Investing in Clean
Energy Start-Ups
By Heather Ishimaru

Many of the state's best and brightest leaders in clean energy met in San Francisco Monday for the California Clean Energy Fund conference. Among them, veterans of energy conservation, including State Energy Commissioner and Berkeley Lab energy-efficiency pioneer Art Rosenfeld. He thinks there is no clean energy silver bullet to head off global warming, but new technologies will get us about halfway there. "There is a big potential in energy efficiency, and that plus some serious energy tax eventually ought to do the trick for us," he said. Full story.

Publication Looks
At Energy and Water

Home Energy Magazine, produced by members of Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division, has issued a special issue on "Water/Energy: Linking Efficiency Efforts." Across the nation, water use strongly impacts energy demand, and both are growing. In response, water agencies and energy utilities are taking steps to improve their water and energy efficiency efforts. This issue introduces water and energy efficiency technologies and strategies for builders, developers, contractors, remodelers, and others. A subscription is required to access articles.

Summer Lecture Today
On Cellulosic Biofuels

Cellulose

Chris Somerville of the Physical Biosciences Division kicks off the 2007 summer lecture series today at noon in the Building 50 auditorium with a talk on "Development of Cellulosic Biofuels." Somerville, an award-winning plant biochemist who directs the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology, will discuss the technical challenges associated with the production of cellulosic biofuels. This will require an improved understanding of a diverse range of topics in fields such as agronomy, chemical engineering, and microbiology. Go here for a complete schedule of this summer's lectures. 

Creating a Pipeline
Of Space Scientists

Blakely

Students and scientists from around the globe and from throughout the U.S. have come to New York this month to participate in the fourth annual NASA Space Radiation Summer School at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Berkeley Lab life scientist Eleanor Blakely is this year's school director. "Our goal is to attract the highest quality students from diverse scientific backgrounds and help train them to be the next wave of space radiation researchers," she said. Full story.

Library Journal Survey
Extended to Sunday

This week is the last chance to vote for your favorite journals. Go here to take the Lab's library journal survey. Those who've taken the survey previously will have their old votes provided for reference (note: some journal names have changed, so proofread responses carefully). The survey will help administrators determine the importance of individual journals to make appropriate subscription decisions. The new survey deadline is Sunday.

Final Sale of Excess Central Stores Items Through June

As part of the final disbursement of materials from Central Stores, Lab divisions can purchase excess items through June 29. Go here to see a list of these items. After this sale, all remaining items on the list will be immediately processed as excess. To make a purchase, e-mail Central Stores or send a fax to x4211. There will be no over-the-counter sales and quantities are limited to what's on hand.

Simulation of pedestrian bridge over Hearst Ave. near Gayley Rd.

Pedestrian Bridge Work
To Slow Traffic June 25

The UC Berkeley campus is going to be constructing a new pedestrian bridge connecting the LaLoma Foothill Student Housing units on both sides of Hearst just below Cyclotron Road. On Monday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., Hearst Ave. will be closed between Gayley and Highland Roads (Lab buses and other vehicles will be directed to and from the Lab’s Blackberry Gate via Highland). Hearst Ave. may also be restricted to one-way traffic for some periods on June 30 and July 1. Contact Laura Chen with questions.