Carothers: A bottom-up approach to nanotechnology safety - WickedLocal Cambridge, USA
Within the next month, a panel of advisers to the Department of Public Health in Cambridge will deliver a set of recommendations to the City Council on how to deal with nanotechnology firms operating inside the city’s boundaries.
But Cambridge isn’t the first city to address uncertainties surrounding nanotech. About a year ago the city of Berkeley, Calif., put in place the world’s first ordinance requiring nanotech firms to disclose their activities. Berkeley’s mayor explained the absence of federal action on nanotechnology forced the city’s hand: “If the federal government isn’t going to do anything, it is up to us to step up.”

Soil Association first organisation in the world to ban nanoparticles - potentially toxic beauty products that get right under your skin - Soil Association, UK
The Soil Association recognises there may be benefits from nanotechnology. Yet, of the $9 billion per year being invested globally in nanotechnology, much is going to the development of cosmetics and health products. Many well-known companies such as L'Oreal, Unilever, Boots and Lancome are already developing and introducing these super fine particles into their products and none of these products are required to have labelling to warn consumers. Yet there is little scientific understanding about how these substances affect living organisms, indeed initial studies show negative effects.

Work kills - every three-and-a-half minutes - PSE, EU
A majority of Euro MPs, led by Conservatives and the Liberals, also rejected a call for nanotechnologies to be monitored and potential health risks assessed.
Said Mrs Willmott: "This is a missed opportunity. Everyone has the right to working conditions that respect his or her health and safety. It is a basic right that was included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights signed by this assembly just a month ago."

BSI publish first publicly available Guide to the Safe Handling of Nanomaterials - SafeNano, UK
The British Standards Institute today published the first publicly available extensive guide to safe handling of nanomaterials. 2007 Nanotechnologies - Part 2: Guide to safe handling and disposal of manufactured nanomaterials provides step-by-step guidance through the general approach to management of risks, information needs, hazard assessment, measurement of exposure, methods of control and disposal. It is intended to help manufacturers and users work with nanomaterials in a safe and responsible way.

New regulations for novel foods proposed - Cordis, EU
The European Commission has adopted a proposal revising the Novel Foods Regulation so that new and innovative foods have better access to the EU market, while consumer protection is guaranteed. One of the indicators of a novel food, according to the proposal, is the use of emerging technologies in breeding and food production processes. All novel foods and their use as ingredients shall be evaluated according to whether or not they present a danger to consumers or mislead them. If the new food replaces another, it should not lead to a nutritional disadvantage for the consumer.

Setting the nanotech research agenda - Andrew Maynard for The Bulletin Online, USA
Will the products of nanotechnology lead to new health and environmental risks? Does our ability to tinker with matter at the finest scale raise new ethical issues? Who is reaping the benefits of new nanotech applications, and who is paying the price?
In the past, the philosophy behind new technologies has frequently been "take care of the benefits, and the risks will take care of themselves"--often with disastrous consequences.

A Challenge to Indonesian Military: Nanotechnology In The Future? - portalHI, Indonesia
Nanotechnology will surely accelerate the military capabilities to a higher level, but, will it be graceful? Our historical path had shown a large number misuse of the military campaign including the use of military force to firmly establish an authoritarian regime. With better military equipment, it will be easier to do such a thing, won’t they?