Proliferation-Resistant Nuclear Power ."The recent renewed interest in nuclear power, and probably its principal ticket to a robust place in the world's energy future, is its potential contribution to coping with the problem of global warming. To make such a contribution, nuclear power would have to expand ten-fold at least over the next 100 years. Efforts are underway in the US and Europe to design reactor technologies and fuel cycles that are safer, more efficient in their generation of nuclear waste, and more proliferation-resistant than today's systems. If successful, this could have a significant impact upon the way governments view nuclear energy (notwithstanding real concerns about waste disposal and safety). Harold Feiveson in The Journal of the Federation of American Scientists describes developments which could, on paper at least, herald the development of nuclear fuel cycles which states and sub-state organisations find difficult to divert into military uses.

By The Journal of the Federation of American Scientists , US.

Science and technology Policy Resource.

Child Care Subsidies. The federal welfare-reform legislation enacted in 1996, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, gave states new opportunities for meeting the needs of low-income families and children - including assisting with childcare needs. This report provides data on the patterns and dynamics of child care subsidy use. "The Dynamics Of Child Care Subsidy Use: A Collaborative Study of Five States" by Ann Collins et al is published by the National Center for Children in Poverty.

By National Center for Children in Poverty , US.

Welfare and Social Security Policy Resource.

Climate Change and Basic Income. The Sky Trust initiative is a proposal to use market-based incentives to efficiently reduce the U.S. economy?s massive output of greenhouse gases. All entities introducing fossil fuels into the U.S. economy would be required to obtain emission permits for the carbon in that fuel. The U.S. government would auction emission permits for 1.346 billion metric tons of carbon, the 1990 emission level. Initially 75% of the receipts from government sales of emission permits would be returned in equal annual payments to each U.S. legal resident. In the plan?s first year, 25 percent of proceeds from sale of permits would be made available to offset any unusual burdens imposed on either producers (firms or employees) or on consumers (such as people who must drive long distances)is published by the Centre for Economic Development.

By Centre for Economic Development , US .

Welfare and Social Security Policy Resource.

EITC and Financial Exclusion.Alan Berube, Anne Kim, Benjamin Forman, and Megan Burns show how, on average, each low income worker receiving the EITC spends about $200 on commercial tax preparation and "rapid refund" loans. They estimate that nearly $2 billion in EITC refunds nationwide were diverted to pay for these services in 1999. "The Price of Paying Taxes: How Tax Preparation and Refund Loan Fees Erode the Benefits of the EITC" is published by the Alan Berube, Anne Kim, Benjamin Forman, and Megan Burns show how, on average, each low income worker receiving the EITC spends about $200 on commercial tax preparation and "rapid refund" loans. They estimate that nearly $2 billion in EITC refunds nationwide were diverted to pay for these services in 1999. "The Price of Paying Taxes: How Tax Preparation and Refund Loan Fees Erode the Benefits of the EITC"is published by the Progressive Policy Institute and the Brookings Institute.

By Progressive Policy Institute and the Brookings Institute , US .

Welfare and Social Security Policy Resource.