Nanotechnology Project

News

Project News

  • April 9, 2008 Slow Federal Action to Oversee Nanotechnology Leaves ‘Room At The Bottom’ State and local governments often have adopted trailblazing initiatives to address environmental, health and safety concerns in advance or in lieu of federal action. With nanotechnology, an emerging field of science with unknown risks, this practice is continuing, a landmark study has found.
  • March 7, 2008 EPA Issues Major Enforcement Action on Nano-Pesticide The Environmental Protection Agency has made the decision to fine technology company IOGEAR more than $200,000 for selling unregistered nano-pesticides. At issue are antibacterial claims made by IOGEAR related to its computer peripheral products. All of the products in question are listed in the Project’s inventory of nanotechnology consumer products.
  • February 26, 2008 Federal Toxics Disclosure Law Could Help Inform Public Of Nanotechnology Risks The Project has released a first-time legal analysis that finds a key federal toxics reporting statute could be applied to production and commercialization of nanotechnology, providing the public with more information about these revolutionary – yet still potentially risky – technologies.
  • February 19, 2008 Federal Nanotech Risk Research Plan Still Comes Up Short An improved but still flawed government-wide plan for nanotechnology risk research is the result of a broken system. Federally-funded studies essential to managing possible risks from this cutting-edge technology should be guided by a top-down strategy tied to projected commercialization, expected human and environmental exposures, and the regulatory decision-making process.
  • February 11, 2008 Know Your Nano? Free iPods To Those With High “Nano IQ”! Five free iPod Nanos are up for grabs! To celebrate the launch of our redesigned website, the Project is sponsoring a “Nano-IQ” contest. Winners will be randomly selected from those who successfully complete the five-question quiz. - UPDATE: Winners Announced!
  • February 6, 2008 European Commission Gives Grant To Investigate Transatlantic Oversight Of Nanotechnology Researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Chatham House, Environmental Law Institute and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, have been awarded a $587,000 European Commission grant to conduct an international research project on regulating nanotechnologies in the European Union and United States
  • February 1, 2008 Nanotechnology’s Future Depends On Who The Public Trusts When the public considers competing arguments about a new technology’s potential risks and benefits, people will tend to agree with the expert whose values are closest to their own, no matter what position the expert takes. The same will hold true for nanotechnology, a key study has found.
  • January 31, 2008 How Will Government Spur Technological Innovation In The 21st Century? At the January 22nd Congressional Nano Caucus briefing, project director David Rejeski recommended the establishment of a federal venture capital fund to speed the development and commercialization of green nanotechnology applications. This follows the release of a white paper on government-run VC funds by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Foresight and Governance Project.
  • January 28, 2008 EPA Takes First Step In Filling Nanotech Information Gaps The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published today in the Federal Register its plan for the Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The plan takes a positive first step by offering industry, non-governmental organizations and other groups the opportunity to voluntarily submit safety data on engineered nanoscale materials.
  • January 8, 2008 Food and Drug Law Institute(FDLI), Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Co-Sponsor Major Conference on Nanotechnology Law, Regulation and Policy Nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $50 billion in manufactured goods last year, according to Lux Research. By 2014, the market will grow to $2.6 trillion. Yet, despite this rapid commercialization, no nano-specific regulation exists anywhere in the world. Most regulatory agencies remain in an information-gathering mode—lacking the legal and scientific tools, information and resources they need to adequately oversee expediential nanotechnology market growth.
  • December 12, 2007 Nanotechnology Companies Need Clear Environment and Health Roadmap to Succeed Today, the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies released the results of a new survey of New England-based nanotechnology companies aimed at discovering how firms in almost every sector of the economy address the possible environmental, health and safety (EHS) impacts of new nanoscale materials and products. The survey found that these firms lack a clear roadmap of government EHS expectations and regulations for successful commercialization, as well as the information needed to meet those expectations.
  • October 31, 2007 U.S. Government Delays Nanotechnology Safety Measures Want to buy a bag of carbon nanotubes—in quantities from a few grams to hundreds of kilograms? With a credit card and Internet access, you can. But is the U.S. government doing enough to ensure the safety of these materials and the hundreds of other nanotechnology commercial and consumer products currently on the market? video
  • October 22, 2007 The Twinkie Guide to Nanotechnology The Twinkie Guide to Nanotechnology is an entertaining new video featuring scientist Andrew Maynard which mixes the iconic American snack cake with humor to unlock the mysteries of nanotechnology. In this 25-minute short Maynard serves up the complexities of nanoscience in bite-size morsels. video
  • September 25, 2007 Poll Reveals Public Awareness of Nanotech Stuck at Low Level National survey findings released today indicate that Americans’ awareness of nanotechnology remains low. Popular awareness is nearly as small as the tiny nanoscale materials and nano-enabled devices and products now flowing onto the market from this rapidly progressing technology that experts believe will usher in a new industrial revolution.
  • September 13, 2007 Federal Research Plan to Determine Nanotech Risks Fails to Deliver Almost a year in the making, a federal plan to prioritize research on the potential environmental, health, and safety (EHS) impacts of nanoscale materials has so many failings that its begs the question as to whether the government’s 13-agency nanotechnology research effort is able to deliver an effective risk research strategy, according to David Rejeski, head of the Wilson Center’s Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.