Government Policy
Study: Tradeoffs needed in battling urban heat island effects
September 11, 2012 4:15 am | News | CommentsA team of researchers from Arizona State University have found that warming resulting from megapolitan expansion is seasonally dependent, with greatest warming occurring during summer and least during winter. Painting the roofs of buildings white can combat this effect, but not without consequences for the region’s hydroclimate.
EPA releases nanomaterial case study regarding nanoscale silver
August 6, 2012 6:05 am | News | CommentsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has completed and published a comprehensive environmental assessment (CEA) framework study of engineered nanoscale silver, specifically with regard to its behavior in disinfectant sprays. Though not a formal assessment, many factors such as product life cycle, environmental transport and fate, exposure-dose in receptors, and potential impacts in these receptors are covered in the report.
DOE grant goes to lithium-ion battery development
August 6, 2012 5:43 am | News | CommentsWashington University in St. Louis recently landed a $2 million U.S. Dept. of Energy grant with $1.2 million in matching funds from the university to design a battery management system for lithium-ion batteries that will guarantee their longevity, safety and performance. The development is geared toward electric vehicle technologies.
NSF reports on state-by-state R & D activities
August 3, 2012 5:20 am | News | CommentsA recent report released by the National Science Foundation (NSF) found state government agency expenditures for research and development totaled $1.2 billion in fiscal year 2009, a 7% increase over the fiscal 2007 total of $1.1 billion. The survey marked the first time NSF asked state agencies to classify their R&D according to specific categories.
Gas drilling research suffers from lack of funding
August 2, 2012 10:28 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsIs gas drilling ruining the air, polluting water and making people sick? The evidence is sketchy and inconclusive, but a lack of serious funding is delaying efforts to resolve those pressing questions and creating a vacuum that could lead to a crush of lawsuits, some experts say.
NREL study shows renewable energy potential in every state
August 2, 2012 5:35 am | News | CommentsA new study of renewable energy’s technical potential finds that every state in the nation has the space and resource to generate clean energy. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory produced the study, which looks at available renewable resources in each state and establishes an upper-boundary estimate of development potential.
23andMe seeks FDA approval for personal DNA test
August 1, 2012 3:24 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsFor years, the Silicon Valley company has resisted government regulation, arguing that it simply provides consumers with information, not a medical service. Genetic test maker 23andMe, however, is now asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve its personalized DNA test in a move that, if successful, could boost acceptance of technology that is viewed skeptically by leading scientists who question its usefulness.
Federal panel supports Kansas biosecurity lab project
July 15, 2012 2:20 pm | by John Milburn, Associated Press | News | CommentsA government-backed committee of the National Research Council issued a report Friday saying the United States would have adequate biosecurity protections even if plans for a proposed $1.14 billion lab in Kansas are scaled back.
Can fracking pollute water? Study tries to answer
July 13, 2012 3:51 am | by Kevin Begos, Associated Press | News | CommentsA drilling company in southwestern Pennsylvania has given researchers at National Energy Technology Laboratory access to a commercial drilling site, a move that may provide some of the first solid answers to a controversial question: Can gas drilling fluids migrate and pose a threat to drinking water?
Study: Natural gas “much-needed tool” in climate battle
July 10, 2012 2:54 pm | News | CommentsThe conclusion of a new study by Cornell University Professor Lawrence M. Cathles shows that, no matter the timeframe considered, substituting natural gas energy for all coal and some oil production provides about 40% of the global warming benefit that a complete switch to low-carbon sources would deliver. And, it would be a far quicker option than going to sources like nuclear or solar.
DARPA creates program to promote robotic actuation efficiency
July 5, 2012 7:41 am | News | CommentsHumans and animals have evolved to consume energy very efficiently for movement. If robotic actuation can be made to approach the efficiency of human and animal actuation, the range of practical robotic applications will greatly increase. To help this progression, DARPA has created the M3 Actuation program with the goal of achieving a 2,000% increase in the efficiency of power transmission and application.
FDA panel sees little use for metal-on-metal hips
July 2, 2012 6:38 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsGovernment health experts said Thursday there are few reasons to continue using metal-on-metal hip implants, amid growing evidence that the devices can break down early and expose patients to dangerous metallic particles. The devices were originally marketed as a longer-lasting alternative to older ceramic and plastic models. But recent data from the U.K. and other foreign countries suggests they are more likely to deteriorate.
