With a pave-it-all mentality, Houston is clearly warmer than the surrounding plains, its asphalt-covered roads and roofs storing heat and stoking summer's fiery temperatures by up to 9 degrees . . . Research into mitigating heat island effects has only begun in recent years with a greater recognition of the problem. Although results have been mixed, some research is promising. By placing a reflective roof on a Target store in Austin two years ago, scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory lowered temperatures from a summer high of 168 degrees to 126, dropping energy bills by 14 percent. The materials' extra cost was almost immediately offset by energy savings. Full story.

Lab Cited for Success
With ‘E85’ Fuel Plan

Berkeley Lab is looking forward to the opening of its new onsite E85 (ethanol) fueling station this summer. The station is one of the first of its kind in California, and a rare application of E85 on the west coast. The program has been cited by the Department of Energy as one of its success stories within regulated fleets for reducing the nation’s dependence on petroleum through the use of alternative fuels. Read about the program on page two of the Alternative Fuels Data Center newsletter here.

George Smoot Wins
Albert Einstein Medal

Berkeley Lab astrophysicist George Smoot was awarded the Albert Einstein Medal for 2003. The medal was presented by the president of the Albert Einstein Society, Professor Peter Fricker, at a ceremony on June 4, at the University of Berne in Switzerland, to honor Smoot's pioneering work on cosmic microwave background. The Society organizes the annual Einstein Medal public ceremony in Berne to honor a person for outstanding scientific achievements and cultural merit. Full story.