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Editor's Note

February / March 2009 By: Bob Cochnar Volume 7 Number 1

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One of the little problems associated with the publishing schedule of a bimonthly magazine (Innovation is a good example) is the inability to come even close to the timeliness of, say, news reports posted on the internet.
We compensate by publishing articles that deal more with trends or with subject matter that seldom sees the light of day in other periodicals. By seeking out material that appeals to a readership consisting mainly of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, investors, tech company executives, academics and government officials, I think we've created our own niche.

But there are times when we take a chance by publishing articles about events and policies in flux. It's annoying to be overtaken by events, but we try to deal with it.

Our interview with Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) (on the page opposite) is a good example. As chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water, he is a major player in the ultimate funding of the many alternative energy projects proposed by the Obama administration.

This article, however, is being printed before the Senate actually grapples with the administration's stimulus package and before budget deliberations. And so Senator Dorgan must speculate as he provides us with an idea of his thinking.

What the Obama administration wants with regard to energy and science is published on page 17. What the administration gets remains to be seen. And so it goes.

One article that will stand the test of time is our piece on Steven Chu, the incoming secretary of energy (page 14). Because he was the director of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for several years, he knows his way around DOE corridors and his views on energy, not surprisingly, are reasonably close to President Obama's. It is fair to say that DOE is going to be a hot spot over the next four years. We will keep you posted.

Possibly the most controversial topic in the energy field is a desolate area of Nevada known as Yucca Mountain. It's where a lot of folks want to bury radioactive waste. It's also where some folks, notably Nevadans lead by Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, have put up "no trespassing" signs.

But work goes on, to the tune of billions of dollars. If we're going to see a revival of nuclear power in the country, we are going to have to come to grips with nuclear waste—if not at Yucca Mountain, then some place. For a good look at what's happening there, see John German's article that begins on page 29.
You might also want to read about the work researchers at Los Alamos National Lab are doing to capture and contain waste. That's on page 21.

If a colleague is borrowing your copy of Innovation even before you're finished with it, you might want to tell him or her that by merely sending us one of the postcards found in each issue or by going to our web site (www.innovation-america.org) and filling in the blanks, a subscription will be reserved in your colleague's name. We're happy to oblige.