Despite its shortcomings, many environmental groups are using the net to educate and agitate. Some Web sites simply provide concerned citizens with the ability to enter their email address on a Web page in order to send a prepared letter to a politician. Furthermore, political staffs recognize that such letters are contrivances and regard them as a nuisance rather than genuine support for an issue. More empowering initiatives provide activists with ammunition and information for local campaigns. Scorecard brings together data from over 300 scientific and government databases in a very user-friendly format.
Local activists can start using it by either entering a zip code or clicking on a map.
Its many uses include researching specific chemicals and polluters, gathering information on how to protect yourself and your community, connecting with other groups working on local issues, and expressing specific concerns to the relevant politicians. However, tools like this are expensive to produce, making them rare among environmental Internet sites. In tactical contrast, some groups are developing spoof Web sites. These imitate the original target site in appearance, but subvert it in content. The trick is that the Web site looks like the official WTO site - it's not until you get into it that you realize it's a spoof.