[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Nov 14 19:06:12 PST 2010
MIT
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Monday, November 15, 2010
The Way Towards ZERO Energy Homes: Energy Efficient Building
Technologies Based on European Passive House Technology and Zero
Energy Design
Speaker: Christoph Buxbaum(Carinthia University of Applied Sciences
and architect/consultant for building science in Austria)
Time: 12:30p–2:00p
Location: 7-431, The Long Room (former AVT)
Building Technology Fall Lecture Series
Climate change, declining oil reserves, depleted resources on the one
hand and changed needs, advanced qualities of comfort and a new public
awareness of energy efficiency on the other have sparked a revolution
in the way in which we plan, design and construct buildings for a
sustainable future. Building professionals across the world are
discovering sustainable design solutions as an instrument of
competitive advantage; one that drives innovation opens new markets
and reaches new customers.
Prof.Buxbaum, will give an overview of the design principles of energy-
efficient buildings, especially made in ?Passive House Technology.?
The lecture supplements individual basic knowledge about energy
efficient building design, passive solar concepts, solutions for new
homes and remodeling up to realization and construction and
prefabrication processes. Principles for the design and construction
process as well as detailed solutions for improved building
enclosures, high efficient window systems and state-of-the-art
ventilation systems with heat recovery to decrease ventilation heat
losses will be presented and examples of Austrian architecture will be
shown.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Building Technology Program, Department of Architecture,
School of Architecture and Planning
For more information, contact:
Kathleen Ross
253-1876
kross at mit.edu
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Monday, November 15, 2010
Coal-CO2-Slurry Feed for Pressurized Gasifiers: An Alternative to Coal-
Water-Slurry in Plants with CO2 Capture
Speaker: Cristina Botero, MIT, Dept. Mechanical Engineering
Time: 4:00p–5:00p
Location: 3-343
Center for Energy and Propulsion Research Seminar Series
Large-scale coal gasification in the power, chemicals, and synthetic
fuel industry relies heavily on pressurized entrained-flow
gasification technology, which produces a tar-free synthesis gas in a
relatively compact reactor.
The feeding of coal into a pressurized environment, however, remains a
challenge. Dry feeding systems are penalized by high capital costs and
operational complexity, while the economics of coal-water-slurry
pumping, which is simple and cheap, are only favorable for low-
moisture coals.
The feasibility of using liquid carbon dioxide, instead of water, as
slurrying medium for coal-slurry feeding systems will be addressed in
this talk. CO2(l) is available in plants with Carbon Capture and
Sequestration (CCS) and offers an attractive set of thermo-physical
properties which could significantly benefit different aspects of the
process, including the thermal performance of the gasifier. The
feasibility of the coal-CO2-slurry concept will be discussed based on
a first system-level study quantifying its performance in an
Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): RGD Lab
For more information, contact:
Patrick Kirchen
------------------
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Time Inconsistency, Expectations and Technology Adoption: The case of
Insecticide Treated Nets
Speaker: Aprajit Mahajan (Stanford)
Time: 2:30p–4:00p
Location: at Harvard - Harvard Hall 202
Time Inconsistency, Expectations and Technology Adoption: The case of
Insecticide Treated Nets
Web site: http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k74186
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT/Harvard Development Workshop
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa at mit.edu
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Growing Green Technology Out of the Lab and into the Marketplace
Speaker: Dr. Riccardo Signorelli - President and CEO of FastCAP Systems
Time: 5:30p–6:30p
Location: 66-110
MIT Energy Club Lecture Series
The ultracapacitor technology that is currently being developed at
FastCap Systems began as an idea seven years ago in the LEES lab at
MIT. Now, fueled by private investment and government funding, FastCAP
is pushing forward to develop and take to market its novel energy
storage technology, with the goal of revolutionizing the electric
vehicle and grid storage markets. But the jump from promising
laboratory results to the marketplace isn't an obvious one, and Dr.
Signorelli will share his experiences in launching a venture aimed at
commercializing material innovation in the energy space.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact:
Jared Silvia
jssilvia at mit.edu
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
GENE PATENTING: BALANCING ACCESS AND INNOVATION
Speaker: Moderator: Joshua Boger Biotechnology Industry Organization
David Altshuler Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT James C. Greenwood
President and CEO, BIO Chris Hansen Senior National Staff Counsel,
ACLU Leslie Meyer-Leon President, IP Legal Strategies
Time: 6:00p–8:00p
Location: 35-225
Patents on human genes have remained highly controversial more than
two decades after the U.S. Patent Office began granting them. The
controversy was recently brought to a head in the case of ACLU v.
