Research Guides: ENVS 122 / POLI 157: Environmental Politics and Policy: Background

Background

Background sources will help you:

Develop/explore your topic
Introduce your audience to your topic and its significance to environmental policy

Look for background information in:

Encyclopedia and books
Government and non-profit/NGO websites
News anecdotes

Library Databases for Background Information

Access World News Research Collection This link opens in a new window
This database Includes articles from 600 U.S. newspapers and over 700 international newspapers. Coverage varies, some newspapers going back as far as 1977.
Credo Reference This link opens in a new window
This database provides full-text articles from over 600 reference sources, as well as access to a wide range of information sources that include images, audio, and video. Topic Pages are informative overviews, and Mind Map assists narrowing and focusing research topics to improve database searching.
Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
This database provies full text access to over 200 subject encyclopedias, handbooks, dictionaries, and directories.
Ethnic NewsWatch This link opens in a new window
This database contains two collections: 1) A current collection (1990-present) of full- text newspapers, magazines, and journals from ethnic and minority presses. 2) A History collection (1959-1989) of full-text newspapers, magazines and journals, focusing on African American, Hispanic American, and Native American presses.

Websites for Background Information

GENERAL
Environmental Law Institute (ELI)
ELI is a "non-partisan research and education center working to" improve law and governance worldwide. Many of its research publications are freely available online.
NRDC: U.S. Law & Policy
National Resources Defense Council, a prominent environmental NGO, provides a Legislative Watch bulletin as well as information and analyses on climate legislation.
AIR
EPA: Air Topics
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the lead federal agency on environmental law and its protections, provides the full Clean Air Act, its history, amendments, and a primer on the evolving science that informs air pollution policy.
EPA: Clean Air Act - Summary
Simplified explanations of key elements in the CAA plus links to how it is working; i.e., the Air Quality Index, etc.
CLIMATE CHANGE
EPA: Climate Change
EPA's information- and link-rich portal on climate change includes a section on U.S. climate policy with subsections on research, technology, and international cooperation.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
IPCC's Publications and Data (see sidebar link) provide information that informs international climate change protocols.
World Resources Institute: Climate Change
The Climate Project at WRI focuses on a variety of climate issues. Use this website to explore the different projects in depth.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
EPA: Endangered Species
This summary page provides links to the full act as well as to EPA's Endangered Species Protection Program and the lead agencies for implementing the act.
Fish & Wildlife Service: Endangered Species Laws & Policies
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Laws & Policies site includes a history of the act and other publications, international resources, etc.
National Academies Press: Science and the Endangered Species Act
Online book published in 1995 is available chapter by chapter: Species Definition, Habitat Conservation, Risk, etc.
NOAA: Endangered Species Act
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Protected Resources has information on marine species, programs, and more.
INTERNATIONAL
Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
A nonprofit that helps strengthen international environmental law, CIEL programs include climate and biodiversity. Online publications in these and other programs.
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
Main international agreement to protect species worldwide. CITES site explains how it works, the structure, what species are listed, online publications on CITES history, and more.
CITES in the United States
This Fish and Wildlife Service site details the CITES treaty, how the U.S. implements the treaty, biennial reports, etc.
HG.org Guide to Environmental Law
HG.org, a network of law firms, has put together a list of links/descriptions to major environmental laws, especially international law and policy.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP's Publications webpage includes both fee and free publications. UNEP Environmental Governance, for example, is available as a free download.
WATER
Clean Water Topics
Under "Laws," provides a summary of the Clean Water Act and links to the act and its history.
River Network's Clean Water Resources
Here you can search through River Network’s large compilation of publications, newsletters, tools, templates, and recorded webinars. The resources included here are intended to help you advance your work and spark innovation and new ideas.

Offices and Services at Santa Clara University

Schools and Colleges

Centers of Distinction

ENVS 122 / POLI 157: Environmental Politics and Policy

Current Events

Get Help 24/7

Background

Library Databases for Background Information

Websites for Background Information