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Daily Archives: October 18, 2011

Pew Center report identifies “Seven Keys to Success” for low-carbon innovation

News release: “Even in the face of uncertainty about climate and energy policies, forward-thinking companies are developing innovative technologies and solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide growth opportunities. A new report, The Business of Innovating: Bringing Low-Carbon Solutions to Market, released today by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change finds that leading companies are strategically pursuing low-carbon innovations to hedge risks, capture new business, and stay competitive with emerging markets and technologies…Written by Andrew Hargadon, Professor of Technology Management at the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Davis, the report provides a set of practical lessons for companies pursuing low-carbon innovations…The report is organized in four main sections that examine the motives and opportunities for pursuing low-carbon innovation; the unique characteristics distinguishing low-carbon innovation from other types of business innovation; seven keys to success in pursuing low-carbon innovation; and case studies of eight low-carbon solutions by four leading companies: Alstom SA, Daimler AG, HP and Johnson Controls, Inc.”

CBO: Options for Changing the Tax Treatment of Charitable Giving

Options for Changing the Tax Treatment of Charitable Giving, October 18, 2011 – Testimony before the Committee on Finance, United States Senate “Under current law, taxpayers who itemize deductions may deduct the amount they donate to charities from their adjusted gross income (AGI) when determining how much they owe in federal income taxes. That deduction… Continue Reading

The Effects of the Great Recession on Central Bank Doctrine and Practice

The Effects of the Great Recession on Central Bank Doctrine and Practice. Chairman Ben S. Bernanke At the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 56th Economic Conference, Boston, Massachusetts, October 18, 2011 “The financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, together with the associated deep recession, was a historic event–historic in the sense that its severity and… Continue Reading

Google Moves to Encrypt Your Search Queries

Official Google Blog: “As search becomes an increasingly customized experience, we recognize the growing importance of protecting the personalized search results we deliver. As a result, we’re enhancing our default search experience for signed-in users. Over the next few weeks, many of you will find yourselves redirected to https://www.google.com (note the extra “s”) when you’re… Continue Reading

Driving Biomedical Innovation: Initiatives to Improve Products for Patients

News release: “FDA released a report containing immediate steps that can be taken to drive biomedical innovation, while improving the health of Americans. The report addresses concerns about the medical product development pipeline, one of the most pressing challenges facing the biomedical industries. Release of the report, kicks off a new FDA-wide Innovative Initiative, which… Continue Reading

Report – The Delay Game: How the Chemical Industry Ducks Regulation of the Most Toxic Substances

News release: “By exploiting loopholes in the law, the chemical industry for decades has systematically subverted Environmental Protection Agency efforts to protect public health, a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found. As a result, the industry has made enormous profits while delaying restrictions on unsafe chemicals, largely by ginning up scientific uncertainties, according… Continue Reading

CFPB releases the CFPB Supervision and Examination Manual

Peggy Twohig and Steve Antonakes: “…the CFPB released the CFPB Supervision and Examination Manual, the guide for our examiners to use in overseeing companies that provide consumer financial products and services. Federal government regulators usually have manuals for their examiners. Our manual provides our examiners with direction on how to determine if providers of consumer… Continue Reading

EFF Posts Cell Phone Guide for Protestors

“Protesters of all political persuasions are increasingly documenting their protests — and encounters with the police — using electronic devices like cameras and cell phones. The following tips apply to protesters in the United States who are concerned about protecting their electronic devices when questioned, detained, or arrested by police. These are general guidelines; individuals… Continue Reading