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Jack Osborn |
IEEE member John “Jack” Osborn was recognized by President Hoffman of the California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELS) for receiving the first “retired” license issued by the BPELS. Under current California law, only those engineers and land surveyors holding a retired license issued by BPELS shall be permitted to use the titles “retired professional engineer,” “professional engineer, retired,” or either of those titles with the licensee’s branch designation inserted for the word “professional” for example, “retired electrical engineer” or “electrical engineer, retired.” Mr. Osborn has elected to “retire” his California electrical engineering license, issued in 1948. He still holds an active Nuclear Engineer license.
Contributed by David Brown of the California Department of Consumer Affairs
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Robert J. Barker |
Edl Schamiloglu |
Two of our NPSS members, Dr. Robert J. Barker (IEEE Fellow and program manager, Plasma Physics, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, VA) and Professor Edl Schamiloglu (IEEE Senior Member, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM), edited an IEEE Press book entitled High Power Microwave Sources and Technologies that was just released June 2001.It is a volume in the IEEE Press Series on RF and Microwave Technology Co-sponsored by the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Society and the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society. Steven Gitomer, NPSS Editor-in-Chief, is the NPSS liaison to the IEEE Press.
What follows is directly from the back cover of the book.
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“Written by a prolific group of leading researchers, High-Power Microwave Sources and Technologies focuses primarily on the high- power microwave (HPM) technology most appropriate for military applications. It highlights the advances achieved from 1995 to 2000 as the result of a US Department of Defense (DoD) funded, $15 M Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program. The grant created a synergy between researchers in the DoD laboratories and the academic community, and established links with the microwave vacuum electronics industry, which has led to unprecendented collaborations that transcend laboratory and disciplinary boundaries.
This essential reference provides the history, state-of-the-art, and possible future of HPM source research and technologies. The first alternative to the multiplicity of detailed applications-based HPM books and journal articles, this book familiarizes the reader with recent advances in this rapidly changing field. It presents a compendium of valuable information on HPM sources, representing significant enabling technologies, including beam and rf control, cathodes, windows, and computational techniques.
The era of utilizing computational techniques to electronically deisgn an HPM source prior to actually building the hardware has arrived. Gain insight into proven techniques and solutions that will enhance your source design. High-Power Microwave Sources and Technologies is an invaluable resource to researchers active in the field, faculty, graduate and post-graduate students.”
NOTE: All royalities realized from the sale of this book will fund the future research and publications activities of graduate students in the HPM field.
Editor’s note: Edl Schamiloglu is an elected member of the NPSS Ad Com. He can be reached at the University of New Mexico, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 323C EECE Building, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001; Phone: +1 505 277-4423; Fax: +1 505 227-1439; E-mail: edl@eece. unm.edu. Bob Barker can be reached at the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, AFOSR/NE, 801 North Randolph St., Rm. 732, Arlington, VA 22203-1977; Phone: +1 703 696-8574; Fax: +1 703 696-8481; E-mail: robert. barker@afosr.af.mil.
As advertised, life on the Hill as a Congressional Fellow is faced paced and, at times, chaotic. The word “now” is measured in minutes and at most hours. There is no right and wrong here; it’s politics, people, process, and patience. In the Senate, you need to know who’s up for election in 2002. It’s an incredibly partisan atmosphere. If we were all asked to change sides tomorrow — all Democrats become Republicans, and all Republicans become Democrats — we’d enjoin the battle with the same vigor and passion as we do now. Fortunately, I work for a wonderful, decent man, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. It also helps that we’re “right” on most of the issues (there I go again).
Although the pace is fast, the resources available to the staff are phenomenal. If I need information on some issue, I call up the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and speak to their experts. In a matter of minutes via fax or e-mail, I can get a quick summary of basic information on many topics. There are also “info packets” on most hot issues like energy deregulation or climate change. CRS has experts in just about any area. I’ve written memos to the Senator on everything from the Clean Air Act to Rooftop Telecommunications to Space Tourism to UFOs. Also, people have a tendency to return phone calls from a Senate office, whether it’s the Attorney General of a state, the chief counsel of the Federal Communications Commission, or the chief operating officer of a California utility. People are quite helpful and information is only a phone call away. Having a science background helps a lot. Without any understanding of the basic scientific endeavor, you’d have a hard time distinguishing fact from fiction, and there are folks on both sides of nearly every issue on the Hill. Science and technology plays an increasingly important role in making policy. My impression is that most offices on the Hill really value their science fellows.
