Alternative Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind & Hydropower Technologies Program exists to "improve wind energy technology so that it can generate competitive electricity in areas with lower wind resources, and to develop new, cost-effective, advanced hydropower technologies." The website for the program provides overviews of how wind power and hydropower work and exploration of the history and advantages and disadvantages of each. Publications, photographs, and related links are featured.

Most wind energy research is carried out at world-class facilities located at DOE's National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in cooperation with Sandia National Laboratories. Hydropower research is conducted at Idaho National Energy and Environmental Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

Fiscal Policy

Options for Responding to Short-Term Economic Weakness: The economy has recently been buffeted by several interlinked shocks, and the risk of recession is significantly elevated compared with what it is during normal economic conditions.

In response to a request from the Chairmen of the House and Senate Budget Committees, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has examined the potential role of fiscal policy efforts to expand aggregate demand in the current economic situation and the efficacy of various policy options to do so. This paper also examines options for dealing with the crisis in the home mortgage market, which has contributed to the overall economic weakness. It updates and expands upon a January 2002 CBO analysis of various tax options for stimulating the economy (see Economic Stimulus: Evaluating Proposed Changes in Tax Policy).

Federal Trade Commission Resources

These Federal Trade Commission: Energy and Environment Web pages compile FTC information regarding energy and environment topics such as labeling and advertising of fuel and automotive products, marketing claims concerning carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates, and EnergyGuide labels for home appliances, plumbing, and lighting products. In addition to consumer and business education materials, they also contain rulings and statutes, press releases and announcements, and other government documents.

Crime Data

How Crime in the United States Is Measured :

Crime data collected through the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) are used by Congress to inform policy decisions and allocate federal criminal justice funding to states. As such, it is important to understand how each program collects and reports crime data, and the limitations associated with the data.

This report reviews (1) the history of the UCR, the NIBRS, and the NCVS; (2) the methods each program uses to collect crime data; and (3) the limitations of the data collected by each program. The report then compares the similarities and differences of UCR and NCVS data. It concludes by reviewing issues related to the NIBRS and the NCVS.

Source: Congressional Research Service

Healthcare 2008

Healthcare faces a pivotal year in 2008, says PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute in its annual review of the top health industry issues: anticipation of the outcome of the 2008 presidential election and adjustment to a new Medicare payment system, additional reporting requirements, pressure on Big Pharma to cut costs and innovate, the rise of retail health services and the ongoing evolution of consumer-directed healthcare. The implications of these issues are addressed in the Top Eight Health Industry Issues in 2008, an annual review of the pressing issues in healthcare, released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute.

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers