By Porter Wright on In an article in the September issue of Nature ("Nanotechnology: Small wonders"), Corie Lok reviews the beginnings and accomplishments of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) over the last ten years. The article attributes the creation of the NNI to four factors: – A booming US economy, particularly in the high tech sector – Support from the Clinton … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Capital Hill newspaper POLITICO carries an article today discussing how technology related bills awaiting votes in the Senate, including the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, are stalled due to the Senate’s focusing on the financial reform bill, the upcoming confirmation vote on Elena Kagan to be the next Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court, the upcoming … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Yesterday, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN), Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology introduced H.R. 554, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009. This is a bill identical to the 110th Congress’s H.R. 5490, which passed the House by a 407 to 6 vote, but stalled in the Senate. According to the Committee’s … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Andrew Maynard of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson Institute testified on October 31st before the House Science Committee. PEN’s press release is here and the full text of Maynard’s remarks are here. In his testimony, Maynard advocated six steps to improve nanotechnology safety and criticized what he believed was a lack … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on E. Clayton Teague of the National Nanotechnology Initiative is scheduled to testify before the House subcommittee on Research and Science Education on October 31 to address the NNI’s development of its "risk research strategy." NNI has been criticized by several organizations including the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, the American Chemistry Council, and DuPont for its delayed development of … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Nanowerk News is reporting that Representative Mike Honda (D-San Jose) introduced HR 3235, the Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act. The legislation is to "promote the development and responsible stewardship of nanotechnology in the United States." Representative Honda drew on the report, "Thinking Big About Thinking Small" when drafting the legislation for Congressional consideration.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The Risk Policy Report is reporting that Congressional re-authorization for the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the cross-agency program designed to study nanotechnology issues, is underway. The current funding is set to expire at the end of the 2008 fiscal year.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on According to a December 21, 2006 press release, both outgoing House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and incoming Chairman Bart Gordon (D-NT) urged the Bush administration "to establish a research agenda with clear priorities to ensure a greater understanding of the potential environmental, health, and safety risks associated with nanotechnology." I suspect that in 2007, … Continue Reading
