Through the engineering of materials atom by atom, the field of nanotechnology is poised to transform virtually every industry from medicine to textiles. Nanomaterials are already on store shelves in the form of cosmetics that blend more smoothly, tennis balls that stay bouncy longer, and stain-resistant fabrics that truly live up to their name. Researchers are creating new compounds all the time, but at one-billionth of a meter (less than half of the diameter of DNA), they have the potential to behave in unpredictable ways. Many seem to penetrate cell membranes and enter the brain with ease. Studies are beginning to reveal the damaging effects of some nanoparticles on the pulmonary, cardiovascular, and immune systems. Fish swimming in water containing just a tiny concentration of nano-size carbon molecules have been shown to incur brain damage almost overnight. Yet there is no regulatory framework in place to protect public health or the environment from these potential threats. The EPA doesn't require companies that produce nanomaterials to report any testing data, and the Food and Drug Administration, which regulates cosmetics, has so far ignored the issue. Jennifer Sass, an NRDC scientist, is working to raise awareness within the EPA and the media of the potential risks associated with the proliferation of nanotechnology.
-- Kathryn McGrath

Commuters, club-hoppers, and the otherwise too-tired-to-walk can now assuage pangs of gas-guzzler's guilt by hailing one of New York City's new hybrid taxis. The gas-saving engines are a perfect fit for cabbies, who do nothing but accelerate and brake all day long and who stand to profit from reduced fuel costs. After the city's Taxi and Limousine Commission initially resisted the hybrids on the ground that they didn't meet its minimum legroom requirements, NRDC helped the City Council draft special legislation to approve the cars. There are six hybrid taxis now in operation, and as that number grows, New Yorkers can expect cleaner air and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. New York joins Boston and San Francisco, two other cities where you can hail a hybrid.
-- Bennett Madison