'Net profits: corporate environmentalism goes online - slowly.

Is there anything out there in cyberspace that's really useful for businesses? The Internet is still a slow, bumpy road for companies trying to find information to help them become cleaner and greener. But there are a few worthy destinations out there.

In a perfect world, a single online service or World Wide Web site would provide ready access to the kinds of questions most often heard from companies seeking up-to-date resource lists of products, organizations, federal and local government assistance programs and new technologies. There would also be case studies of companies' "best practices," as well as online discussions of what works and what doesn't.

There would be a way to pose questions for other businesses to answer, and a means to query experts on specific issues. Users also could find - and download into their own computers - everything from speeches to press releases and opinion poll results, as well as stories from current and back issues of relevant publications. There might even be a means for ordering recycled or otherwise environmentally preferred products or services.

Unfortunately, nothing like that currently exists. Not remotely.

But there are some useful resources on the World Wide Web. A good first step is to check out the major search services, such as Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com), where you can search for specific environmental topics. Your search will likely yield dozens, even hundreds, of potential sites, not all of which will live up to their hype. But here's a sampling of some of the best sites for managers and business owners looking for good, green information.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network http://www.eren.doe.gov/

This is the U.S. Department of Energy's site, providing a wide range of energy information resources, including links to other sites offering technical assistance, product information, ideas, research and searchable data bases. A great starting point on energy topics.

Global Recycling Network http://grn.com/grn/ora.html

GRN is geared to resource users, consultants and researchers looking to develop international trading of recyclables. A reference library includes directories of companies, organizations, even stock quotes of recycling firms.

Nortel Habitat http://www.nortel.com/

This is a corporate site, but it's a good example of how companies can and should use the Web to share information. Nortel's site includes information about its eco-management system, including a downloadable "Envirobase" tool for tracking company performance.

Solstice http://solstice.crest.org/

An excellent nonprofit information source from the Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology. You can learn about environmental legislation and policy, as well as economic issues - and get help with energy efficiency, solar energy, and other topics. Green Seal, which certifies products that are environmentally friendly, and many other organizations have home pages within Solstice. The site is more comprehensive and inclusive than most.

Fedworld http://www.fedworld.gov/environ.html

This is the straightest line to information about environmental and pollution protection information of many federal programs, including the Alternative Fuels Data Center, National Biological Survey, Army Corps of Engineers and others.

Environmental News Network http://www.enn.com

A daily news and feature service with information on a wide range of topics. It's very well designed and easy to use, and includes a search mechanism for archival data. It costs $25 a year to access more than a skeleton of the site, but anyone can try it out free for 30 days.

Global Network of Environment and Technology http://wwv.gnet.org./GNET/

You can find a wide range of information on emerging and proven environmental technologies. Highlights include a technology data base, market data and business assistance, marketplace news, and a "trade show" showcasing envirotech companies.

National Materials Exchange Network http://www.earthcycle.com/g/p/earthcycle

NMEN is a free online marketplace for trading and recycling used and surplus materials and goods. More than 10,000 listings in 34 categories can be found here, with searching capabilities. There is also a database of recycling related companies.

Green Guide on Trimming Office Waste http://www.pnl.gov:2080/esp/greenguide/

This service helps users analyze purchasing and waste-management practices. It includes a series of cost-benefit analysis forms to rank environmental opportunities. The site is designed for government agencies, but it has information useful for any business.

It would be nice if all this environmental business information were centrally located but, the Internet is still a great way to get free access to material once available only in expensive newsletters and arcane trade magazines.

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CYBERGLUT

Okay, okay, we're interested in exploring the online world out there, but does that mean we have to receive 17 America Online trial discs in a week, each in its own unique shrink-wrapped plastic-and-cardboard package?

The discs themselves aren't so bad - perhaps some might get reused, as the good work of diskette recycler GreenDisk demonstrates. But all that non-recyclable packaging! AOL, the most determined mailer, is of course in competition with fellow mailers CompuServe, Prodigy and the Microsoft Network (MSN), and that means a great deal of needless duplication and direct-mail overkill.

Cindy Harvey, an administrative assistant at AOL's Vienna, Virginia headquarter, admits that the service "bundles discs in several different ways." In addition to the onslaught of mailings, the discs are packaged inside such magazines as MacWorld and PC Week. AOL also includes its discs with new modem sales. A lot of this seems unnecessary, since the software is routinely preloaded onto new computer hard drives.

Judy Tashbook, AOL's public relations manager, says environmentalists should see the lighter side of her company's mailings. "The discs are there to make AOL accessible to everyone," she says, "but once you've loaded the program from them, they make excellent coasters. And they're recyclable - please, go ahead and write over them." Invoking the magic word - recycling - is fine as afar as it goes, but AOL would be doing the Earth a favor if it simply cooled its direct mail fever.

CONTACT: America Online, 8619 Westwood Center Drive, Vienna, VA 22182-2285/[phone].

- Jim Motavalli

JOEL MAKOWER is editor of The Green Business Letter. His own Green Business Resource Center is up and running on the World Wide Web at http://www.enn.com/green. A list of green-business Web site ratings is available to readers who send him an e-mail message at [e-mail].