Myriad Genetics, in which Judge Sweet ruled in favor of the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), invalidating several of Myriad's patents
on genes associated with breast and ovarian cancer. The case is now on
appeal and may eventually be brought before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Web site: web.mit.edu/tac
Open to: the general public
Cost: n/a
Sponsor(s): The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT, The American
Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and The Broad Institute
For more information, contact:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
617-253-0108
weinmann at mit.edu
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Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Pahoehoe: 8 people, 8 projects
Speaker: 8 students with innovative service projects
Time: 7:00p–9:00p
Location: 32, Stata Center, R&D Commons 4th Floor
Pahoehoe: 8 People x 8 Projects
Where Invention & Entrepreneurship Meet Public Service
The IDEAS Competition and MIT Global Challenge with the MIT Public
Service Center and D-Lab will launch the first Pahoehoe (Pa-hoy-hoy).
Join us to hear from eight people working on innovative service
projects around the world. You?ll hear from people working on
innovations in banking, employment, health, and much, much more. Come
hear the possibilities. Get inspired Find team members for your IDEAS
project. And find opportunities for collaboration.
8 people present 8 service projects in 10 slides x 30 seconds/slide.
No bullet points. All photos.
More information: http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/events/view/102
Web site: http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/events/view/102
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT IDEAS Competition
For more information, contact:
Kate Mytty
617-255-5474
mytty at mit.edu
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Geneology of Terrorism
Speaker: Martha Crenshaw, Stanford University
Time: 12:00p–1:30p
Location: E40-496
SSP Wednesday Seminar
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Security Studies Program
For more information, contact:
617-253-7529
valeriet at mit.edu
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Novel nanostructures in composite materials, interfacial science, and
medicine
Speaker: Prof. Todd Emrick (University of Massachusetts/Amherst)
Time: 3:30p–4:45p
Location: 4-237
MIT Program in Polymer Science and Technology (PPST) Polymer Seminar
Series
PPST sponsors a series of seminars covering a broad range of topics of
general interest to the polymer community, featuring speakers from
both on and off campus. We invite the polymer community at MIT and
elsewhere to participate.
Seminar 3:30 PM / Refreshments 3:00 PM
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/ppst/schedule.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: FREE
Sponsor(s): MIT Program in Polymer Science and Technology (PPST)
For more information, contact:
Gregory Sands
(617) 253-0949
ppst-www at mit.edu
--------------------
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Wulff Lecture: Computationally Designing Materials for the Clean
Energy Economy
Speaker: Professor Gerbrand Ceder
Time: 5:00p–6:00p
Location: 32-123
The need for novel materials is the technological Achilles Heel of our
strategy to address the energy and climate problem facing the world.
The large-scale deployment of photovoltaics, photosynthesis, storage
of electricity, thermoelectrics, or reversible fuel catalysis cannot
be realized with current materials technologies. The ?Materials
Genome? project, started at MIT, has as its objective to use high-
throughput first principles computations on an unparalleled scale to
discover new materials for energy technologies. This talk will address
successful examples of high-throughput calculations in the field of
lithium batteries and discuss other materials challenges in the energy
field.
The Wulff Lecture is an introductory, general-audience, entertaining
lecture which serves to educate, inspire, and encourage MIT
undergraduates to take up study in the field of materials science and
engineering and related fields. The entire MIT community is invited to
attend. The Wulff Lecture honors the late Professor John Wulff, a
skilled, provocative, and entertaining teacher who inaugurated a new
approach to teaching the popular freshman subject: 3.091 Introduction
to Solid State Chemistry.
Freshmen and undesignated sophomores are particularly encouraged to
attend.
Web site: http://dmse.scripts.mit.edu/news/?p=2443
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
For more information, contact:
Rachel Kemper
617-253-3300
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The PSEG perspective: The future of energy
Speaker: Dr. Ralph Izzo, CEO of PSEG
Time: 6:00p–7:00p
Location: E51-345
MIT Energy Club Lecture Series
Climate change is the most important environmental challenge of our
time, with far-ranging implications for New Jersey, the nation and the
world. Climate change is a real phenomenon and must be addressed now.
This global environmental and political issue will define the future
of the energy industry and reshape energy supply and energy use. PSEG,
New Jersey's leading energy company, is tackling this issue
aggressively on three fronts:
- Conservation through energy efficiency improvements
- Development of renewable energy resources
- Clean, zero- and low-carbon central station electric generating
capacity
Web site: http://www.mitenergyclub.org/events-and-programs/lecture-series/the-p
seg-perspective-the-future-of-energy
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact:
Jared Silvia
jssilvia at mit.edu
-----------------
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Soap Box: Probing the Plume
Speaker: Rich Camilli
Time: 6:00p–7:30p
Location: N52, MIT Museum
Soap Box: The Gulf Oil Spill & Its Consequences
The MIT Museum sponsors a series of salon-style, early-evening
conversations with cutting-edge scientists and engineers who are
making the news that really matters.
Meet environmental engineer Rich Camilli of the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution, and participate in an interactive
discussion about the latest field research in the Gulf.
