Chu

East Bay Leaders Pledge
'Green' Economy Action

With the stroke of six pens, the "East Bay Green Corridor" was created in a Richmond warehouse yesterday. In a statement of principals, four mayors and the leaders of both Berkeley campus and Lab pledged to bring their unique strengths together in advancing environmental innovation, emerging "green" business and industry, green jobs, and renewable energy. One of the signators, Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu, told a group of about 200 attending the signing ceremony that the campus and Lab will "drive the intellectual engine that can fuel the leadership of the East Bay" to harness climate change and benefit the local economy and environment. Read a San Francisco Chronicle story here. Go here to read a City of Berkeley press release on the pledge.

Parking Pass Exchange
At Cafeteria Today

The Site Access Office will be conducting an exchange of red General Parking Permits in the cafeteria lobby today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Lab employees must bring their ID badges and permits in order to receive a new yellow pass.  The red permits will no longer be accepted at the entry gates as of Jan. 1. For more information, contact the Site Access Office (x4855), or stop by their office in the Building 65A trailer.

Tickets for Dance
Club Gala on Sale

The Lab Dance Club’s Holiday Gala takes place this Saturday, from 7 to midnight at the Danceasy in El Cerrito (9951 San Pablo Ave.). Tickets will be on sale in the cafeteria today and Thursday from noon to 1 p.m., and at the onsite dance lessons in the Bldg. 51 lobby at noon on Wednesday and Friday. Advance tickets are $10 and $15 at the door. Go here for more details, or contact Peggy McMahan (x5980).

Lab SHARES Campaign
Ends, Prizes Announced

The 10th annual SHARES charitable giving campaign has ended. In its five-week stretch, 119 employees donated a total of $65,988 to a variety of charities. In addition, seven employees who made donations were selected to win raffle prizes, including a vintage Lisa computer and tickets to Great America and the Chabot Space and Science Center, among other prizes. The lucky winners are Suzanne Nolan, Jon Bashor, John Hules, Steve Virostek, Rosemarie Rodriguez, Susan Broadway, and Yuen-Ron Shen.

Smoot Funds Cosmology
Center With Nobel Money

Smoot

When Berkeley Lab astrophysicist George Smoot received the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics, his dreams for spending his share of the prize money ran far beyond buying a new car or paying off a mortgage. Instead, he wanted to create a center where scientists could tackle the cosmic questions with solutions worthy of future Nobel Prizes. That dream, the Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics, is now a reality, with a $500,000 endowment from Smoot, along with gifts from others, including fellow Lab physicist Saul Perlmutter, who will use a portion of his 2007 Gruber Cosmology Prize. Full story.

State Grant to Help
Trace Beach Pollution

Andersen

Marin beaches will soon get regular high-tech testing to detect and identify sources of possible bacterial pollutants. The county Board of Supervisors recently approved using an $848,000 state grant to hire Berkeley Lab to conduct high-tech DNA testing that can help pinpoint the source of pollutants. The monitoring — which utilizes a PhyloChip — can differentiate between bacteria caused by humans, cows, deer, seals, birds or other species. Gary Andersen, with the Lab’s Earth Sciences Division, is the project’s principal investigator. Full story.

Briefing Required
On Trafficking Victims

The U.S. Government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy regarding engagement in or support of trafficking in persons or use of forced labor, and has enacted federal laws in support of this. All Berkeley Lab employees are required to review a short informational briefing and sign an acknowledgement that they understand this information by Friday, Dec. 21.  For more information, contact Madelyn Bello.