Teeny-Weeny Rules
For Tiny Atom Clusters
By Barnaby Feder

This story appeared in the New York Times Opinion Section on Sunday.

It is hard enough to regulate something when you know what it is, what it does, how it works and who is actually making it. Nabil Al-Hadithy had none of those advantages when he began to consider what — if anything —Berkeley, CA wanted to do about regulating nanotechnology. That issue became a concern for Al-Hadithy, the city’s hazardous waste manager, when Berkeley Lab filed an environmental impact statement three years ago for its latest building project — a “molecular foundry” to make nanoparticles. Berkeley became the first government body in the United States — and possibly anywhere, according to some analysts — to explicitly regulate businesses that make or use nanoparticles. Full story.

Compressed Air Training
To Help Curb Emissions

McKane

The Compressed Air Challenge (CAC) is a private-public partnership devoted to helping U.S. industry tune up its compressed air system operations. The program’s initial goal was to improve system efficiencies 10 percent by the year 2010. According to the Department of Energy, a program sponsor, that gain will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 700,000 tons and lower industrial operating costs by $150 million. To achieve its goal, CAC has embarked on a comprehensive educational program to help end-users better understand their compressed air systems. “CAC’s primary objective is education,” says Aimee McKane, an environmental energy technologies researcher in Berkeley Lab's Washington D.C. Projects office. Full story.

Halfway Mark is Met:
Much Work Still Left

Two weeks into the 2007 Inventory period 11,489 of 20,813 barcoded assets have already been captured for a dollar value of $367,261,070, out of a total of $623,211,637. While these figures represent over half of the assets held by Berkeley Lab, Property Management cautions everyone that those were the easiest-to-find and that the search for the remainder will require extra time and effort.

Check Out the New
'Google' Map of the Lab

A Google-style version of the Berkeley Lab map is now available online. It can also be found in the BLIS Portal under the “Lab Info” channel. The new map makes it easy to locate any Lab building by simply clicking on the building number or selecting it from a pull-down menu. A bubble appears that gives directions from the main gate or another building. The map also provides the ability to zoom and get a satellite view of all Lab buildings and parking lots.

Input Sought on New Property Management Plan

Based on the findings of a review committee released last spring, a Property Management Improvement Project was launched in the fall of 2006. Managed by Kurt Deshayes, this multi-phased project is currently seeking the input of employees who participate in the property management process. This feedback will help Deshayes and other project sponsors develop a property management plan that best serves the Lab community. Comments and suggestions can be sent to Deshayes (x7866 or 316-6076). Go here to read a message from Deshayes about the project.

Computer Supplies
Available on eBuy

Employees are now able to buy computer peripherals and supplies directly from US Falcon/CDW-G using eBuy instead of submitting requisitions to Procurement. Certain items will not be available via eBuy, such as MPC and Dell computers and certain brands of software. To purchase MPC and Dell computers please visit the Computer Store. For purchases of Microsoft, Adobe, and Mathematica software, contact [email protected]. The LBNL Computer Store's Software page has further information. eBuy is accessible through http://ebuy.lbl.gov, BLIS (under Lifeline Applications), and the Procurement homepage using Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari.