PATH environment variable

O/S: Win2K
Vsn of Python:2.4

Based on a search of other posts in this group, it appears as though
os.environ['PATH'] is one way to obtain the PATH environment variable.

My questions:
1) is it correct that os.environ['PATH'] contains the PATH environment
variable?
2) are there other ways to obtain the PATH environment variable? if so,
is one way of obtaining the PATH environment variable preferable to
another way?