Introduction: reviews of environmental health, 2001.

3 Mixed feelings of excitement, anticipation, and concern marked the end of the last century and millennium. This was especially true in communication and information technology. Over the past 10 years there has been an exponential growth in these fields. Rapid communication has become the norm for many people. In fact, if executives at Finland's Nokia Oyj are correct in their prediction, one billion people—just under a fifth of the world population—will own a cellular phone by the middle of 2002 (1). But has the availability of much faster and easier means of communication improved the level of understanding among people? Information technology took root and grew rapidly during this period. There were high expectations that information technology would enhance the dissemination of information, raise the educational level of society, and have a positive impact on our quality of life. There is no doubt that the availability of information has increased dramatically. But has this availability of information really increased the educational level of our society? The rapid growth and concomitant increased dependence on technology left our high-tech society vulnerable to electronic mischief and the so-called Year 2000 (Y2K) bug. The numerous mischievous attacks on the Internet have led to increased surveillance and development of protective software to ward off electronic attacks. Feverish preparations were made to avert a seemingly imminent disaster posed by the Y2K bug. In the end, the first day of the year 2000 came and went with only minor problems. Does this mean the preparations paid off, or was the problem overstated? In any case, our high-technology world was little affected by the " bug. " The global economy around the world responded in kind when fueled by the expanding technology sector. The United States–based, technology-heavy Nasdaq stock index reached a new high in the last couple of years but then took a nose dive. The technology bubble burst. In the case of the environment, information technology provides a means for many people to access and explore environmental issues. However, many of the goals to protect our environment have not been reached. During the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, daily updates on the progress of the conference were readily available. One of the most important accomplishment of the Summit—the signing of the Framework Convention on Climate Change—was reported rapidly around the world, as was the agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions …