Freshwater at the Encyclopedia of Earth

Lifelong learners can find excellent material in the article Freshwater published on the Encyclopedia of Earth. The further reading section has links to three additional websites devoted to earth's freshwater.

You will learn about freshwater, from its definition to its inventory and on to freshwater use around the earth.

A very useful addition to our learning resources.

Biodiversity in Africa

Want to understand another piece of the environmental puzzle? The Encyclopedia of Earth presents an in-depth view of Biodiversity in Africa that should be of great interest to lifelong learners interested in understanding the interactions of earth's environments.

This article gives an excellent overview, as well as an extensive reading list. I will just let the piece speak for itself, because it has an eloquent voice.

Impacts on Native American Lands

This is a very good collection of study materials from Carleton College, Integrating Research and Education, called Impacts of Resource Development on Native American Lands.

It covers six case studies:

• Uranium Mining on the Navajo Nation
• Gold Mining and the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation
• Coal Bed Methane and the Crow Reservation
• Water Resources and the Nez Perce Indian Reservation
• Gold Mining and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
• Resources of the Pribilof Islands

This actually just one part of many sections of Integrating Research and Education, including one on Hurricane Katrina and the Yellowstone Geoecosystem.

I think lifelong learners will find this to be a very nice addition to their study resources.

Land Use History of North America at USGS

From Mars Hill

Flagstaff, Arizona

Credit Marilyn Crain

This time we get "two for the price of one." Go visit Land Use History of North America (LUHNA) and Colorado Plateau-Land Use History of North America (CP-LUHNA) for a good contribution to your resources on the environmental history of the United States. It goes a long way toward explaining the delicate balance between the viability of our environment and its plant and animal inhabitants and the needs of our human population.

The CP-LUHNA is exceptional in the quality and quantity of material available. These two sites are definite assets to be added to your learning toolbox.

Lifelong learners, enjoy.

Gems at UC Berkeley

Are you interested in gemology, but don't have a strong background in science? Then, according to Professor Jill Banfield, this introductory earth science course at UC Berkeley should give you what you need.

The EPS 2 Gems and Gem Minerals course website provides all the basics that you need online. There is no required textbook, however Gemology by Hurlbut and Kammerling is recommended for additional information.

Just click on the "students arrow" and dive right in. There are six modules, with extensive materials in each. Starting with "What is a gem?" each section is loaded with information, beautiful illustrations and movie clips to show how things work.

Lifelong learners wanting to find out about gems will definitely benefit from this course. The only negative about this online course, if there is one, is no audio or video of the lectures. We are very quickly becoming spoiled with the so many available resources.

Extremophiles at the NSF

The Special Report X-treme Microbes at the National Science Foundation presents a compact overview of radiation-eating and amazing survivors extremophiles. At first you think it's just a simplistic little program, but look further and be sure to "click" on everything available or you'll miss some great information.

Available for download are pdf's and a most interesting video. The related resources pages add other dimensions to the report in case you want to learn more. A text only version is available by clicking the button in the left lower corner.

Of course, you know how we independent learners are, never satisfied, can't have enough resources. So, guess what? I can't wait to see what else NSF has to offer.

Nature's Wonders in a Grocery Cart

Buying study materials in the food market is not standard operating procedure for me. But there I was, standing in line to check out. I had all the groceries out of the cart and a good two minutes to spare. So what to do? Browse the magazine displays of course. Guess what I found right between the weekly tabloids and the The Next Big Diet? A beautiful addition to my independent learning resources.


It's like the planet in a nutshell. Time, Inc. has done it again. Portrait of the Planet: TIME Nature's Wonders, The science and splendor of Earth's most fascinating places is 121 pages of amazing photos and concise explanations. It's the earth from a different point of view.


Divided into five sections, atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, cryosphere and geosphere, it's a quick read, but you won't be able to get the photographs out of your mind. The one of the San Andreas Fault in San Luis Obispo County, CA is unlike any I have seen. I can't decide on what else to share, they're all amazing, so you'll just have to see for yourself.

You really should buy this one for your learning toolbox. At this point, I'm not sure where to direct you, although I think that bookstores like Barnes and Noble will have it on their magazine rack. You might want to check out your local supermarket first!

Update: It's also available at Wal-Mart!

EarthPortal

Just discovered Earth Portal which describes itself as "a comprehensive resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment." This website is chock full of articles about the environment of the earth.

It is actually three sites in one, The Encyclopedia of Earth, EarthForum and EarthNews. For anyone interested in pursuing this vital area of study, this would make a perfect starting place for your learning project.

One can only image how long it would take to completely explore this site. If you go to the Encyclopedia of Earth and click on Topics, you will find extensive articles on all things environmental. Reminds me of Wikipedia, with a focus on the earth.

Isn't it incredible that so many authoritative resources are becoming available to everyday scholars?