Sources
This Guide is intended to suggest sources useful in locating environmental information that had previously been posted on federal government websites, but which has been removed.
A January, 2018 EDGI (Environmental Data & Governance Initiative) Report: Changing the Digital Climate: How Climate Change Web Content is Being Censored Under the Trump Administration notes changes to and removal of climate change information from multiple agency websites, especially the EPA, where, for example, 200 pages of information on their Energy Resources for State, Local and Tribal Governments site was removed.
If you are not successful in locating what you are looking for using one of the sources listed below, try others.
If you can suggest any additional sources that fall within the scope of this Guide, please email me: cryan@vermontlaw.edu.
The Wayback Macnine a.k.a. The Internet Archive
The Wayback Machine a.k.a. The Internet Archive has been archiving the web for more than 20 years, and has preserved webpages from millions of websites.
The Wayback Machine is most effective if you have a url, for example: http://www.epa.gov or http://epa.gov/climatechange/index.html or https://www.whitehouse.gov/energy/climate-change.
Enter the url and choose the date you need.
Another option is to try the Search Box on the right side of the main page. Once you do a search, you'll be given Advanced Search options to help you focus your search. Using the Wayback Machine contains useful search tips.
This blog posting describes their 2016-2017 efforts to preserve federal government websites and data through their End of Term Archive Project.
Environmental Data & Governance Initiative (EDGI)
EDGI is an active network of academics and non-profits building online tools and research networks to proactively archive public environmental data and ensure its continued public availability. Use the Internet Archive or perhaps DataRefuge for searching information that has been archived through the efforts of EDGI,
July, 2019 Report Analyzing Changes to Climate Topics Across Thousands of Federal Agency Web Pages
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) Web Archive
FDLP Web Archive is comprised of selected, but not all, U.S. Government Web sites, archived to create working "snapshots" of the Web sites, at various points in time.
Former EPA Climate Change Information on the Burlington, Vermont Web Site
The City of Chicago, as well as a number of other cities, have archived the data from the archived EPA Climate Change page. The CIty of Chicago presents it on this web page.
January 19, 2017 Snapshot of the EPA Web Site
The current EPA web site links to the EPA web site as of January 19, 2017:
1/19/17 Snapshot of EPA Web site
According to the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative, this snapshot is not comprehensive and contains errors.
Government Attic
Government Attic provides electronic copies of thousands of federal government documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Climate Regulation Database
Hosted by Columbia Law School's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, the Climate Regulation Database contains archived copies of Obama-era climate change regulations, policy documents, guidance documents, and supporting materials such as regulatory impact statements, environmental impact statements, and other supplemental studies. It organizes all of these materials by agency and topic.
Adaptation Clearinghouse: Federal Adaptation Resources
The Georgetown Climate Center is collecting and archiving federal climate resources in the Clearinghouse. Resources direct users to archived links or provide access to an archived link at the bottom of the resource summary. You can search by keyword or by agency.
Memory Hole 2
Memory Hole 2 has as it's goal "to save important documents from oblivion."
Scroll down to the bottom of the main page for a search box.
Click on Resources for additional Archives.
Environmental Law Librarian / Associate Professor of Law
DataRefuge
DataRefuge is a site for federal climate and environmental data. There is a search box available. The site also advises that the majority of government information gathered through the project is available through the Internet Archive.
End of Term Web Archive
The End of Term Web Archive aims to archive all Federal Government websites before they change during the next administration.
Searching this site can be challenging.