China defends curbs on rare earths
June 20, 2012 3:44 am | by Joe McDonald, Associated Press | News | CommentsChina on Wednesday defended its export curbs on rare earths used in high-tech products as an environmental measure and rejected a World Trade Organization challenge by the United States, Europe, and Japan.
Study: U.S. must encourage development of Canadian oil sands
June 12, 2012 5:03 am | News | CommentsTo successfully reduce the United States' dependence on fuels from outside North America, the government must pursue policies that foster the diversion of Canadian oil sands crude to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, according to a new study by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Commercial space race gets crowded behind SpaceX
May 24, 2012 12:24 pm | by Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsNASA has hired Space Exploration Technologies Corp. to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, but will eventually add astronauts. And the space agency is hiring other companies, too. Several firms—at least eight—think they can make money in space and are close enough to Musk's company to practically surf in his spaceship's rocket-fueled wake.
A new look at prolonged radiation exposure
May 15, 2012 3:42 am | by Anne Trafton, MIT News Office | News | CommentsA new study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists suggests that the guidelines governments use to determine when to evacuate people following a nuclear accident may be too conservative. The study found that when mice were exposed to radiation doses about 400 times greater than background levels for five weeks, no DNA damage could be detected.
FDA advisers recommend approving weight loss drug
May 11, 2012 9:35 am | by Linda A. Johnson, AP Business Writer | News | CommentsAdvisers to government health regulators late Thursday recommended that they approve sales of what would be the first new prescription weight-loss drug in the U.S. in more than a decade, despite concerns over cardiac risks.
Support for climate change action drops
May 9, 2012 10:22 am | by Rob Jordan, Stanford University | News | CommentsAmericans' support for government action on global warming remains high but has dropped during the past two years, according to a new survey by Stanford University researchers in collaboration with Ipsos Public Affairs. Political rhetoric and cooler-than-average weather appear to have influenced the shift, but economics doesn't appear to have played a role.
FDA review favors first drug for HIV prevention
May 9, 2012 5:32 am | by Matthew Perrone, AP Health Writer | News | CommentsA pill that has long been used to treat HIV has moved one step closer to becoming the first drug approved to prevent healthy people from becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that Gilead Sciences' Truvada appears to be safe and effective for HIV prevention.
First of two papers on lab-made bird flu published
May 3, 2012 5:09 am | by Malcolm Ritter, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsFour months ago the U.S. government sought to block publication of two studies about how scientists created an easily spread form of bird flu. Now a revised version of one paper is seeing the light of day with the government's blessing. The second paper, which is more controversial because it involves what appears to be a more dangerous virus, is expected to be published later.
How biotech will benefit from new patent laws
May 1, 2012 5:48 pm | News | CommentsIndustrial biotechnology companies rely heavily on patents to attract investment to fund R&D. The recent America Invents Act stands to have a significant impact on technology innovators such as biotech firms, and two recently published papers from patent law experts help explain the extent of these shifts.
Study: Clean energy scale-up needs reality check
May 1, 2012 5:30 pm | by Mark Golden, Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University | News | CommentsIn a post-Solyndra, budget-constrained world, the transition to a decarbonized energy system faces great hurdles. Overcoming these hurdles will require smarter and more focused policies. Two Stanford writers outline their visions in a pair of analyses.
Study: America's clean energy policies need a reality check
May 1, 2012 12:28 pm | by Mark Golden, Stanford University | News | CommentsIn a post-Solyndra, budget-constrained world, the transition to a decarbonized energy system faces great hurdles. Overcoming these hurdles will require smarter and more focused policies. Two Stanford University writers outline their visions in a pair of high-profile analyses.
Student-devised process would prep Chinese shale gas for sale
May 1, 2012 7:18 am | News | CommentsA team of Rice University students recently fulfilled a challenge to economically turn shale gas produced in China into a range of useful, profitable and environmentally friendly products. In building its plan, the team had to deal not only with processing what's known as "sour gas" straight out of the wellhead, but also had to come up with a solid budget for the construction and profitable operation of the plant as well as a strategy to protect the environment.
Solar panels cause clashes with homeowner groups
April 25, 2012 8:37 am | by Ray Henry, Associated Press | News | CommentsThe government wants you to install solar panels at your house, and will even give you a tax break to do it. But your neighbors? Maybe not. Homeowners associations around the country have banned or severely restricted the installation of solar panels, and the solar industry has pushed back to halt the practice.
