REPORT ON THE SWST VISITING SCIENTISTS’ AWARD 2013 BY STEPHEN LARTEY TEKPETEY (PHD) FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF GHANA (CSIR-FORIG) AUGUST 2013 1.0 INTRODUCTION International visits are essential for networking and sharing of experience among scientists and researchers in diverse disciplines. Such visits expose scientists to best practices and state-of-the-art facilities in a particular field especially in advanced economies. Over the years, wood scientists, technologists and engineers, especially young ones from Africa and other developing countries, have not been able to participate in most international events and also visit reputable academic institutions, foreign laboratories and other industrial settings in the developed countries ...
Read MoreSharpen the saw. It can often be heard from the mouths of leaders, managers and business people, along with the occasional “motivational” speaker, but what does it really mean? In many of our lives it can simply mean that, go to the filing room at the mill and sharpen the saw blades. It can also mean that one needs to look at their own lives and sharpen the skills, the relationships and the focus of their lives. As we move into September, think about what sharpen the saw means to you and put it into practice.
Read MoreSusan Piedmont-Palladino, curator at the National Building Museum (NBM) and Professor of Architecture at the Virginia Tech Washington/Alexandria Architecture Consortium met with RNRFs Washington Round Table on Public. She was joined by Chase Rynd, Executive Director of the National Building Museum. Palladino discussed efforts by the museum to educate and engage the public about sustainability and other environmental issues through “green communities” and “intelligent cities.” Palladino spoke about the Green series of exhibits sponsored by the museum since 2003 including Big and Green (2003), Green Communities (2008), and Green Schools (present) and emphasized the importance of the museum as a ...
Read MoreJune 9, 2013 AT&T Conference Center Amphitheater 204 11:30-12:00 1. Minutes of 2012 Annual Meeting – Published in November-December 2012 Newsletter A motion was made, seconded and passed to accept the minutes of the 2012 Annual Meeting. 2. President’s Remarks – Alain Cloutier • 2013 SWST Annual Convention – This current convention is organized by Sheldon Shi • Strategic Planning Ad Hoc Committee headed by Michael Wolcott met for a few months by conference call and have narrowed the committees from 9 to 4 and streamlined the charges. • The new SWST Committee Structure is listed in the Executive Director’s ...
Read MoreWASHINGTON – Proposed formaldehyde rules by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been published in the Federal Register, paving the way for comments by the woodworking industry and other interested parties. Formal comments to the EPA’s proposed emissions standards rule and third-party framework rule can be submitted to the EPA through Aug. 9, the end of the 60-day period. Products covered under the rules include those made with particleboard, MDF and hardwood plywood. The EPA announced the proposed formaldehyde rules on May 29. Identical to emission standards currently in place in California, the Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act, ...
Read MoreLearn more about this family owned company that offers a fantastic opportunity to grow in your career! Product Quality Testing • Conducts physical and mechanical property tests on finished and in-process products according to a prescribed schedule, the Quality Management System, and work instructions to assure compliance and control to all HEW quality standards and process and product specifications. • Assures integrity of all results. Enters all results into spreadsheet, database, and SPC program and tracks key parameters with statistical charts. • Presents product/process variations to the leadership team. Process Control and Quality Assurance • Regularly checks all SPC monitoring ...
Read MoreSWST members, Howard Rosen and World Nieh, attended a Congressional Forum hosted by RNRF on Sustaining Natural Resources and Conservation Science: What is at Stake in the Years Ahead, in the Capitol Building on May 16, 2013. The forum followed RNRF’s December 2012 National Congress of the same name which was previously reported in the SWST Newsletter. Rosen, as chair of the RNRF Board, opened the forum with an overview of current funding challenges at federal science and natural resources management agencies. Following his remarks, those in attendance discussed the effects of diminished funding on these agencies, as well as ...
Read MoreBy: Donald Rieck and Wayne Winegarden It is basic Economics 101. Competitive markets create better outcomes than monopolists. Monopolists restrict supply and charge higher prices. Dynamically, monopolists face fewer incentives to create new products or improve how their products are made. In fact, creating new technologies or processes could undermine a monopolist’s current market dominance. What is true for the marketplace is also true for the regulations governing the actions of the marketplace. An interesting example of this principle is afforded by a current controversy over forestry certification programs. While consuming timber products requires the harvesting of trees, many consumers, ...
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