I’m working on legislation to promote the development of clean, renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal. On February 6, Senator Reid introduced S. 249, the Renewable Energy Development Incentives (REDI) Act, a bill to expand production tax credits for renewable energy technologies. Under the legislation, renewable energy sources get a tax credit of 1.5 cents for every kilowatt-hour of energy produced. For wind production, that lowers the cost from 4.5 cents to 3.0 cents per kilowatt-hour, making it very competitive with fossils fuels.
In my first couple of months on the job, I worked quite a bit on S. 249. I got to spend a few days with the tax code — well, it was an experience and really nothing a scientist can’t handle. With help from my legislative director, I prepared the floor statement used by the Senator to introduce the legislation. Senator Reid didn’t quite follow the script, but his presentation was great. The Senator is really excellent with information and facts. He seldom (if ever) gets them wrong. After the speech I went to the Records Room, where the staff (me in this case) typically have 3 hours to make changes to the floor statement. This edited floor statement actually becomes the Congressional Record. I made a few editorial changes, but nothing substantive. Once again, the Senator seldom gets facts wrong and it’s not a staffer’s job to change the style of a presentation. I also prepared information for press briefings and some fact sheets on renewable energy sources.
The Congress is considering an Omnibus Energy Bill this year, but it’s a real hodgepodge as we approach the August recess. Any comprehensive energy bill will need to increase the energy supply and decrease demand through conservation and efficiency. A balanced and comprehensive, rather than a piecemeal, solution is imperative. It’s not easy to pass legislation in the Congress, but that’s the intent of the system. If legislation makes it through both chambers of Congress and is signed by the President, it needs to be pretty solid.
I advise the Senator whether or not to support certain pieces of legislation that are in my bailiwick, and my bailiwick is energy, defense, space, and technology. Everyone in a Senate office is spread pretty thin. Congressional Fellows are always concerned they’ll need to answer constituent mail, but it’s really not a problem in a Senate office, where we have several legislative correspondents to handle most of the mail. I get called in to answer letters from trade organizations or business people, often to prepare the Senator for a meeting with them. It’s amazing how open this government is. It’s amazing how much effort we spend responding to a single constituent. Part of that is due to the fact that Nevada has less than 2 million people, so we can take more time than a Senate office like California or New York. But everyone in Congress pays careful attention to his or her constituents. “Going Washington” is a problem for a Senator or Representative, who can find themselves voted out of office in a heartbeat. “Putting Nevadans First” is our primary goal in all the legislation we sponsor. An issue has to matter to the citizens of our state. Before I recommend that the Senator cosponsor a piece of legislation, I ask the question: “Does this matter to the citizens of Nevada?”
Working for Senator Reid is a little different than working for other senators because he is the Assistant Democratic Leader or Majority “Whip.” I have an 8:30 AM meeting on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays at his Whip Office in the Capitol to go over press and legislative strategy. The Senator attends these meetings a few times a month. It is insightful to see politics in action. Senator Reid has gotten some real kudos as the Whip. The Democrats are more united, more moderate, and more focused than they have been in years, and he intends to keep them directed in the middle of the political spectrum. The Senator also has a reputation for working well with Republicans on bipartisan legislation.
In closing, you should know there are a lot of people on the Hill working very hard. In general, they don’t get paid much, but I assume they’ll get rewarded somewhere down the line. I’m learning at an incredible rate and everyday is a great experience. In my opinion, it’s really a privilege to work on the Hill. I have IEEE-USA and Sandia National Laboratories to thank for this wonderful opportunity.
Peter Winokur, NPSS President, is an IEEE Congressional Fellow who can be reached at Office of Senator Reid, 528 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510; Phone: +1 202 224-3542; Fax: +1 202 224-7327; E-mail: p.winokur@ieee.org.
