My Community, Our Earth

The My Community, Our Earth booklet included with the resource kit includes recommended resources for each of the sustainable development themes. The Instructor Guide also contains resource recommendations. Suggested themes and resources include these areas.

Biodiversity

United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre
The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre provides information for policy and action to conserve the living world.

People, Land Management, and Environmental Change Established by the United Nations University, the goal of PLEC is to develop sustainable and participatory approaches to conservation, especially biodiversity, within small farmers' agricultural systems and in participation with the farmers.

Forest Conservation Portal
A vast collection of rain forest, forest, and biodiversity conservation news and information.

World Resource Institute
An environmental think tank that provides a portal to a wide variety of environmental information.

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Earth Sciences
Explore Earth's air, land, seas, climate, and natural hazards to learn more about our home planet and understand how other planetary systems may work.

U.S. Geological Survey North American Breeding Bird Survey
Data, maps, results, and analysis on the migration, diversity, and breeding success of North American bird populations for 1966-2000.

U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources
The U.S. National Biological Information Infrastructure provides access to a plethora of data and information on the nation's biological resources.

National Resources Conservation Service Technical Resources
Maps and databases on soil, water and climate, plants for conservation, and other subjects available from this unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

World Conservation Monitoring Centre
In addition to monitoring climate and habitat, the program addresses the relationship between trade and the environment and the wider aspects of biodiversity assessment.

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S.-Mexico Border Field Coordination Committee
The site addresses natural and cultural resources along the border as well as issues such as habitat conservation. Aerial photos and maps are available.

Global Land Cover
Land cover data for the entire globe as well as various regions is available from the Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center of the United States Geological Survey (USGS EROS).

Climate Change

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
The center provides information for policy and action to conserve the living world.

U.S. Global Change Research Information Office
The U.S. Global Change Research Information Office provides access to data and information on climate change research.

World Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization coordinates global scientific activities from weather prediction to air pollution research, climate change–related activities, ozone layer depletion studies, and tropical storm forecasting.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assesses the scientific, technical, and socioeconomic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human–induced climate change.

U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change
Information on climate issues and ongoing international climate–related negotiations.

U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Geostationary Satellite Server
Real–time and near real–time satellite views of cloud cover and major weather events from NOAA..

U.S. NOAA Operational Significant Event Imagery
High–resolution, detailed imagery of significant environmental events such as floods, dust storms, fires, and cyclones visible in NOAA remotely sensed data.

U.S.NOAA Space Physics Interactive Data Resource
Access space physics data (including the popular Nighttime Lights of the World) designed for integration with environment models and space weather forecasts.

U.S. NOAA Eye Art Gallery
Satellite images of hurricanes, cyclones, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other weather phenomena.

U.S. NOAA Weather Information Network
A window on local, national, and global weather conditions. Access live weather–related satellite images.

U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Earth Sciences
Explore Earth's air, land, seas, climate, and natural hazards to learn more about our home planet and understand how other planetary systems may work on this NASA site.

U.S.NASA Scientific Visualization Studio
A gallery of stunning graphic visualizations on subjects from floods to hurricanes and astronomy to urbanization. The images were created to promote a greater understanding of earth and space science research activities.

U.S. Geological Survey Center for Integration of Natural Disaster Information (CINDI), Disaster in Central America
Hurricane Mitch maps and a data warehouse from the USGS.

Natural Resources Conservation Services
Maps and databases on soil, water and climate, plants for conservation, and other subjects from NRCS.

Vital Climate Graphics: The Impacts of Climate Change
An authoritative book on climate change, focused on causes, impacts, and mitigation of climate change.

International Institute for Sustainable Development
Information on sustainable development in relation to international trade and investment, economic policy, climate change, measurement and indicators, and natural resource management.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Graphics
Graphs for 35 countries show actual (1990–1999) and projected (2000, 2010) emissions of the six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).

Deforestation

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre
The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre provides information for policy and action to conserve the living world.

ForestInformation.com
Educational content on sustainable forest management from Canadian, United States, and United Nations forestry resources. Operated by forestry companies and industry associations. Includes kids' and teachers' sections.

Forest Conservation Portal
A vast collection of rain forest, forest, and biodiversity conservation news and information.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Library
Maps, data, and other information for lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

Global Land Cover
Land cover data for the entire globe as well as various regions is available from the USGS EROS Data Center.

Sustainable Development Success Stories
From the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development, Success Stories chronicles projects and activities that have led to tangible results in the areas of land resource management, agriculture and forestry, financial resources, trade and investment, consumption and production patterns, poverty, education, and capacity building.

Environmental Pollution

American Association for the Advancement of Science Atlas of Population and Environment
The AAAS Atlas of Population and Environment is an important analysis of the relationships between human population and the environment.

Agenda 21: The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
Agenda 21 is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the United Nations system, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact the environment.

World Resource Institute
An environmental think tank that provides a portal to a wide variety of environmental information.

U.S. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Earth Sciences
Explore Earth's air, land, seas, climate, and natural hazards to learn more about our home planet and understand how other planetary systems may work.

