If you search the web, you will find all sorts of online encyclopedias: wikipedia, the online open encyclopedia, being the most popular. Then there are specific subject encyclopedias like webopedia for computer related stuff, RIApedia for rich internet applications and softpedia which is a great source of free and shareware programs.

It is not surprising then that the environment and its related issues should have its own online encyclopedia. It is after all one of the most talked-about topics in all sorts of arena these days. www.enviropedia.org.uk is a site that one cannot browse through in just one visit. You will surely get indigestion from all of the information that you will get here if you try to absorb everything in one sitting. The main navigation is divided into seven sections: Enviropedia for the general content, Climate Change, Global Warming, Ozone, Air Pollution, Weather & Climate, Sustainability and a link to clean-air-kids.org.uk.

Each section discusses the specific environmental issue in-depth. For example, in the Enviropedia section which contains information about acid rain, the term is described very well including what comprises it and who first used the term and why it is an international problem. Also in the same page, there is a link to an article on how we can be a part of the solution in reducing instances of acid rain.

Ultimately, it all boils down to energy conservation, and taking responsibility for the impact of our actions on the environment and the ecology. It might be simplistic to say that shifting from incandescent bulb to the more energy-efficient fluorescent lighting fixtures will solve climate change and global warming, but it is a start.

We are all familiar with the adage: the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. This is true, but a more correct translation of what Lao Tzu said should state the journey of a thousand miles begins at the bottom of your foot: that unless you decide to lift your foot to take that step, your journey will not start. A small seemingly insignificant step towards conservation and energy reduction could be the key to a better balance for the world ecology.

Speaking of ecology and the environment, did you know that the Philippines is one of the 17 megadiversity countries said to contain 70% to 80% of the global diversity? Some experts describe the Philippines as “GALAPAGOS TIMES TEN” in its biological richness and is one of the highest ranking worldwide when it comes to biodiversity per unit area. This means that there are more species of plants and animals in our islands and its surrounding seas than in some of the larger countries on earth.

A prime example of one such amazing island is Danjugan Island located just a few kilometers offshore of the municipality of Cauayan in Negros Occidental. An award-winning marine reserve and wildlife sanctuary, it is home to a pair of nesting sea eagles, rare pigeons and doves, and a multitude of other wildlife. The surrounding waters teem with diverse marine life including diverse coral reefs and sea turtles that nest along its beaches.

This island reservation is one of the successful projects of the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. Their website, www.prrcf.org is a great resource for information about their flagship project, Danjugan Island, and what activities are available for nature enthusiasts.

But even just for its entertainment value, the website gallery is full of awesome underwater shots of the rich marine life in the surrounding seas, as well as the amazing plant and animal life on the island. It is gratifying to see birds and beasts in their natural habitat, wild and free to roam, fly and swim. Seeing such heartwarming efforts being made to conserve what is left of our dwindling natural resources gives us hope that we can still recover from the unwise choices of the past in our pursuit of economic success.

Negros Island is now famous as the sugar bowl of the Philippines, but soon it wants to be known as the Organic Food Island of Asia. This is what www.nisard.net, the official website of the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation, Inc. wants to achieve in the coming years.

Organized and established through a Memorandum of Agreement between the provincial governments of Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental, NISARD is at the forefront of propelling the organic movement. Working closely with government agencies as well as foreign organizations, NISARD is helping both government and civil society make a big impact in the lives of farmers, cooperatives and communities through organic farming.

The photo galleries are fraught with scrumptious pictures of organically grown fruits and vegetables, luscious coffee cherries that are grown under the forest cover of the Negros mountain ranges, chemical-free rice and corn fields, as well as the group’s visit to like-minded organic practitioners in Mindanao.

Inspiring as these websites might be, and as much as we all would like to share in similar efforts to save the world and reclaim our natural legacy, we are sometimes bogged down by the daily rat race and we give up on making the extra step. But as Lao Tzu said, the journey of a thousand miles begins at the bottom of your foot.

Lift that foot, or in the case of the Internet, let your fingers do the walking and discover what’s out there in the information superhighway. There must be a few basic things that you can do to start towards becoming a responsible citizen of the world, even if it is just changing your light bulbs to the more energy efficient ones, or even if you just stop throwing your plastic water bottles and soda cans in the garbage and start selling them to the recycling centers.

If you are an active person, why not volunteer your time to one of the conservation organizations like the PRRCF, or something similar? You just might surprise yourself that it’s actually a delightful and fulfilling activity.

Surf more and you’ll find that there are many things that you can do for the environment, but while you’re not yet sure, just continue to surf the web for more information, and you’ll surely find something worthwhile.