Monthly Archive for March, 2008

Funding the Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

From Rep. Rush Holt’s (D-NJ) weekly email newsletter | March 28, 2008

“This month, the Alzheimer’s Association issued a new report, 2008 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, which contains powerful data about the disease. As reported, 5.2 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s and an estimated 10 million baby boomers – one out of eight – will develop the disease. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.

Alzheimer’s is a tragic and devastating disease that touches us all in some way. Congress and the President should ensure that the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health have the funding they need to advance research into the disease.

More than 20 years ago, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) – a support agency created to provide Congress with objective and authoritative analysis of complex scientific and technical issues to aid in policymaking – issued “Losing a Million Minds: Confronting the Tragedy of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias.” This comprehensive and valuable report remains an important resource about the disease and what we need to do to combat it. It is also a good example of why Congress needs to restore funding for the OTA, which was defunded in 1994.”

Sincerely,

RUSH HOLT
Member of Congress

The Role of Chemistry in History

Student blog entries | March 26, 2008

Students at Dickinson College seem to be working on a class project in Chem 111. In their writing about penicillin, several students reference this 1995 OTA report.

Recycling is bad mmmmkay

I Would Tell the World Blog | March 21, 2008

The author responds to a 2003 article on recycling, waste, and garbage. In the paper, the author cites a 1989 OTA report on trash in the U.S.

Voters Want a Transparent Prez

Wisconsin State Journal editorial | March 15, 2008

The paper’s editorial board, as part of Sunshine Week, calls for transparency in government, especially among the candidates for president. This editorial mentions Hillary Clinton’s proposal to bring back the Office of Technology Assessment.

Boycott of the American Cancer Society

This is a repost from the Action Pa web site | March 14, 2008

In an article about cancer treatments and the American Cancer Society, this 1990 OTA report on unconventional cancer treatments is cited.

Why Dealing With Climate Change Won’t Bankrupt Us

By Marianne Lavelle | US News and World Report, Beyond the Barrel blog | March 13, 2008

Ms. Lavalle discusses cost estimates associated with policies to mitigate climate change. She references a “long forgotten study” by OTA and mentions how it’s hard to find the reports online. Don’t worry- we’re working to change that!