Congressional Research Service http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/R41744.pdf Some Members of Congress have expressed concern over U.S. acquisition of rare earth elements that are used in various components of defense weapon systems. Rare earths are a collection of 17 elements on the periodic table, including a series of 15 elements beginning with atomic number 57 (lanthanum) and extending through … Continue reading »
Posted on April 14, 2011 …
Earthquakes: Risk, Detection, Warning, and Research
Congressional Budget Office http://opencrs.com/document/RL33861/2011-03-18/?26232 …Under the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), four federal agencies have responsibility for long-term earthquake risk reduction: the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). They variously assess U.S. earthquake hazards, deliver notifications … Continue reading »
U.S. Tsunami Programs: A Brief Overview
Congressional Research Service http://opencrs.com/document/R41686/2011-03-18/?26206 The NWS operates the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) at Ewa Beach, HI, and the West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WC/AKTWC) at Palmer, AK. The National Tsunami Hazards Mitigation Program (NTHMP) assists states in emergency planning and in developing maps of potential coastal inundation for a tsunami of a given intensity…The … Continue reading »
Battery Manufacturing for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles: Policy Issues
Congressional Budget Office http://opencrs.com/document/R41709/2011-03-22/?26212 The United States is one of several countries encouraging production and sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to reduce oil consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) provided federal financial support to develop a domestic lithium-ion battery … Continue reading »
