Scott Rickert, chief executive of Nanofilm and a Foresight Participating Member, writes in Industry Week on his work to advance both nanotech and nanosafety: “I saw the process in action this autumn when I joined a session of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Nanotechnology Work Group. This newly formed committee, which consists of stakeholders from science,… Continue reading Nanofilm president on nano for the environment
From Michael Toffel in the Berkeley Daily Planet: “…I asked the City of Berkeley’s Community Environmental Advisory Commission (CEAC), of which I am a member, to consider a draft motion calling for the City Council to ask a similar set of questions. This motion simply asks LBL to: 1. Publicly disclose how they are identifying… Continue reading Ground zero for nano controversy: Berkeley, of course
Joining DuPont and Environmental Defense, followed by Foresight, Nanodynamics CEO Keith Blakely has issued a call in recent Congressional testimony for 10% of federal nano spending to go toward safety studies: “The federal government, as the largest single investor in nanotechnology research, must take the lead in identifying the appropriate gaps in EHS information and… Continue reading Nanodynamics joins call for 10% nano funds for safety
There will be a webcast of the U.S. House Science Committee hearing on “Environmental and Safety Impacts of Nanotechnology: What Research is Needed?” to be held at 10 AM to noon Eastern time. Witnesses testifying: Dr. Clayton Teague, Director, National Nanotechnology Coordination Office Dr. Richard Denison, Senior Scientist, Environmental Defense Dr. Krishna C. Doraiswamy, Research… Continue reading Webcast this Thursday on Environmental/Safety impacts
J. Bonasia of Investor’s Business Daily gives a variety of nanotech perspectives from the Foresight Conference: “For now, green advocates appear to be cautiously optimistic about the technology. Many see it as a way to cut pollution and relieve human suffering. But they want to carefully assess nanotechnology as it evolves. ‘Nanotech is not understood… Continue reading Investor's Business Daily quotes from Foresight Conference
Another view of the clean water panel at the Foresight Conference, from Michael Kanellos of CNET News.com: “What’s the biggest hazard for the future? Global warming? Oil shortages? “A small, but growing number of people think that a looming shortage of drinking water constitutes a much larger crisis. Water consumption is doubling every twenty years,… Continue reading Lack of clean water: the biggest hazard
Now up: “Federal Government Regulation of Nanotechnology: Present and Future Trends” by Nancy White of Central Michigan University. She began with “The government is coming.” Areas likely to be regulated are limitation of self-replication and encryption of software used with nanotech. “Foresight’s policies will probably be used by the Federal government.” This pre-planning “should be… Continue reading The government is coming — nanotech regulation
Now we have Jo Anne Shatkin of Cadmus Group on assessing risks of nanoscale materials. She described the process she uses, making the point that hazards are different from risks—no material is completely safe, and there is no risk if there is no exposure. Risk = hazard x exposure probability. Risk assessment is for making… Continue reading Risk assessment for nanomaterials
Next up: Shannon Lloyd of First Environment on the potential environmental benefits of nanotech. She uses a life cycle assessment process to evaluate potential nanotech products. She emphasized that there are always tradeoffs in making these assessments and decisions. Costs are included. So far they’ve looked at nanotech for auto body panels and automotive catalysts… Continue reading Environmental benefits of nanotech
In today’s San Francisco Chronicle, Keay Davidson describes an Environmental Defense press conference calling for more testing of nanomaterials, and Foresight’s response: “Despite their cautionary tone, the Environmental Defense speakers’ remarks were welcomed Wednesday by Christine Peterson, vice president of public policy at the best-known institutional defender of nanotechnology, the Foresight Nanotech Institute in Palo… Continue reading Environmental Defense press conference, Foresight response
