Jeff Ruch of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility declares, "This so-called experiment ignores the results of a decade worth of research obtained with more than $80 million tax dollars. This week's high-flow stunt is nothing but a green wash to mask another betrayal of the Grand Canyon by its political custodians." Following this rhetoric, it becomes obvious that the flooding will harm the surrounding ecology and resources in more detrimental ways than previously thought. According to Grand Canyon Gets Flooded, Turns Out It's Man, more so, by denying follow-up floods for months (and years at a time) will undoubtedly "leave endangered species, sandbars used by river-rafting trips, and archeological treasures at river's edge diminished almost to the point of no return."

Furthermore, opponents of the flood, including members of the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, claim that the flood is a deceiving battleground between politics and the environment, where politics is currently, but not surprisingly, on the winning side. A spokesperson for the Grand Canyon Trust stated, "the power industry is driving the Bureau of Reclamation more than anything else, as opposed to what's best for the canyon." As such, environmentalists accuse the government of perpetuating the need to maximize hydropower revenue at the cost of the well being of the canyon. Appallingly, the Interior Department has not scheduled a follow-up flood for another five years! As a result, the net benefits (if any) from the flood will inevitably be lost if the procedure is not repeated. While scientists will document habitat changes and its effects on the aquatic life, science and politics should not prosper at the cost of the other.

More so, what is even more disturbing is that officials from the Interior Department, under an agreement with NBC, chose to exclusively publicize the event on the superficial morning program, the "Today Show," at the expense of the scientists and geologists. Clearly, these sly actions cost the American people vital knowledge. The "Today Show," which often omits, dramatizes and fragments newsworthy occurrences and information, will be unable to communicate the complex nature of the flood. Jeff Ruch, the PEER Executive cleverly remarks, "While the Interior Department's craving for any favorable media coverage is understandable, they should earn it with actual good stewardship rather than from offering some splashy footage." Evidently, the motives of the Interior Department are merely a facade, which ultimately lead to an act of betrayal.

The Grand Canyon, one of the most well-known and significant landmarks of the United States offers incredible insight into the history of the planet's formation; therefore, its economic diversity (resulting in the extinction of species after one-time floods) should not be undermined even at the cost of hydroelectric power, generated from the Glen Canyon Dam. A happy medium between the production of hydropower and biodiversity may be achieved by enabling a more natural and fluid flow from the Colorado River or by enabling consistent flood follow-ups; this way, both sides, to a certain extent, prosper. The current actions of the Department of the Interior should not be tolerated any further, as they are a source of hindrance in more ways than one. It is undeniably necessary and significant to establish and maintain open and honest interactions between the political and the environmental spheres.

Exploring the Web for Outstanding Sites: Part 1

This week, I explored the web for outstanding, high-quality sites that would complement and provide supplementary information in my area of emphasis, the field of environmental protection and preservation. While engaging in deep explorations of the web, I made judgments based largely upon the criteria set forth in the Webby Awards and the IMSA evaluation assessment. While this exercise was beneficial both for myself and for my readers, it was definitely well worth the time and effort. The field of environmental protection and preservation is a fruitful topic to say the least; therefore, the obstacle of this exercise was to pick and choose an exceptional few within the masses to create well-rounded linkrolls. A balanced set of linkrolls will inevitably and provocatively engage to find excellent sources in various governmental and non-governmental spheres. Overall, this exercise enlightened and educated me in significant ways.

First off, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is certainly a valuable government funded and supported organization to acknowledge. The EPA, the nation's leader in environmental science, research, and education provides a plethora of important information about its mission, history, organization, and performance. The site provides engaging, relevant, and appropriate content for its audience in a visually captivating way. While the site may provide an over-abundant amount of information, the functionality of the site is never intimidating; instead, the site is organized in a cohesive, and timely manner. On the other hand, the site may improve its interactivity by providing more opportunity for feedback. Staying within the realm of governmental organizations, the Environmental Defense Fund seeks ways to link science, economics, and law to provide valuable and cost-effective solutions for environmental problems. This site captures one's attention by providing a large sphere for audience participation and interaction because it emphasizes feedback. The EDF even endorses some quality-driven blogs, which is refreshing to see. Additionally, the Council on Environmental Quality coordinates federal environmental efforts with other agencies of the White House to make constructive changes. The overall experience of navigating through this site was poor; for one thing, it is obviously biased. I would merely refer back to this site to observe incoming and current bills effecting environmental policy. Fourthly, the United Nations Environment Programme is an exceptional project, designed to implement environmentally sound policies in developing countries. This site has up-to-date information about their various, current endeavors and future ones. The UNEP site is visually appealing, and structurally navigable as it provides resources for journalists, scientists, businessmen, children, and citizens of the world. Next, the National Public Radio site, emphasizing in environmental issues, provides an extraordinary amount of information that is tangible through various services: radio, podcasts, news feeds, newsletters, mobile downloads. This technologically advanced site breaks boundaries and offers the best medium for audience interactivity. Perhaps my favorite site, TreeHugger, is a brilliant pro-green blog that incorporates science, economics, and public policy together. This highly addictive site is packed with engaging material, written in a somewhat tongue-in-cheek, yet intellectual manner. Although the visual design of the page is sometimes overwhelming, the functionality is not undermined. Furthermore, the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New-York based, non-partisan environmental advocacy group, operates various programs, such as the Air/Energy Program and the Urban Program. Its straightforward visual design gradually uncovers a vast array of international and domestic information. Next, Greenpeace is a highly interactive and noteworthy site that encourages reader participation by featuring a 'Hot Topic' area that hyperlinks one vital blog that is updated daily. This site not only provides relevant information about their main issues of concern, it also stresses the importance of cooperation and the role of the people. Additionally, The Green Guide enables one to learn about ways to preserve energy and to live in an environmentally sound manner while navigating quickly and effortlessly. This optimistic site is user-friendly and content-driven. Finally, Alternative Energy is a compelling and highly specialized blog that utilizes popular media to raise awareness about renewable energy. With new entries updated almost daily, the overall experience of visiting this site is rewarding indeed.