In preparation for Friday’s race, which starts at noon at the Firehouse, the K1 (cafeteria) lot will be closed this evening and most of Friday. At 11 a.m. on Friday, all traffic on the Hill will be halted. Cars entering Blackberry Gate will be stopped at the crosswalk just above Building 65. Cars entering Strawberry gate will only be allowed from Building 85 and up. Roads should begin to reopen around 1 p.m. Shuttle bus service will also be interrupted during this time.

Special Event: October is Energy Awareness Month

The Department of Energy is celebrating Energy Awareness Month with events and tips to encourage Americans to cut down their energy use, such as weatherizing homes and purchasing energy efficient appliances. Some steps staff can take here at the Lab include: turn out the lights when you leave your workstation, set your desktop computer power manager to “standby” when no activity is sensed for five to 15 minutes, and close fume hood sashes to minimum when not working there. Go here for more tips, a link to the Home Energy Saver program, and a list of 11 Lab breakthroughs that have improved energy efficiency.

People: Paper on Wind by EETD Authors Wins Award

A paper authored by Environmental Energy Technologies Division researchers Ben Hoen, Ryan Wiser, and Peter Cappers has won the American Real Estate Society (ARES) 2010 award for "Real Estate Sustainability." Additional authors of the paper — titled "Wind Energy Facilities and Residential Properties: The Effect of Proximity and View on Sales Prices" — include Mark Thayer of San Diego State and Gautam Sethi of Bard College. ARES is dedicated to producing and disseminating knowledge related to real estate decision making and the functioning of real estate markets. The paper is based on an Lab report, which can be downloaded here.

Employee Development: Enhance Your Research Publications

What’s the most compelling way to describe your research findings? Attend Berkeley Lab Learning Institute’s Writing for Research Journals workshop on Tuesday, Oct. 19, for useful tips on improving the clarity and effectiveness of research publications. This free, two-hour workshop will help postdocs, research assistants, and scientists better understand and respond to the needs of research journal editors and publishers. Learn how to write a clear abstract, organize and edit your work to meet journal standards, and obtain useful peer feedback. The instructor is director of UC Berkeley’s College Writing Programs. Registration is required.

EH&S: Drive Safely to Work Week — Are You Driving Distracted?

Anything that takes your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, or mind off your driving can be a big problem. In fact, studies prove that your brain cannot give full attention to more than one thing at a time. Driving distractions include:

• Cell phone use
• Radios and CD players (including loud music)
• Adjusting vehicle controls
• Passengers
• Programming GPS systems
• Eating
• Smoking
• Daydreaming
• Sleepiness or fatigue

Hang up the phone, keep your eyes on the road, and make sure your head is in the game.

Funding Opportunity: Submissions for Venture Lab Prize Due Oct. 12

UC Berkeley’s 2010 Venture Lab Competition will award $30,000 in cash as well as guidance from faculty, workspace, meeting space, and access to an extensive mentoring network, to up to four teams seeking to start a venture. Venture Lab slots will be awarded to the teams that best demonstrate innovative solutions to problems with commercial potential. Applications are due Oct. 12. More>

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