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Interactive Web Mapping
A portal to interactive mapping sites you can use to create maps based on the huge EPA databases of environmental information.

U. S. EPA Environmental Atlas
This site offers an online environmental map collection; links to other important collections; and information to help you understand environmental quality maps, mapping, and environmental information.

UNEP Global Environment Outlook
Reviews environmental conditions around the world, region by region, and analyzes the effects on the environment caused by changes in the economy, population growth, and political organizations.

European Environment Agency—Success Stories in Expanding Renewable Energy
Identifies factors that can influence the success of renewable energy projects and reports on the extent to which each European country has expanded its use of renewable energy technologies as well as on several particularly successful projects.

Global Change and Environmental Hazards: Is the World Becoming More Disastrous?
A teaching module designed for use in upper level high school or introductory college courses focused on human–environment relationships.

Food Production

Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development
Agriculture and rural development directories and resources from around the world.

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
Good primer and links on permaculture (sustainable farming). Concepts and resources relevant to alternative farming systems.

Future Harvest
Future Harvest builds public understanding of the importance of agricultural research to global peace, prosperity, environmental renewal, health, and the alleviation of suffering.

AAAS Atlas of Population and Environment
The American Association for the Advancement of Science Atlas of Population and Environment is an important analysis of the relationships between human population and the environment.

PovertyNet
PovertyNet is a World Bank Web site developed to provide resources for people and organizations working to understand and alleviate poverty.

People, Land Management, and Environmental Change
Established by the United Nations University, the goal of PLEC is to develop sustainable and participatory approaches to conservation, especially biodiversity, within small farmers' agricultural systems and in participation with the farmers.

Sustainable Development International
A showcase of sustainability case studies, technical and strategic articles that provide the theory on how to solve the problems in the field, and details of who to work with in solving these problems.

World Resource Institute
An environmental think tank that provides a portal to a wide variety of environmental information.

Natural Resource Conservation Service
Information, maps, and data on the conservation of natural resources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1977 Agriculture Atlas of the United States
Maps and statistical information on U.S. agriculture.

U. S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Maps
USDA maps by county of yields from 2000 for 23 different agricultural crops.

UDFS National Agricultural Statistics Service
Statistical information and online databases for U.S. agriculture.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. GeoNetwork
Search for maps and data by keyword, region, and country.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. Global Terrestrial Observation System
Observations, modeling, and analysis of terrestrial ecosystems to support sustainable development.

Global Land Cover
Land cover data for the entire globe as well as various regions is available from the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center.

Famine Early Warning System Project
Focused on Africa, the site attempts to provide information to decision makers to head off potential famines. Maps and data are provided in the Resources and Toolkit section.

Sustainable Development Dimensions
Access to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization reports on sustainable development through a searchable index (by theme and keyword). The site also explains international conventions and agreements related to sustainable development.

U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization Sustainable Development Department
Assessments of the activities of the Sustainable Development Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Mountain Development Profiles
Articles on efforts to improve the living conditions of mountain inhabitants of the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region in a sustainable way.

Integrated Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
A series of field studies of agriculture in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region documenting the ongoing challenges of the transition from traditional cereal crop farming to high–value cash crops such as fruits and vegetables.

Living in the Biosphere: Production, Pattern, Population, and Diversity
A teaching module designed for use in upper level high school or introductory college courses focused on human–environment relationships.

Fresh Water Supply

Fresh Water Ecosystems
A Missouri Botanical Garden and Evergreen project.

Fresh Water
American Association for the Advancement of Science's fresh water site.

Water in the 21st Century
Water issues from the point of view of the Asian Development Bank.

The World's Water
General information on the world's water resources.

U.S. NOAA Geostationary Satellite Server
Real–time and near real–time satellite views of cloud cover and major weather events.

U.S. NOAA National Ocean Service MapFinder
Find NOS images and data including aerial photography, nautical charts, coastal survey maps, environmental sensitivity index atlases, hydrographic surveys, historical maps, and estuarine bathymetry data.

U.S. NPAA Operational Significant Event Imagery
High–resolution, detailed imagery of significant environmental events such as floods, dust storms, fires, and cyclones visible in NOAA remotely sensed data.

U.S. NOAA Space Physics Interactive Data Resource
Access space physics data (including the popular Nighttime Lights of the World) designed for integration with environment models and space weather forecasts.

U.S. NOAA Satellite's Eye Art Gallery
Satellite images of hurricanes, cyclones, thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other weather phenomena.

U.S. NOAA Interactive Weather Information Network
A window on local, national, and global weather conditions. Access live weather–related satellite images.

U.S. Geological Survey National Water Conditions
View stream flow, water levels, and acid rain information for the USGS and individual states.

USGS Water Resources of the United States
Track groundwater and surface water quality and contamination with real–time reports and access to GIS water resource data sets.

U.S. EPA Surf Your Watershed
Explore watersheds by physical region rather than political region.

U.S. EPA Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources
Watershed data for the 48 conterminous states. Data can be downloaded for free.

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S.–Mexico Border Field Coordination Committee
The site addresses natural and cultural resources along the border as well as issues such as habitat conservation. Aerial photos and maps are available.

