My concern is with how our government research dollars are being spent. A recent look at the DOE website turned up a project receiving funding for the development of an artificial retina. While I feel that development would be valuable, it has nothing to do with energy. I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg. Working in the utility world for 32 years, I have followed the energy/economics/political aspects for quite some time and I believe we need more than innovation ... and that would be wiser use of our energy research monies, which would include the development of tangible goals toward independence.

Numerous agencies can trace their origins back several decades, however after all these years none of these organizations' projects have developed anything close to an economically valuable energy replacement solution that works in the marketplace. That is a pretty ugly failure given the Billions spent. I am not out to embarrass anyone. I want to see energy independence more than anyone else. That is why I believe that it is time to address this subject ... as uncomfortable and politically incorrect as it is.

Automatically increasing the budgets each year of government/research bodies has produced no progress. Kammen's statement that Pharma companies now invest more research dollars than Energy companies is an irrelevant comparison because Pharma does not produce energy. From an energy perspective how did energy company R&D actually vary? That would be relevant. I suspect that Kammen's comparison could be self serving jawboning I don't know that for sure but the media is full of spin today to manage public opinion.

While many PhDs are loath to stoop to even speak about 'directed research' isn't it time for at least a little return on the taxpayer's invested capital? I would think the research community would want to get this out there on their own so that in the long run the money will not be historically evaluated as welfare for researchers.

We need inventions that really deliver the goods rather than research papers that are archived and ignored. Maybe some of the research money needs funneled to entrepreneurs.

Where are our Edisons, Firestones, Carnegies, etc? Maybe Penzias can become one of those ... I hope.

I applaud your raising the consciousness about the smart people among us. Maybe wiser use of our finite research dollars would be a good editorial point too.

Bruce Cavender

Response to letter:  Time to Innovate - December 20, 2006

Copyright © 1996-2006 by CyberTech, Inc. All rights reserved.