January 1, 2001 / Volume 35 , Issue 1 / p. 40 A Copyright © 2001 American Chemical Society
Online & In Print Books A Practical Guide to Particle Counting for Drinking Water Treatment, M. Broadwell (Lewis Publishers, 2001, 212 pp., $59.95) The author presents a broad overview of particle-counting technology based on extensive visits to treatment plants and includes equipment specifications and guides for using this technology to the greatest benefit. Chemistry of Environmental Tobacco Smoke: Composition and Measurement, 2nd Edition, R. A. Jenkins; M. R. Guerin; B. A. Tomkins (CRC Press, Indoor Air Research Series, 2000, 448 pp., $79.95) This text examines measurement methods and competing sources of indoor contaminants commonly attributed to environmental tobacco smoke. This new edition expands on the use of biomarkers, personal exposure to suspended particulates, and trace urban air contaminants. Climate for Change: Non-State Actors and the Global Politics of the Greenhouse, P. Newell (Cambridge University Press, 2000, 213 pp., $69.95) The author, a research fellow at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, examines how nongovernmental organizations, such as scientific, environmental, and industry groups, shape the international global warming debate. Dictionary of Environmental Science & Technology, (3rd Edition), A. Porteous (Wiley & Sons, 2000, 705 pp., $29.95) This comprehensive, in-depth reference contains more than 4000 entries with extensive cross-referencing, illustrations, and international case studies. Emission Scenarios, N. Nakicenovic, et al. (Cambridge University Press, 2000, 599 pp., $120 (hardback), $44.95 (paperback)) This Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report describes future emissions scenarios and possible response strategies based on a thorough review of the literature and the quantification of narrative "story lines" using six different integrated models. Effective Economic Regulation: Learning From Poland's Experience, H. S. Brown; D. Angel; P. G. Derr (Prager, 2000, 248 pp., $75) The authors present several case studies to show how Poland has developed effective environmental and regulatory systems while achieving socioeconomic growth and the extent to which regulatory systems can be transferred across national and cultural boundaries. Reclaiming the Environmental Debate: The Politics of Health in a Toxic Culture, R. Hofrichter, Ed. (MIT Press, 2000, 342 pp., $25) This anthology reflects diverse perspectives on production of hazardous wastes that contribute to the deterioration of human health in the environment.
Web Sites The World Resources Institute's (WRI's) site on climate change (http://www.wri.org/climate) is an extensive reference on global warming and related research and policy issues. Users can access news releases, papers, publications, and facts and figures, as well as an extensive resource of Internet links. These links include general links with dozens of listings for such categories as climate news sources; U.N. Convention on Climate Change; greenhouse gas emissions and climate data sources; international and intergovernmental organizations. Related links include library and research, global statistics, maps, and indicators, international policy, electronic media, and information systems. Users can access a discussion of the roles of industrialized and developing nations in addressing global warming. This includes a climate Powerpoint slide show, a discussion of the roles of Eastern European nations, and articles on oil resources. The National Biotechnology Information Facility (http://www.nbif.org), based out of New Mexico State University, is an extensive resource on biotechnology issues and research and seeks to present new sources and types of biotechnology information and data. Recently expanded (in October), the Web site encourages information sharing between researchers in academia, industry, government, and the Department of Defense. Users can access extensive links—there are more than 7000—to biotechnology data and research organizations such as the Agricultural Genome Information System, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Center for Bioinformatics, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore labs. Sample site topics include methyl bromide alternatives and research in biostatistics. The nonprofit Institute for Genomic Research's (TIGR's) site (http://www.tigr.org) features searchable databases on crops, parasites, and hundreds of sequencing projects. Users can access frequently asked questions and updates on research projects such as the TIGR collaboration with Cornell and the Universities of California, Michigan, and Wisconsin on potato disease research. Users can also request to use Glimmer (Gene Locator and Interpolated Markov Modeler), a Unixbased software for researchers, which uses interpolated Markov models (IMMs) to identify the coding regions and distinguish them from noncoding DNA. Researchers can use this system for finding genes in microbial DNA, especially the genomes of bacteria and archaea. This site links to various conferences, educational resources, and categories such as electronic journals, government agencies, scientific societies, news and media, and global resources. The Scorecard (http://www.scorecard.org) site, a service of the Environmental Defense Fund, features detailed, interactive maps of the United States that correspond to topics such as criteria air pollutants, hazardous air pollutants, lead hazards, chemical releases from manufacturing facilities, watershed indicators, and animal waste from farms. Scorecard is a source of easily accessible local environmental information on the Internet. Users can narrow in on a specific location, determine what facilities are located in that area, and obtain detailed information about the health and environmental risks that those facilities pose. Scorecard also profiles 6800 chemicals, making it easy to find out where they are used and how hazardous they are. Users can also access ranking of facilities contributing to cancer risk from air releases, as well as other links to pollutant data.
