EcoLinking #1
by Don Rittner

Welcome to Cyberspace!

Communication is perhaps humanity's greatest attribute.  It's used to deter
violence, or to whisper terms of endearment, or to educate those around us.
If we--as one people living on one world-- are to achieve sustainable
development on a clean planet then environmental education is our most
important mission.  

However, we need to accelerate the learning curve when it comes to
environmental issues. How can we reach millions of people worldwide in a
hurry without spending massive amounts of capital?  The answer may be as
simple as using your personal computer at home or the office.  

There has been a silent revolution taking place over the last ten years.
 It's called online communications -- using computers to connect with people
and information.  This amazing technology allows you to link up with anyone
else who has a computer, a phone line, and a modem (which sends your computer
data over the phone), no matter what their location.  

There is a tremendous amount of environmental information stored on computers
and is available for free or little cost.  Much of the information is
provided by governments, academia, businesses, non profit organizations, and
individuals. Fortunately, you don't have to be a computer techie to get this
information.  This column will show you how to tap into the vast
eco-reservoir.

EcoLinking is the process of connecting to fellow environmentalists around
the world using personal computers.  Estimates are that 40 million people in
more than 80 countries are now online; able to send each other electronic
mail, reports, research, or collections of data in a matter of seconds.
 Whole industries have risen to satisfy this online population. A variety of
services are offered: electronic mail, public discussion forums, technical
help, specialized databases, access to thousands of software programs, and
real time roundtable conferences with people separated geographically by
thousands of miles.  Government, business, and academic computer centers also
connect to each other forming an information matrix that spans the globe.
 Even more amazing is that the average person can have access to most of it.

Many in the environmental online community are scientists, business people,
students, and interested lay people.  There are special environmental
networks and forums where you can meet similar minded people, work on
projects, or just stay up to date on issues.  There are specialized
environmental databases where you can search and download information
directly into your own computer even if the information is sitting on some
mainframe in a country thousand of miles away.  Peruse library card catalogs
as though you were standing in their lobby.  You can even read the latest
environmental news as it comes off the news wire.  You can do these 24 hours
a day, seven days a week!

We are going to explore this uncharted territory, called Cyberspace, each
issue and introduce you to the people and resources that comprise it.   You
will learn how to retrieve a great deal of information.  You will make
friends and form working relationships with people you probably will never
meet.   It won't matter what they look like, what nationality or ethnic group
they belong to, or whether they are tall or short.  You can kiss your biases
away.  What becomes important in Cyberspace are the words that cross this
digital frontier. 

We are now at the evolutionary stage where we can "Think Globally AND Act
Globally!"