The Bush administration appeals court ruling on mercury pollution; the EPA faces congressional subpoena in wrangle over emissions regulations; Greenwire profiles CDC whistleblower; Tech companies call for increased H-1B visa cap; Al Gore launches new climate awareness campaign.
The Senate Subcommittee on Energy Oversight held a field hearing in Bismarck, North Dakota on Wednesday on carbon capture and sequestration technology. Two panels presented the current and projected future development of CCS technology, the outlook ranging from very cautious optimism to an almost cynical pessimism. But the lack of an objective scientific voice among those testifying was conspicuous.
Colleges and universities received close to $2.25 billion from Congressional earmarks this year according to a new study released this week by The Chronicle of Higher Education. A large chunk, $1.6 billion, will go towards scientific research at some 500 institutions.
A roundup of some of the science and technology policy events happening around Washington D.C. from Mar. 31 to Apr. 6.
Education Week released a report today on the state of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in U.S. schools.
COMMUNICATIONS
Virginia rolls out high-speed Internet programs to boost jobs, health care, education, and commerce. It’s a model that works.
The United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Agency today announced a $267 million loan to Open Range Communications to bring portable, wireless broadband connectivity to rural areas in 17 states.
British politician Gordon Brown has always been keen on creating innovation in his nation’s economy, convinced that U.K. universities and businesses together can create new technologies and services that will boost economic growth. Now that he’s prime minister of the United Kingdom, he’s moving swiftly to act on those inclinations—with possible lessons for the United States.
Worldwide biofuel production is increasing so rapidly, according to a new analysis from Merrill Lynch, while other fuel sources cannot keep up with demand, that without the rising production, oil prices would be higher than they already are. The Wall Street Journal reported on the analysis yesterday, which adds yet another variable to the already complex debate over biofuel policy.
Faculty and staff in colleges and universities have a growing number of technologies at their disposal, but they have to understand how to use them to enrich education, and institutions must be willing to invest in useful solutions.
A quick look at some of the policy-related posts in the science and technology blogosphere: suggestions for best practices in science blogging; the need for more hurricane research; vaccines and public fears; and new research centers to study parallel computing.
A roundup of some of the science and technology policy events happening around Washington D.C. from Mar. 24 to Mar. 28.
In a briefing yesterday for Capitol Hill staffers, neuroscientist Martha Farah explained that new technologies that enhance the power of the brain also raise questions about safety, economic fairness, privacy, and personal freedom.
The FCC 700 mhz auction ended yesterday, raking in record $19.6 billion for Federal coffers. While the successful sale of the C-block triggers an “open” network provision, questions linger about the unsold D-block license and the future of a national emergency response network.
SCIENCE & SECURITY
A recent National Research Council report recognizes that the 9/11 attacks provoked counter-productive security measures that stifle access to fruitful scientific research. Security expert Bruce Schneier talks with Science Progress about the science that makes us smarter and the security that makes us safer.
FRAMING SCIENCE
By constantly criticizing and responding to anti-science forces, are we only strengthening and propping them up?
Two new studies on the potential economic effects of the Lieberman Warner bill appeared late last week. Both are only based on the potential of current technologies, and both of them will prove to be totally wrong.
A quick look at some of the policy-related posts in the science and technology blogosphere: synthetic biology, the lack of science coverage on cable news networks, drug-resistant antibiotics, and rethinking the drug development process.
Last week’s stories about the future of grants for the younger generation of NIH investigators is just one piece of the larger puzzle over the state of funding biotech research. The Scientist offers a useful summary of the major stumbling blocks in pharmaceutical development and how they relate to financing questions in the drug industry, in university labs, at the NIH, and at start-up companies.
A roundup of some of the science and technology policy events happening around Washington D.C. from Mar. 17 to Mar. 21.
Science Progress and American Progress's Doing What Works project teamed up to produce a set of policy proposals that the Obama administration and Congress can adopt to reinvest in the building blocks of American science, innovation, and economic competitiveness. Read the overview of the five reports.
Science Progress proceeds from the propositions that scientific inquiry is among the finest expressions of human excellence, that it is a crucial source of human flourishing, a critical engine of economic growth, and must be dedicated to the common good. Scientific inquiry entails global responsibilities. It should lead to a more equitable, safer, and healthier future for all of humankind.