Times Op-Ed Defends Biofuel Development

“The real scam lies in developed world protectionism and skewed subsidies, not the biofuel idea,” said Roger Cohen, an op-ed columnist for the New York Times in response to a recent spate of stories in the media, including an op-ed piece by another NYT columnist, Paul Krugman, that have criticized the use and further development of biofuels. “Fads come fast and furious in our viral age, and the reactions to them can be equally ferocious,” writes Cohen. “That’s what we’re seeing right now with biofuels, which everyone loved until everyone decided they were the worst thing since the Black Death.” The key, he says, is investment in the right biofuels. Read his op-ed here.

How Will China Power
The Olympic Games?

Beijing's Olympic stadium

As part of China's efforts to both deliver on its promise of hosting a "green" Olympics and to ensure adequate energy supply for the sporting event, the government will be closing down huge swaths of industry in and around Beijing to improve air quality. Cement, iron and steel, coking and other industrial plants will be closed down or curtailed. "Any additional energy used directly, not counting the additional jet fuel used to fly all the participants and spectators in from other countries, will be more than offset by the closure of industrial plants in North China during the month around the Olympics," said David Fridley, leader of the China Energy Group at Berkeley Lab. "Frankly, on balance, I would expect China's energy consumption to fall slightly or level out during July and August because of this." Full story.

Z Parking Lot Closed
Tomorrow, Wednesday

The Z parking lot, located just above the cafeteria and across from the ALS, will be closed tomorrow and Wednesday. The closure is required for the preparation of construction of the nearby Guest House. The lot will re-open on Thursday. Future closures of this lot are anticipated. See Today at Berkeley Lab for announcements.

Modeling to Build
A Better Fuel Cell

On the one hand, fuel cells are touted as a clean, sustainable energy solution; on the other, they are dismissed as too expensive and too far from market. Behind the contradictory perceptions lies a technology suitable for many applications. Among the problems that need solving before fuel cells become common in the marketplace are lowering their cost and increasing the durability of their materials — and developing clean, sustainable ways to generate, distribute, and store hydrogen, the fuel cell's fuel. Fuel cells are costly to study, partly because it’s difficult to image their interiors. Computer simulation of the processes in the cell, however, is a cost-effective way to figure out what's going on inside. Full story.

Science-Education Summit
Includes Lab Director Chu

A summit will be held in Washington D.C. tomorrow to gauge whether progress has been made on strengthening U.S. science and math education to improve economic competitiveness. The meeting — which brings together leaders from government, business, and education, including Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu — is a follow-up to the 2005 National Academies' report “Rising Above the Gathering Storm.” The report warned that the U.S. risks losing its position in an increasingly competitive global economy unless it takes aggressive steps to foster both basic research and stronger math and science achievement by American students. Other speakers include Tennesee Senator Lamar Alexander, Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, former astronaut and physics professor Sally Ride, and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

Energy Expert Assesses
Juneau Electricity Crisis

The Department of Energy is sending a senior energy expert to Juneau, Alaska to work with the city on conservation measures in the wake of recent avalanches that took out transmission lines from a nearby hydroelectric facility. This forced the city onto back-up diesel generators, which is expected to boost utility bills by almost 500 percent. Allan Meier, with Berkeley Lab’s Environment and Energy Technologies Division, will investigate the situation and offer the city and its residents options for conserving energy.