This Week in Washington IP: The Future of Work, Clean Energy Innovation Tax Incentives and the Impact of Bad Science on Public Policy

https://depositphotos.com/1347530/stock-photo-u-s-capitol-building.htmlThis week in Washington DC is fairly quiet as Congress gets ready to enter recess for the holiday season. On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a meeting to discuss a proposed bill related to cybersecurity policies among NATO members. That same day, the House Higher Education Subcommittee will explore ways that the American workforce can be helped in trying to adapt to changes to job prospects resulting from rapid technological innovation. Elsewhere, Cato Institute hosts an event on the intersection of scientific research and public policy, and the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation will focus on changes to U.S. tax incentive programs that are designed to accelerate clean energy innovation.

Tuesday, December 17

Cato Institute 

Scientocracy: The Tangled Web of Public Science and Public Policy

At 3:00 PM on Tuesday at Cato Institute, 1000 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, DC 20001.

Scientific research is used by the federal government to a large extent when making major policy and funding decisions that are crucial to areas such as climate and nutrition. This event will explore the implications of research of poor scientific quality which can be used by policymakers to pursue unhelpful policies. The event will feature a discussion with a panel including Patrick Michaels, Senior Fellow, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and Former Research Professor in Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia; Terence Kealey, Adjunct Scholar, Cato Institute, and Former Professor of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge; Holden Thorp, Editor-In-Chief, Science; and moderated by Jason Kuznicki, Editor, Cato Books and Cato Unbound.

Wednesday, December 18 

Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 

Business Meeting

At 9:30 AM on Wednesday in S-116, The Capitol.

On Wednesday morning, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a business hearing to discuss S.482, the Defending American Security from Kremlin Aggression Act. If passed into law, the bill would amend provisions of international treaties among members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) regarding certain cybercrimes carried out on computer networks and through the use of communication-intercepting devices. The bill would also impose limits on the United States’ ability to withdraw from NATO.

Information Technology and Innovation Foundation 

Less Certain than Death: Using Tax Incentives to Drive Clean Energy Innovation

At 10:00 AM on Wednesday in 121 Cannon House Office Building.

The U.S. federal government’s annual tax incentives of $18 billion for projects related to energy innovation are well-meant but there are instances where those incentives have favored incumbents or immature technologies. This event will explore ways that these tax programs could be better targeted to accelerate energy innovation and address the issues posed by climate change. Representative Tom Reed (R-NY) will be a speaker at this event and ITIF research on energy innovation-related tax incentive programs will be presented by David Hart, Senior Fellow, ITIF; and Elizabeth Noll, Energy and Environment Consultant, EMN Strategies. The event will also include a discussion with a panel including Steve Capanna, Director of U.S. Climate Policy and Analysis, Environmental Defense Fund; Jeremy Harrell, Managing Director, Policy, ClearPath; and moderated by Dorothy Robyn, Senior Fellow, Boston University Institute for Sustainable Energy.

House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment

The Future of Work: Ensuring Workers are Competitive in a Rapidly Changing Economy

At 10:15 AM on Wednesday in 2175 Rayburn House Office Building.

Automated technologies will continue to obviate the need for human workers in a wide variety of industries. For American workers to stay productive in generations to come, they’ll need to adapt to workforce demands that are changing more dramatically every year. Government funding for worker education and development programs have been contemplated as a way that the U.S. can respond to the rise of robotics and artificial intelligence. The witness panel for this hearing has yet to be announced.

Image Source: Deposit Photos
Copyright: carrollmt
Upload Date:Dec 07, 2009 

 

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