First Steps Toward
Environmental Change
By John Boudreau

Lin

When Fuqiang Yang looks out the window of his 24-story office in Beijing's business district, he sees promising splotches of blue in the dirty sky. The researcher with the San Francisco-based Energy Foundation believes the Chinese government is serious about averting an ecological meltdown. The central government is calling for renewable energy to provide 10 percent of its energy use by 2010, and 16 percent by 2020. However, the United States needs to embrace tough measures before it can expect poor countries such as China to do likewise, said Jiang Lin, a scientist with Berkeley Lab's China Energy Group, which works with Chinese researchers and regulators to improve energy efficiency in China. Full story.

Smoot, left, Mello, center, and Mather

Smoot's Nobel
Carved in Stone

Berkeley Lab astrophysicist George Smoot was at the Nobel Monument in New York's Theodore Roosevelt Park earlier this month, when the Swedish Consul General and the city's Parks Commissioner unveiled the names of the 2006 Nobel Prize winners, chiseled in stone. Also on hand were John Mather, with whom Smoot shared the 2006 Physics prize, and Craig Mello, a winner in medicine. The Swedish Consulate erected the monument in 2003, which lists the names of all winners back to 1901. The names can be read in a high-resolution photo here. More about the statue is here.

NERSC’s Skinner Gives
Talk at Harvard Meeting

Skinner

David Skinner, leader of the Department of Energy’s SciDAC Outreach Center and head of the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center's Open Software and Programming Group, will give a talk for Harvard’s Initiative in Innovative Computing (IIC) next week. IIC is an interdisciplinary research and development center dedicated to using innovative computing tools to accelerate discovery across all scientific disciplines. Skinner will speak on “Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing: Resources for Science-Driven Computation.”

Cyclists, Cars Must
Follow Traffic Rules

A recent near-miss accident at Berkeley Lab involving a bicyclist and a motorist underscores the need for everyone to observe traffic regulations. Drivers and cyclists are subject to the same rules of the road, such as speed limits, right-of-way, stop signs, not passing moving vehicles on the right, and yielding to pedestrians. To make riding safe and enjoyable, cyclists should be aware of the Lab’s hilly terrain, dress safely (including helmets), and make sure equipment is working properly. New employees and summer students should also be familiar with the Lab’s traffic and bicycle policies. For a refresher on the Lab’s bicycle safety policy, go here. Safety Powerpoint slides for drivers and cyclists can also be viewed.

Guidelines on Avoiding
Injuries Outside Work

The National Safety Council has established June as National Safety Month. This year's theme is "Celebrating Safe Communities." Workplace injuries are on the decline, but the number of unintentional injuries incurred off-the-job continues to rise. Since a person inhabits many different communities throughout the day — work, home and every stop in between — the National Safety Council encourages businesses and individuals to take advantage of its safety education resources. Go here for safety tips related to driving, emergency preparedness, home and community.

Business Competition
For 'Clean' Technologies

Applications for the Cal Clean Open business competition are being accepted through June 30. Ideas for new businesses in the following categories are eligible: air, water and waste, green building, energy efficiency, renewables, smart power, and transportation. Prizes include cash plus in-kind services. Go here for more information, or contact Pam Seidenman with Berkeley Lab's Tech Transfer Office.

Staff Discount Tickets
For August Circus Dates

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to the Oracle Arena in Oakland August 16-19. Lab employees can buy tickets at a discounted price, up to $11.50 off for each. Go here to purchase, using promo code BERKLAB. Deadline for ordering is July 6.