The first month of the Director’s Carbon Cycle 2.0 Building Energy Savings Challenge goes to Building 70A, which reduced its energy use 39 percent the past 12 months through February from an FY 2008 baseline. Second place goes to Building 54 (the Cafeteria) with a 31 percent reduction and third place goes to Building 50A with a 24 percent reduction. Each month, the Energy Challenge will honor the top three Berkeley Lab buildings with the greatest monthly improvements in energy savings. The building with greatest improvement after six months will be treated to a BBQ or lunch for the entire building hosted by Lab Director Paul Alivisatos. More>
Research: APS Honors 50th Anniversary of Helium SuperfluidityBerkeley Lab physicist (and former director) Andy Sessler will be a presenter this week at the American Physical Society’s March Meeting. Sessler will speak at a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the prediction of superfluidity in helium-3 tomorrow. Sessler was the co-author of three papers between 1959 and 1960 that predicted helium-3 would, at sufficiently low temperatures, become a superfluid — a liquid that flows without viscosity or inner friction. That helium-3 would become a superfluid was also, independently, proposed by another group. The experimental confirmation of this prediction in 1972 earned the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics for Cornell University’s David Lee and Robert Richardson, and Douglas Osheroff of Stanford.
At the next Environmental Energy Technologies Division Distinguished Lecture Charles Weschler of Rutgers University will discuss “Indoor Chemical Exposures: Humans' Non-Respiratory Interactions with Room Air.” The event takes place tomorrow at noon in the Building 50 Auditorium. His talk will summarize findings about human/room-air interactions, and how measures that increase energy efficiency in buildings affect chemical exposures in indoor environments. More>
Berkeley Lab earth scientist Ian Bourg will present a lecture on “Clays, Brines and CO2: Molecular Scale Views of Interfaces” on Friday at 10 a.m. in the Building 50 Auditorium. Bourg's research is focused on the study of interfacial phenomena at the molecular, pore, and continuum scales. For those unable to attend, the talk can also be viewed online. More>
It is very important when moving office locations that Telephone Services is notified. Once the new location is entered into the database it will trigger an ergonomic request for a “relocation” evaluation follow-up. The Lab is committed to providing a safe working environment for all employees, so it is crucial that managers and ergo advocates are apprised of upcoming moves in order to quickly identify and solve any potential problems or safety issues.
The Red Wing work shoe vendor will be at the Lab tomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on Lawrence Road near Strawberry Gate. Employees may be required to wear safety shoes to protect from potential hazards. Those working in areas where there is a danger of foot injuries due to falling or rolling objects, or objects piercing the sole, may be authorized to purchase safety shoes. More>
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