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Berzerkly regulates nanotechnology - sort of
It is hard enough to regulate something when you know what it is, what it does, how it works and who is actually making it. Not if you're a DemocRat. Or a far-left "liberal." ( But I repeat myself.) Nabil Al-Hadithy had none of those advantages when he began to consider what if anything Berkeley, Calif., wanted to do about regulating nanotechnology. That issue became a concern for Mr. Al-Hadithy, the citys hazardous waste manager, when a federal research laboratory affiliated with the University of California filed an environmental impact statement three years ago for its latest building project a molecular foundry to make nanoparticles. We sent them a bunch of questions, starting with: What the heck is a nanoparticle? Mr. Al-Hadithy said. Don't watch pants commercials, do ya', Al-baby? It turns out to be a deceptively complicated question, but that did not stop Mr. Al-Hadithy from coming up with his own answer. Of course it didn't. When the city council adopted his regulation last month, Berkeley became the first government body in the United States and possibly anywhere, according to some analysts to explicitly regulate businesses that make or use nanoparticles. Unlike most definitions of nanoparticles, Berkeleys has no lower size limit and so presumably covers individual atoms a fraction of a nanometer in diameter if they have been ionized that is, given positive or negative charges. I wanna watch the Berzerkers tell atoms what they can and can't do. It would be a stretch to call the new ordinance a home run for critics of nanotechnology. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California are exempt, Of course they are although the lab said it planned to voluntarily supply any relevant data it gathers as a byproduct of its research. And how much data do you think they'll think is relevant? Can we get a show of hands here? Mr. Al-Hadithy said he had no reason so far to believe that any business in Berkeley actually made or used nanoparticles. None has stepped forward, anyway. Berzerkley's motto: Regulate early and often! Rest at the link - if you care. Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-01-15 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=177854 |