Recommendations published in the recently released National Energy Policy (www.whitehouse.gov/energy) are not only of interest to U.S. citizens; they are being considered by people around the world. As the report states, “we must build strong relationships with energy-producing nations in our own hemisphere, improving the outlook for trade, investment, and reliable energy supplies.” In fact, an entire chapter is dedicated to “Strengthening Global Alliances: Enhancing National Energy Security and International Relationships.”
As a friendly neighbor to the north, Canada has been and will continue to be an important and substantial energy trading partner with the United States, continuing to serve U.S. energy needs as a supplier of natural gas, oil and electricity.
In 2000, Canada provided 14 percent of the U.S. natural gas supply through a network of pipelines originating on both sides of the country. In addition, oil trade with the United States increased 10 percent. U.S. electricity imports from Canada are derived largely from hydropower produced in eastern Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
Canada’s energy resources policy is based on the fundamentals of a market-based approach; on efficiency, timeliness and fairness in the regulatory process; on having full respect for the principles of sustainable development; and on respect for the environment. Further, Canadians are active participants in international trade and investment. The country’s population itself is a mosaic of the world’s races, religions and ethnic groups, all of whom are encouraged to maintain, develop and share their traditions and culture. This encouragement supports our international business dealings.
Alberta’s Oil Sands deposits contain more than 300 billion barrels of recoverable reserves. This is more than the resource base of Saudi Arabia, the world’s top producer.
Canada is also a vast country that has been blessed with an abundance of natural resources. Likewise, we recognize our role as stewards of these non-renewable resources. Our respect for the environment and our goal to promote global equity in distributing these resources to benefit all people is an important component of our national character. We understand the overwhelming U.S. influence on hemispheric affairs and work diligently to control our own sovereignty, preserving our heritage and culture. We respect the concerns of our native people, who have long-standing interests, particularly related to the pipelines being built in the north that that will form part of the network that delivers gas from Alaska and the Northwest Territories to the United States.
We also recognize the economic value of energy trade with the United States. Together, the two countries are discussing related issues. For example, Alberta’s Premier (the equivalent of a U.S. state governor) was scheduled to meet with Vice President Dick Cheney on 14 June to discuss Alberta’s possible role in the National Energy Policy. The potential of the Athabasca Oil Sands in Northern Alberta (www.syncrude.com), coal-fired power plants, cogeneration, new technologies and infrastructure to support pipelines coming from Alaska and the Mackenzie Delta were among the subjects slated for discussion at this meeting.
Canada stands to benefit substantially from the National Energy Policy, anticipating economic gains in terms of investments, jobs and technology development. We recognize that many of our resources are non-renewable and have measures in place to ensure we manage them efficiently. We also look beyond the immediate. For example, Alberta’s government acted with great foresight 25 years ago when it passed the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Act, which created the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund (www.gov.ab.ca/200105/10681.html). The purpose of this fund is to set aside a portion of the revenues from oil and gas sales for future generations of Albertans, specifically for when our non-renewable resources run out.
Alberta’s Heritage Savings Trust fund has a current value of approximately $12.3 billion and earns more than $1.1 billion each year in investment revenue. The investment revenue is used for education and health care and to diversify our economy through such innovative programs as the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. The trust is recognized internationally as a model of responsible stewardship of the returns from our natural resources.
As stated by President George W. Bush, “America must have an energy policy that plans for the future but meets the needs of today. I believe that we can develop our natural resources and protect our environment.” Canadians share this vision of the future of reliable, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy.
Terrance Malkinson is a proposal manager/documentation specialist with GE Capital IT Solutions Inc. The opinions expressed here are his own. This article first appeared in IEEE-USA Policy Perspectives, June-July 2001.
Editor’s (another Canadian) note: The US also has its eyes upon Canada’s fresh water, while at the same time doing its best to keep out Canadian softwood lumber. Too bad that the water works in the US do not have as strong a lobby in Washington as do the US softwood lumber producers!
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It is our position that the title, Engineer, and its derivatives should be reserved for those individuals whose education and experience qualify them to practice in a manner that protects public safety. Strict use of the title serves the interest of both the IEEE-USA and the public by providing a recognized designation by which those qualified to practice engineering may be identified. The education and experience needed for the title, Engineer, is evidenced by
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