While bicycles provide a healthy and environmentally friendly way to get around, most agree that riding in urban settings can be dangerous, particularly if cyclists don't understand the rules of the road. Bicycling on the steep inclines of Lab roads can be even more challenging. All bicyclists are reminded that wearing helmets is required while riding at the Lab. Also, those who use Lab shuttle buses to transport their bicycles must inform drivers prior to loading and unloading bikes on the bus. To help educate emerging bikers, or veterans who want to brush up on their knowledge, free safety classes are offered throughout the Bay Area. Training sessions are sponsored by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition.
BART train operators and station agents vowed to strike after regular service ends at midnight Sunday, which effectively would shut down the regional rail agency and force hundreds of thousands of Bay Area commuters to find alternate ways to travel Monday morning. Officials are urging commuters to plan ahead and consider alternative modes of transportation, such as buses, carpooling, or the ferry systems. The Bay Area transportation website 511.org has a website on the strike, which provides information on the various commute options available.
Berkeley Lab and China’s Tsinghua University forged ties on Aug. 12 to promote the development and implementation of building energy efficiency, a move intended to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S and China. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was entered into between the University of California, which manages Berkeley Lab, and China’s Tsinghua University. The MOU will strengthen and coordinate the efforts of Berkeley Lab and Tsinghua University scientists as they pursue energy efficiency gains in the building sector, which holds enormous potential for slashing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. More>
Special Event: Women Scientists' Council Luncheon Seminar on Monday The next Women Scientists' Council Luncheon Seminar is scheduled for Monday in Perseverance Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will feature Melissa Lunden, staff scientist for the Atmospheric Sciences Department in the Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Lunden will discuss "Atmospheric Aerosols: Inconspicuous Airborne Nano-Sized Particles that Significantly Influence Air Quality, Climate, and Human Health." Networking among participants will follow and lunch will be provided. For more information, contact Kamala Green (x7635).
Are you someone who travels to conduct Lab business? Then you may want to check out the latest issue of Travel Express. It includes an article on the Transportation Security Administration's recent implementation of the Secure Flight program. This will require the Lab's travel agents to request gender, date of birth, and middle name when travel requests are made, starting on Aug. 15. Go here to read more on this, as well as other articles on travel and the H1N1 Flu virus, and results from a recent TREX survey.
Berkeley Lab's Tennis Club will host its annual tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week (Aug. 18 and 19), from 5 to 8 p.m. The location has not been determined, but will likely take place on campus. The tournament is open to all staff and guests and their families. Players of all ability levels are encouraged to participate. Partners will be assigned at the tournament. Prizes will be awarded and light refreshments provided. To participate, e-mail your phone number, playing level (beginner, intermediate, advanced), and whether you will be competing on one or both days of the tournament.
An article in yesterday's issue of Today at Berkeley Lab on a career-planning workshop for postdocs listed the incorrect course number for registration. The correct number is BLI0118. Go here for more information, and here to register.
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