Innovations

Is Geoengineering a Good Idea?

September 5, 2008 2:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A number of ideas that go far beyond cutting down greenhouse gas emissions have been floated to combat the effects of global warming, such as seeding the atmosphere with reflective particles or placing giant mirrors in space to divert sunlight from the planet. The International Herald Tribune reports that some scientists say such plans could have unintended negative effects, while the Royal Society, a British scientific body, says they might become necessary regardless of how risky they are.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Industry Goes on Offense on Medical Device Approvals

September 5, 2008 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Meghan McCarthy

A new report from the Advanced Medical Technology Association, or AdvaMed, aims to stress the safety and efficacy of the current Food and Drug Administration (FDA) process for approving medical devices to counter criticism of the process that could appear in an upcoming Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

GAO reports released in January and May of this year have been highly critical of the FDA's medical device approval processes. The reports found that the agency has not met requirements to inspect domestic plants manufacturing medical devices every two years, and that FDA also faces major challenges inspecting foreign establishments. The new GAO report is expected to be released in September.

Continue reading Industry Goes on Offense on Medical Device Approvals.

Candidates Have Big Differences on Energy

September 4, 2008 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Republican presidential candidate John McCain opposes subsidies, earmarks, and heavy regulation regarding energy, while Democrat Barack Obama wants a stronger federal role in developing renewable energy, according to a report from the research firm New Energy Finance. CNET News reports that the firm dug through voting records and public statements to determine each candidate's positions on energy policy. It found, for instance, that McCain wants to scale back the government's role in promoting ethanol, while Obama would continue it.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Boston Turns Out the Lights to Save Electricity

September 4, 2008 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The City of Boston is starting a two-month trial of a program to turn off the lights in 34 skyscrapers as a way to save energy. The city estimates that turning off all the lights above the 30th floor between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. should cut the amount of electricity used for lighting by about 25 percent, according to the Boston Globe. If the program is deemed successful, it could continue year-round.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Costs, Regulation and a Touch of Corporate Responsibility Put More Green into IT

September 4, 2008 3:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

One research firm estimates that at least 2% of global atmospheric carbon emissions can be traced to the information technology industry because of the electricity consumed by PCs, servers, cooling systems, telecommunications gear and printers. Now, under pressure from tightening global anti-pollution standards, the threat of environmental lawsuits and more awareness of corporate responsibility, many technology firms are racing to place a "green" stamp of environmental approval on their operations and products, according to a report from Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Web pick posted by CQ Staff

Candidates Offer Answers on Biomedicine Questions

September 3, 2008 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Barack Obama and John McCain have provided answers to 17 questions related to healthcare and medical research posed by a group promoting health care as a higher national priority. Science News reports several similarities in the candidates' responses to questions from Research! America, of Alexandria, VA. Both believe in funding for the National Institutes of Health, support stem cell research, and let in more foreign workers with medical skills. The site links to the complete set of answers, and is seeking answers from third party candidates such as Ralph Nader and Bob Barr.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Like Dems, Republicans Aim for Green Convention

September 3, 2008 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By Catherine Richert, CQ Staff

Some call it a partisan re-branding, others call it genuine eco-friendliness. But no matter how you parse it, the Republican Party's efforts to host a "green" convention this week indicates the party has been doing some soul-searching when it comes to the environment.

"The Republican Party is the party of Theodore Roosevelt, who was the first to push conservation," said Melissa Subbotin, a spokeswoman for the organization that planned the 2008 Republican National Convention. "Republicans have a long history of environmental stewardship."

Continue reading Like Dems, Republicans Aim for Green Convention.

Obama Answers Science Debate Questions

September 3, 2008 2:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has responded to 14 questions about science and technology policy, posed by a group that had been calling on candidates to debate science issues. Wired summarizes his answers, which include a promise to increase funding for basic research and to lift the Bush administration's restrictions on stem-cell research. Republican candidate John McCain has said he will answer the same questions, but has not yet done so.

Continue reading Obama Answers Science Debate Questions.

Candidates Track Voters Online

September 2, 2008 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In an effort to identify more potential voters, both the Obama and McCain campaigns are engaging in online behavioral research, trying to target voters, donors, and volunteers by their individual interests. BusinessWeek says that neither campaign will discuss its strategy in detail, but that the effort is sophisticated enough in its tracking to raise concerns among privacy advocates.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Following the Campaigns on Twitter

September 2, 2008 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If round-the-clock cable channels and blogs that cover both the ideological and credibility spectrum aren't enough, now voters can keep up with the presidential campaign by follow what others say about the candidates on Twitter. TechCrunch reports that Stephen Taylor, a Canadian blogger and political analyst, has put together a website and a Facebook application called govtweets. The site scrolls a constant update of tweets mentioning the names of the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Web pick posted by Neil Savage, Xconomy.com

Innovations

Is Geoengineering a Good Idea?

Industry Goes on Offense on Medical Device Approvals

Candidates Have Big Differences on Energy

Boston Turns Out the Lights to Save Electricity

Costs, Regulation and a Touch of Corporate Responsibility Put More Green into IT

Candidates Offer Answers on Biomedicine Questions

Like Dems, Republicans Aim for Green Convention

Obama Answers Science Debate Questions

Candidates Track Voters Online

Following the Campaigns on Twitter

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