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January 24, 2006 Diana Bauer US EPA Office of Research and Development

Embracing The Next Industrial Revolution: Emerging Technologies and Innovation Systems for Sustainability. January 24, 2006 Diana Bauer US EPA Office of Research and Development. The Future: Forecasted Trends (by 2050) Important for Sustainability. Economy: + 500%* Population: + 50%*

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January 24, 2006 Diana Bauer US EPA Office of Research and Development

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  1. Embracing The Next Industrial Revolution:Emerging Technologies and Innovation Systems for Sustainability January 24, 2006 Diana Bauer US EPA Office of Research and Development

  2. The Future:Forecasted Trends (by 2050) Important for Sustainability • Economy: + 500%* • Population: + 50%* • Energy Consumption: + 300%* • Manufacturing Activity: +300%* • Planets: +0% * – World Resources Institute, The Weight of Nations, 2000

  3. The Future: Desired Resource Sustainability Outcomes • Air: Sustain clean and healthy air • Ecosystems: Protect and restore ecosystem functions, goods, and services • Energy: Generate clean energy and use it efficiently • Land: Support ecologically sensitive land management and development • Materials: Use materials carefully and shift to environmentally preferable materials • Water: Sustain water resources of quality and availability for desired uses From Everyday Choices: Opportunities for Environmental Stewardship Technical Report Presented to the EPA Innovation Action Council, Nov. 2005

  4. The Future: Trends for Nanotechnology Development EPA’s Draft White Paper on Nanotechnology and the Environment (2005). Adapted from M. C. Roco (2004) Nanoscale Science and Engineering: Unifying and Transforming Tools. AICHE Journal

  5. Q: Keeping in mind possibilities for the future, should we try to… • Prevent potential negative implications of nanotechnology or • Help steer nanotechnology innovations towards improving our future environment and sustainability? A: All of the above We conventionally think of innovation as driving economic growth, but why not also adaptation of proactive environmental protection and environmental improvement that is balanced with the economy and society?

  6. What is required for innovation to solve society’s problems? • Opportunities for innovation need to be seen and understood • Requires a systems understanding of the environment as it relates to the economy and society • People need to have the ability to innovate • Requires education • Innovation needs to be valued; invested in • Requires funding • “Good” innovation needs to be diffused and scaled up • Requires a tuned socioeconomic and regulatory system, societal acceptance, good communication and information flow

  7. Foresight Nanotech Institute: Nanotechnology Challenges—Opportunities for the Environment • Meeting global energy needs with clean solutions • More efficient lighting, fuel cells, hydrogen storage, solar cells, locally distributed power generation, and decentralized generation and storage • Providing abundant clean water globally • Decentralized water purification, detection on the molecular level of contaminants, and greatly improved filtration systems • Increasing health and longevity of human life • Maximizing productivity of agriculture • Precision farming using nanosensors, pest nanocides, and inexpensive decentralized water purification • Making powerful information technology available everywhere • Networks of monitoring and environmental sensors • Enabling the development of space http://www.foresight.org/

  8. Potential of Nanotechnology for Energy Applications From EPA’s draft white paper on Nanotechnology and the Environment

  9. Nanotechnology could help replace toxic materials:Getting the Lead Out • Dr. CJ Wong of Georgia Tech, with graduate students Grace Yi Li and Kyoung-sik Moon, is developing electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) that are substitutes for leaded solder. • ECAs could simplify electronics manufacture by eliminating several processing steps. • Lower processing temperatures will mean less thermal stress on components and less manufacturing energy consumed. • 5 invention disclosures and 2 patents are pending

  10. US Federal Investment in Nanotechnology Research National Nanotechnology Initiative (2005): supplement to the President’s 2006 Budget

  11. A view of how research eventually leads to environmental improvement…

  12. For more information… • EPA’s draft nanotechnology white paper is available for public comment at: • http://www.epa.gov/osa/nanotech.htm • EPA’s sustainability website • http://www.epa.gov/sustainability • EPA’s draft research strategy for sustainability: • Request by Email: bauer.diana@epa.gov • EPA’s nanotechnology research grants • http://es.epa.gov/ncer/nano/

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