10 Must-Use Internet Data Sources

These are from the website: http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/index.php/egj/article/view/3205/3175

1. Trends (Online): A Compendium of Data on Global Change provides synopses of frequently used time series of global-change data, such as concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from historical (ice core) and modern records; estimates of global, regional, and national CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and other sources; and long-term temperature records. Global coverage ranges from individual sites to the entire globe and from the Earth's surface to the lower stratosphere. Data records include tables; graphs; discussions of methods for collecting, measuring, and reporting the data; trends in the data, and references to literature providing further information. All data appearing in Trends Online are available, on request, from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) and World Data Center for Atmospheric Trace Gases at Oak Ridge National Laboratory at no cost. Additional global change data are found in CDIAC's 70+ numeric data packages.

2. Global Change Master Directory is a comprehensive, searchable source of data and information with broad coverage of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, solid earth and biosphere. Linked resources include the US Global Change Research Program's Science Topics, Agency Data Centers, Educational Resources, Libraries and Information Centers.

3. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established by the World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Environment Programme to assess scientific, technical, and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change. The IPCC is currently finalizing its Fourth Assessment Report "Climate Change 2007." There are individual reports by the three Working Groups providing a comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the current state of knowledge on climate change. The Synthesis Report integrates the information around six topic areas.

4. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) is the world's largest active archive of weather data. NCDC produces numerous climate publications and responds to data requests from all over the world. NCDC operates the World Data Center for Meteorology, which is collocated at NCDC in Asheville, North Carolina, and the World Data Center for Paleoclimatolgy which is located in Boulder, Colorado.

5. The US Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO) provides access to data and information on climate change research, adaptation/mitigation strategies and technologies, and global change-related educational resources on behalf of the various U.S. Federal Agencies that are involved in the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP).

6. The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) is a center within the Earth Institute at Columbia University. CIESIN works at the intersection of the social, natural, and information sciences, and specializes in online data and information management. Special programs within CIESIN include the World Data Center for Human Interactions in the Environment and its Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center, is one of the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) in the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

7. World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 187 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization (IMO), which was founded in 1873. Established in 1950, WMO became the specialized agency of the United Nations in 1951 for meteorology (weather and climate). The World Climate Programme is maintained by WMO and can be found on the WMO Homepage clicking on the appropriate items found in the WMO Programmes or Topics drop-down menus.

8. International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) and the International Council for Science (ICSU, formerly the International Council for Scientific Unions) serve as international global change research coordination bodies. These organizations provide scientific and technical oversight of the international research efforts and fill critical quality assurance functions. ICSU: http://www.icsu.org/

9. Global Warming: Where You Live: United States is a site provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where you will find clickable maps of the United States (you'll need Macromedia Flash Version 6 or higher) with an assortment of state-specific resources on the impacts of climate change, also has many links to EPA Regional Offices, including resources for teachers and students.

10. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) is a source of international news, data, and documents on global climate change. The Framework Convention was adopted at the United Nations in May 1999 and opened for signatures at the June 1992 UNCED (United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development) Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Subsequently in 1997 the Kyoto Protocol was developed and shares the Convention's objective, principles and institutions. The Kyoto Protocol significantly strengthens the Convention by committing Annex I Parties (36 industrialized countries) to individual, legally-binding targets to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Only Parties to the Convention that have also become Parties to the Protocol (i.e. by ratifying, accepting, approving, or acceding to it) will be bound by the Protocol's commitments. 163 countries have ratified the Protocol to date. The United States is not a member of the Parties to the Convention.