Termites Hold Clue To Replace Corn Ethanol

Miscanthus may be an optimal source of renewable fuel. Related to sugar cane, the grass can grow up to 20 feet in a season on land considered marginal for corn or soybeans. Planting miscanthus could yield enough fuel to power most of the nation's cars, assuming that processes to convert cellulose to fuel can be done efficiently, and this is where termites come into play. Scientists are studying these critters to learn how the enzymes they produce can break down and convert the cellulose in wood into fuel. The same process is at the heart of converting biomass to fuel to run our cars and heat our homes, explained Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu. Full story.

QUEST TV Features
Darfur Cooking Stoves

Tonight at 7:30 p.m. on KQED Channel 9 and KQED HD, QUEST premieres "The Darfur Stoves Project," featuring Berkeley Lab's Ashok Gadgil (EETD) and Ken Chow (Engineering). The show explains how Gadgil learned of refugee women in Darfur walking up to seven hours outside relief camps to collect firewood for cooking, subjecting them to assault and rape; he conceived the idea of inexpensive, efficient cooking stoves that would reduce the need for fuel and provide manufacturing jobs to refugees. Chow and his colleagues in Engineers Without Borders made the idea practical. Go here for more information on QUEST. The Darfur Stove program will be posted on the QUEST site after it airs.

Lab Takes Steps to Reduce Water Usage, Per EBMUD

As part of an effort to protect dwindling water supplies, the East Bay Municipal Utility District has asked residents to reduce water use by 19 percent and institutions by 9 percent. To comply with this request, Berkeley Lab’s Facilities Division has already begun minimizing irrigation, with plant watering taking place on alternate days during the morning hours. Also being considered are opportunities to reuse some treated groundwater remediation wastewaters for non-potable uses. Measures can also be taken in individual labs, such as the elimination of single-pass equipment cooling. Go here for more tips from the Federal Energy Management Program on saving water in labs.

Cell Phone Company
Reps Here Tomorrow

AT&T (formerly Cingular Wireless) and Verizon Wireless will have representatives in the cafeteria lobby tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to answer questions on discounts, equipment, and promotions available to Lab employees for their personal cell phones. Details on headsets will also be available. A new law that goes into effect on July 1 prohibits drivers from using cell phones while operating a vehicle unless they are using a hands-free headset. Personnel from Telephone Services will also be on hand to answer questions on Lab-supported cellular service.  A limited quantity of wired headsets will be available for purchase for use on Lab-supported cell phones.