Health and Disease Sustainable Development International
A showcase of sustainability case studies, technical and strategic articles that provide the theory on how to solve the problems in the field, and details of who to work with in solving these problems.

ESRI HealthyGIS Newsletter
HealthyGIS is a free quarterly publication for health care GIS users.

George Washington University, Health Indicators
Analysis and presentation of population–based health data for metropolitan Washington, D.C.

Louisiana State University, School of Veterinary Medicine
GIS network on snail–borne infections with special reference to schistosomiasis.

National Cancer Institute, Cancer Mortality Maps and Graphs
Interactive maps, graphs, text, tables, and figures showing geographic patterns and time trends of cancer death rates for the time period 1950–1994 for more than 40 cancers.

Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics
Access current or past reports on Public Health GIS News and Information, selected maps, a calendar of GIS and related events, and links to related sites.

The National Atlas Virus Map
An interactive map tracing the progress of West Nile Virus in animal and human populations. Requires Shockwave.

Pan–American Health Organization
The regional office for the Americas of the World Health Organization. The site includes information, publications, and databases on Pan–American health issues.

U.N. World Health Organization
Defining health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social well–being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, WHO offers a myriad of information and publications about environment–related health issues.

Mountain Development

International Year of Mountains
The aim of the IYM is to ensure the well–being of mountain and lowland communities by promoting the conservation and sustainable development of mountain regions.

Mountain Development Profiles
Articles on efforts to improve the living conditions of mountain inhabitants of the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region in a sustainable way.

Integrated Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
This ICIMOD series of field studies of agriculture in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region documenting the ongoing challenges of the transition from traditional cereal crop farming to high–value cash crops such as fruits and vegetables.

Poverty Reduction

PovertyNet
PovertyNet is a World Bank Web site developed to provide resources for people and organizations working to understand and alleviate poverty.

American FactFinder
Maps and information from the U.S. Census 2000 with complete subject and geographic coverage for FactFinder data sets.

Population Reference Bureau
Click DataFinder for statistics on 85 demographic variables for 221 countries, 28 world regions and subregions, the world as a whole, and the United States.

Census 2000 TIGER/Line Data
Information from the 1990 and 2000 censuses. Geographic and population/housing data for every county of the United States can be downloaded for free.

Census Watch
Several U.S. data sets are available including Census 2000 data.

U.N. Development Programme Partnerships to Fight Poverty
This site introduces the Sustainable Livelihoods approach in some detail and attempts to redefine development in terms of exploring what poor people already have.

Inter–American Development Bank Library Collection
Publications that support the work of the IDB in the areas of Latin American and Caribbean economic and social development. Links to electronic journals, country newspapers, development banks and institutes, and centers for Latin American Studies. Links to sustainable development topics and youth pages are planned.

Rural Development

Wexford Organization for Rural Development
WORD is charged with implementing an integrated program promoting a bottom–up strategy for rural development in County Wexford, Ireland.

Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development
Agriculture and rural development directories and resources from around the world.

Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
Good primer and links on permaculture (sustainable farming). Concepts and resources relevant to alternative farming systems.

Future Harvest
Future Harvest builds public understanding of the importance of agricultural research to global peace, prosperity, environmental renewal, health, and the alleviation of suffering.

American FactFinder
Maps and information from the U.S. Census 2000 with complete subject and geographic coverage for FactFinder data sets.

Population Reference Bureau
Click DataFinder for statistics on 85 demographic variables for 221 countries, 28 world regions and subregions, the world as a whole, and the United States.

LandScan
A worldwide population database for estimating populations at risk of natural and man–made disasters.

Census 2000 TIGER/Line Data
Information from the 1990 and 2000 censuses. Geographic and population/housing data for every county of the United States can be downloaded for free.

Census Watch
Several U.S. data sets are available including Census 2000 data.

UUNEP Global Environment Outlook
Reviews environmental conditions around the world, region by region, and analyzes the effects on the environment caused by changes in the economy, population growth, and political organizations.

Urbanization

U.S. NOAA Scientific Visualization Studio
A gallery of stunning graphic visualizations on subjects from floods to hurricanes and astronomy to urbanization. The images were created to promote a greater understanding of earth and space science research activities.

American FactFinder
Maps and information from the U.S. Census 2000 with complete subject and geographic coverage for FactFinder data sets.

Population Reference Bureau
Click DataFinder for statistics on 85 demographic variables for 221 countries, 28 world regions and subregions, the world as a whole, and the United States.

LandScan
A worldwide population database for estimating populations at risk of natural and man–made disasters.

Census 2000 TIGER/Line Data
Information from the 1990 and 2000 censuses. Geographic and population/housing data for every county of the United States can be downloaded for free.

Census Watch
Several U.S. data sets are available including Census 2000 data.

You may also search a more extended list of data, software, and other resources on this site.

Recommended Resources

Biodiversity

Climate Change

Deforestation

Environmental Pollution

Food Production

Fresh Water Supply

Mountain Development

Poverty Reduction

Rural Development

Urbanization