November 1, 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 19)
URL:
http://www.earthportal.org
Rating:
Strong Points: Superbly laid out and organized
Weak Points: None
Summary:
We have just gotten through Earth Day again this year, so I guess that explains both why my mind is on the environment and why sites on the same topic are in the news. EarthPortal is an award-winning resource focused on timely, objective, science-based environmental information. The site’s three components, Encyclopedia of Earth (2000+ articles), EarthForum (scholarly commentary and discussions), and EarthNews (environmental news/issues) focus primarily on interactions between the components making up our environment, the diversity of organisms inhabiting the planet, human forces behind environmental change, education, and integration of concepts, methods, and tools for environmental advancement. Whew! If you guessed that this is an ambitious site, you hit it on the nose. The opening page lays out the site’s focus areas clearly. Despite containing a tremendous amount of information, EarthPortal doesn’t seem all that ‘crowded,’ due to the nice use of hierarchical design, as well as pleasing visual layouts. If you want a quick-click view of the state of the environment, EarthPortal is the place to go.
