The Globe Programme, an international education project which allows pupils around the world to co-operate on environmental research work, was first launched in the United States by Vice President Al Gore in 1994.

Michael Meacher says that the Internet project will fire children's enthusiasm

Now the scheme has been introduced to Britain, with schools being invited to make use of free classroom materials and to participate in projects available through the Globe Programme's Internet site.

"Youngsters need exciting interactive projects like Globe to fire their enthusiasm and build an understanding of sustainable development and the critical issues that face us locally and globally," said Mr Meacher, at the launch at Sir John Cass primary school in east London.

"The extra bonus of being able to link up for partnership activities with schools worldwide will have enormous benefits for all involved."

The Globe Programme, which has contributors from 70 countries, asks its participants to carry out simple environmental exercises.

Children will be invited to measure and observe their local environment and then submit the data to a central database in the United States, using the programme's Website. The subjects on which children will focus are weather, water, soils and land cover.

For example, children reporting on the weather would have to check the cloud cover and types of clouds, measure rainfall each day and record maximum and minimum temperatures. They can then compare their own results with those of schools in a different climate.