Strategic value and use of the Internet's environmental information Available to Purchase

Information drives the environmental profession — and the Internet contains increasing amounts of environmental information, with direct access for anyone in the world. This paper describes the scope and some limitations of the applied environmental information available through the Internet. Specific Internet sites are identified for their value to environmental and safety professionals, including: legislation; regulations; technical resources; business opportunities; and environmental experts. Considerations are provided for evaluating strengths of specific environmental resources, as well as identifying their weaknesses and limitations. Some business and non‐environmental uses of environmental information are also identified to allow the full importance of such data to be recognized. The paper concludes with considerations about how the Internet's increased information access is becoming a force for change within the environmental profession.