Daily update for 02/12/10
A new UK study on nanotechnology urges government involvedent in R&D for nanotechnology, despite the real threat that poses to innovation.
Moveon.org has a new television ad, filled with blatant falsehoods, criticizing a group of Democratic senators for trying to “roll back the Clean Air Act.”
Virginia’s plans to privatize state-owned liquor stores have been postponed indefinitely, also postponing all the potential benefits of privatization.
Nanotechnology, Moveon.org, and Fruit Pastries Daily Update February 12, 2010
1. TECHNOLOGY
Should the government should be involved in research and development for nanotechnology? A new UK study on nanotechnology says so, echoing a similar conclusion as several American studies. The study authors point to the alleged peculiar nature of the technology as justification, but can that be right?
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Vice President Wayne Crews on why government involvement in technological innovation actually undermines innovation.
“The government-picking-technologies model undermines economic liberty, innovation, wealth creation, national competitiveness (the endless and tiresome rationale for government R&D) and consumer benefits, and is itself the source of most risk, no matter how many white papers produced.”
2. ENVIRONMENT
Moveon.org has a new television ad criticizing a group of Democratic senators for trying to “roll back the Clean Air Act.”
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Marlo Lewis on the ad’s blatant falsehoods.
“No American smokes the equivalent of a pack a day, or even one cigarette a day, just from breathing the air. A study published by the American Heart Association, finds that a pack-a-day smoker gets a daily dose of 140 to 240 milligrams of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), whereas a non-smoker living in a city with high PM2.5 levels inhales 0.44 to 0.56 milligrams per day.”
3. ALCOHOL PRIVATIZATION
Virginia’s plans to privatize state-owned liquor stores have been postponed indefinitely.
CEI Expert Available to Comment: Policy Analyst Michelle Minton on the benefits of privatization.
“Unfortunately, few [states] seem to understand the mechanism of why open markets actually financially benefit their state economy and even fewer legislators understand (or at least talk about) the individual rights component of getting government out of business.”