The Colorado Internet Center for Environmental Problem Solving

Providing Access to University and Regional Expertise in Dispute Resolution and Environmental Policy Making

Site Features

User Survey -- No registration is required use this site. Still, we request that you fill out our user survey. It allows us to document our activities for project funders and helps us improve the site.

FEATURES

University of Colorado Educational Programs: The site contains extensive, computer searchable information on the many University teaching programs that relate to the environmental policy sciences. These include formal undergraduate and graduate degree programs, certificate programs, Continuing Education and professional training programs, and individual course offerings. Included programs represent the full range of academic disciplines as well as the work being done on all campuses of the University.
University of Colorado Environmental Research Programs: The Center also includes information about and links to more than 50 campus organizations doing research pertaining to environmental policy making and problem solving.
Core Literature Abstracts: A particularly useful feature of the site is a computer-searchable database containing lengthy abstracts of several hundred books used in the University's many environmental problem-solving courses. In a very real sense, these books constitute the University's collective judgement regarding the field's core literature. A search of this database is likely to point faculty, students, and visitors to high quality books outlining state-of-the-art thinking on the full range of policy related topics.
Superlinks: It is now common for Web sites to contain bookmarks to other sites that authors have found useful. Our goal has been to take this useful practice a step further and assemble a series of computer searchable and topic focused links which can guide people to the information they need while helping to overcome the Internet's information overload problem. The Internet Center includes hundreds of links divided into 10 major categories with options for searching using either a guided search or a full-text search system. Included are links to research programs, government sites, news sources, environmental interest groups, etc
Issue Pages: In addition to the individual superlinks discussed above we have also prepared a series of "issue pages" with extensive and high-quality links focused upon many of the major environmental policy problems facing the Rocky Mountain region. These pages provide continually updated information on the following topics: air quality in the Grand Canyon, air quality in Colorado, Colorado River conflicts, endangered species in Colorado, grazing conflicts in the American west, Colorado growth and land use, wolf reintroduction, Rocky Mountain Arsenal superfund cleanup, Utah wilderness, wildfires, and management of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
Interview-based Search System: The center also includes a user-friendly, interview-based system which emulates a consulting interview with a member of the Consortium's staff. The system asks users several questions to find out more about the environmental problems which concern them. It then links them to the appropriate resources. In the coming months we plan to expand this initial, experimental system.
Site Resources by Type of Environmental Issue: Information is also categorized according to the type of environmental problem
Case Study Database: We have also established a full-text, on-line collection of case studies of environmental disputes and dispute-resolution processes. This computer searchable database will provide both intermediaries and adversaries with stories explaining how others have dealt with environmental problem-solving issues. The database also provides an increasingly valuable, qualitative data set which researchers can use to develop and test a broad range of theoretical concepts. We are hoping to expand the archive beyond its twenty current papers by persuading others to contribute their work. We will, of course, give everyone full credit for their work.
Quantitative Data Registry: This experimental program seeks to help researchers combine quantitative data from several sources in a single data registry. Ideally this would allow researchers with new ideas to use existing data sets to test their hypotheses. It would also facilitate large-scale, meta-analyses of combined data sets. Our goal is to attract people who are interested in participating in joint projects, as well as scholars with useful data sets that they would be willing to share.
On-line Publications: The goal of this aspect of the Internet center is to provide access to full-text, on-line publications which are available over the web. Included are Consortium papers, as well as materials from other sources. We have also included links to on-line distribution sources such as Amazon.com.
Preformatted (Instant) Environmental Web Searches: Given the speed at which the content of the Web changes, we have structured complex Internet searches designed to provide users with the latest information on specific environmental policy related topics. We find that the continually updated nature of these searches makes them useful even though the results are not reviewed to remove "false hits" and poor quality sites (as we have done with the superlinks and issue pages).
Online Courses: The site also includes information about and links to two online courses related to environmental problem solving with another course to be added in the near future. Current courses include the Consortium's course on general conflict resolution and James Stratman's course on health risk communication.
University Contact Information: Links to University directories, maps, and other information needed to contact people working on environmental topics are also included.
Employment Center: This no-cost, experimental service allows students looking for work in the environmental problem-solving field to post their resumes, and employers to advertise job openings.
Link to the Main Conflict Research Consortium Homepage: Finally, the site contains a link to the Consortium's main homepage which offers even more extensive information on a broad array of topics related to conflict resolution options.
Consortium Approach to Environmental Disputes: Extensive information about the work that the University’s Conflict Research Consortium has been doing in the field of environmental dispute resolution. This aspect of the site reflects our interest in continuing environmental conflicts—those that resist conventional resolution techniques.

The Colorado Internet Center for Environmental Problem Solving Main Home Page -- Main Conflict Research Consortium Home Page

For more information contact: Guy Burgess, Co-Director, Conflict Research Consortium, Campus Box 327, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0327 Phone: (303)492-1635; Fax: (303)492-2154; E-Mail: crc@colorado.edu