Study Shows Irregular Exercise May Add Pounds

The consequences of quitting exercise may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study that determined that the weight gained during an exercise hiatus can be tough to shed when exercise is resumed at a later date. The study, conducted by Berkeley Lab life scientist Paul Williams, found that the key to staying trim is to remain active year-round, year after year, and to avoid seasonal and irregular exercise patterns. Most of all, don’t quit. Failure to do so may be a contributing factor in the nation’s obesity epidemic. Full story.

UC Management Skills
Assessment Program

The University of California will conduct its annual Management Skills Assessment Program April 27-May 2. The program is designed to help supervisors with 1-3 years experience gain more knowledge about their skills. Berkeley Lab can send five supervisors for training and two experienced supervisors to serve as assessors. The deadline for applying is March 14. Go here for information on costs and eligibility, or contact Karen Ramorino (x6316).

12kV Switching
At 10 a.m. Today

Starting at approximately 10 a.m. today, the Facilities Division will be performing 12kV switching to restore the system back to normal after the Lab’s  Jan. 9 outage. This switching should be transparent and no power interruption is expected, but the possibility always exists. Staff should take precautions to protect research and property. A hill-wide announcement will proceed the switching.

Budget Cuts Affect User
Building Construction

ALS User Building

The Congressional slashing of the requested increase in funding for the Office of Science has forced cuts in its Basic Energy Science (BES) division. BES funds research in materials sciences, chemistry, condensed matter physics, and related fields. These cuts are hampering plans to build some user facilities. Berkeley Lab received only $5 million of $17.4 million requested to begin construction of the Advanced Light Source User Support Building. Construction will be delayed by at least a year, says project director Joseph Harkins, and will likely exceed its original $32 million budget. The DOE will be asked to cover the increased expense, Harkins says. If no extra money is available, then the capabilities of the new building would have to be reduced. Full story.

Big Oil has Trouble
Finding New Fields

Despite record profits, Big Oil faces some serious threats, such as difficulty finding new oil fields and political pressure to cut global warming. After years of silence on the issue, BP and ConocoPhillips have joined an organization of businesses calling for federal legislation that would require cuts in greenhouse gases. They're also dabbling in some of the alternative energy technologies that may one day replace petroleum. BP last year agreed to spend half a billion dollars over 10 years to create the Energy Biosciences Institute, a partnership between UC Berkeley, Berkeley Lab and the University of Illinois. Full story.