Environmental Engineering & Toxicology

Fellow Story

Garbesi organizes competition to get college students to think big about energy efficiency

"Our interest is to push energy efficiency as rapidly as we can to address very, very serious problems of climate change," competition organizer Karina Garbesi said. Read the full story and watch a video
June 4, 2012
Fellow Story

Mulvaney quoted on Dow Chemical's challenges with green marketing

“I obviously can’t speak for all farmers, but competition and the downward pressure on food prices means that farmers have to go to great lengths to satisfy customers,” Mulvaney said. “If there’s anything not in alignment with sales, it will not be balanced. Selling food is number one.” Read the full story
May 21, 2012
Fellow Story

Garbesi on battle between AC and DC systems in the push for greater energy efficiency

But away from transmission lines, DC is also gaining ground as an alternative in the developing world, according to Karina Garbesi, a professor and visiting researcher at LBNL. Getting power to remote areas from an AC grid is very costly and doesn't make much sense, since some of these regions can construct wind turbines and solar farms.
May 3, 2012
Fellow Story

Beller discovers a fragrant new biofuel

"Our findings add to the list of naturally occurring chemical compounds that could serve as biofuels, which means more flexibility and options for the biofuels industry," says Harry Beller, a JBEI microbiologist who led this study. "We're especially encouraged by our finding that it is possible to increase the methyl ketone titer production of E. coli more than 4,000-fold with a relatively small number of genetic modifications." Read the full story
May 2, 2012
Fellow Story

O'Rourke quoted in NY Times about fixing Apple's supply lines

When he became chief, many people wondered whether Mr. Cook, a skilled manager of Apple's operations, could ever rival the visionary influence of Mr. Jobs on Apple products. Instead, it appears Mr. Cook could make his earliest and most significant mark by changing how Apple's products are made. ''I want to give credit to Tim Cook for this,'' said Dara O'Rourke, associate professor of environmental and labor policy at the University of California, Berkeley. ''He's admitting they've got problems.''
May 1, 2012
Fellow Story

Hare harvesting methane from the Santa Rosa regional sewer plant's wastewater treatment process

At Santa Rosa's Regional sewer plant, ponds covered with fast-growing aquatic plants are being used to help clean toxics and pollutants out of the water as part of the wastewater treatment process. But there's another, very different benefit those plants can offer as well. While showing off the FAB project at the treatment plant, Caden Hare explained that the effort to develop on site energy generation was driven in part by the needs of the facility itself. Read the story and hear audio clips
April 10, 2012
Fellow Story

Nazaroff co-authored study that reveals humans emit about 37 million bacteria per hour

A recent study may give germophobic students yet another reason to dread going to lecture. A joint study of indoor microbial composition by UC Berkeley and Yale University researchers found that human presence causes a significant increase in levels of bacteria and fungi indoors. The average human emission, the study states, is about 37 million bacteria per person per hour.
April 6, 2012
Fellow Story

Mulvaney quoted in article addressing residents' concerns over Antelope Valley Solar Ranch One project

Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (SVTC) representative Dustin Mulvaney, an Assistant Professor at San Jose State University, works with SVTC to see that materials in computers and solar panels are safely handled and recycled. Mulvaney said First Solar is required to handle PV modules in a way that minimizes any accidental cadmium leakage at other sites. Most likely, he added, the biggest occupational hazard First Solar has encountered on the AVSR1 site is “workers being cut by broken glass.”
April 3, 2012
Fellow Story

Converting Waste to Fuel for Families in Africa

For 2011 Switzer Fellow Jeannette Laramee, it all started with designing a school in Zambia, Africa. That led to building systems that make biogas, which can save up to 10,000 pounds of firewood a year for a family in Africa.
April 1, 2012
Fellow Story

Wilson's study sparks statewide public awareness initiative

After compiling data from 21 Silicon Valley companies, Wilson and his co-authors Heather Madison and Steven Healy discovered that 57 percent of the companies surveyed did not have a confined space safety plan in place other than to call the fire department. As a result, the companies resort to calling 911 in the case of any confined space emergency. “The employers need to take responsibility for having a way to rescue their employees in the event of a confined space emergency before the firefighters arrive,” Wilson said.
March 29, 2012