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Earth system science networks can also be global in scope. There is a growing virtual community connected via the internet around the topic of ESS. It must be remembered that in the internet age, partnerships and communities can be developed anywhere between groups with common interests. The joint NASA and NSF Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program is an excellent example of an internet-based international exchange of information, data, and capacity building in ESS. Other examples of virtual ESS communities include the Digital Library for Earth Systems Science Education (DLESE) , CHRONOS, and the NOAA Paleoclimatology Database. Additional examples of virtual community include the growing number of international organizations focused on global environmental issues. Global issues require a global perspective, and solutions will come from a global community.