Web site: http://mit.edu/museum/programs/soapbox.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: free admission
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum, MIT/WHOI Joint Program
For more information, contact:
Josie Patterson
617-253-5927
museum at mit.edu
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Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Lessons Learned in For-Profit Social Entrepreneurship: Battle Stories
from Two Veterans
Time: 6:00p–8:00p
Location: E62-223
Join us for an event with the Net Impact MIT Sloan & Boston
Professional chapters and the Progressive Business Leaders Network
(PBLN) featuring:
* Jon Carson, CEO BiddingForGood
http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/BiddingForGood.action
* Jules Pieri, CEO Daily Grommet
http://www.dailygrommet.com/
* Andrew Tarsy, Co-Founder & Executive Director PBLN
http://pbln.org/
Snacks provided.
**Please RSVP to Danielle.Chesebrough at gmail.com**
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Sustainability at MIT
For more information, contact:
Danielle Chesebrough
Danielle.Chesebrough at gmail.com
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
An integrated information theory of consciousness
Speaker: Giulio Tononi, M.D., PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Department
of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Time: 4:00p–5:30p
Location: 46-3002
Over the past decades, studies have investigated the neural correlates
of consciousness with increasing precision. However, why experience is
generated by the cortex and not the cerebellum, why it fades during
certain stages of sleep and returns in others, or why some cortical
areas endow experience with colors and others with sound, remains
unexplained. Moreover, key questions remain unanswered.
Read the full abstract>> http://mcgovern.mit.edu/images/stories/giulio_tononi.pdf
Web site: http://mcgovern.mit.edu/events
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Brain and
Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research
For more information, contact:
Vivi Hinh
vivih at mit.edu
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
Materials and Assembly Techniques for Unusual Semiconductor Devices:
Applications in Photovoltaics and Bio-Integrated Electronics
Speaker: Prof. John Rogers, Materials Science & Eng., U. Illinois
Urbana-Champaign
Time: 4:00p–5:30p
Location: 66-110
Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Series
The Materials Science and Engineering Seminar Series is sponsored by
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Materials
Science and Engineering, Materials Processing Center. To receive
notice of the events, join the matseminars mailing list, matseminars at mit.edu
at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/matseminars
Semiconductor technologies that involve transistors, solar cells,
light emitting diodes and other components on thin plastic or rubber
substrates offer mechanical properties (e.g. stretchability) and other
features (e.g. large area coverages, curvilinear shapes) that cannot
be achieved with established approaches. Recent work demonstrates that
it is possible to build such systems using active devices that
incorporate nanoribbons/membranes of Si, GaAs, GaN and InP, derived
from high quality, wafer-based sources of material. Deterministic
assembly methods that use these structures as solid 'inks' with soft,
elastomeric 'stamps' provide routes to heterogeneous integration on
diverse substrates, in two dimensional arrangements or three
dimensional multilayer stacks. This talk describes fundamental and
applied aspects of these strategies, and illustrates their application
to unusual classes of photovoltaic modules and bio-integrated
electronic devices, with the potential for use in utility scale power
generation and clinical medicine, respectively.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Center for Materials Science & Engineering, Dept. of
Materials Science and Engineering, Materials Processing Center,
Materials at MIT
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
Sloan Automotive Laboratory FALL 2010 SEMINAR SERIES
Speaker: Prof. John Heywood
Time: 4:15p–5:30p
Location: 37-212
Sloan Automotive Laboratory FALL 2010 SEMINAR SERIES
Seminar on topics related to engines, fuels, vehicle behavior, broader
transportation energy questions presented by graduate students,
faculty, researchers, and special guest speakers of the Sloan
Automotive Laboratory.
Topic: Trends in Automotive Technology, and Their Impacts
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering Dept.
For more information, contact:
Janet Maslow
3-4529
jsabio at mit.edu
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
Robots Working with People
Speaker: Rodney Brooks, Professor Emeritus, MIT & Chairman & CTO,
Heartland Robotics
Time: 4:30p–5:30p
Location: 32-123
Dertouzos Lecturer Series 2010/2011
The Dertouzos Lecturer Series has been a tradition since 1976,
featuring some of the most influential thinkers in computer science,
including Bill Gates, Steven Jobs, Donald Knuth, John McCarthy, and
Mitchell Kapor. Formerly the Distinguished Lecturer Series, the series
has been renamed in memory of Michael Dertouzos, Director for the Lab
for Computer Science from 1974 to 2001.
Abstract: Moore's law exponentials continue to help low cost robots
achieve new capabilities. Over the next two decades the majority of
robot deployments will be in situations where people and robots work
as a team. Sometimes the teamwork will be spread over time and space,
and sometimes it will be close physical interaction. Application areas
range from driving, to domestic chores, to healthcare, to services, to
agriculture, and to manufacturing. Sometimes the robots will be tools,
and sometimes they will be partners.
Biography: Rodney Brooks is the Panasonic Professor of Robotics,
emeritus, at MIT. Until 2007 he was director of CSAIL, the MIT
Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He is
curently the founder, chairman, and CTO of Heartland Robotics. He is a
current board member, co-founder, and former chairman and CTO of
iRobot (NASDAQ: IRBT). His research interests span humanoid robotics,
mobile robots, computer vision, artificial life, and the nature of
sentience, both wet and dry.
Web site:http://www.csail.mit.edu/events/eventcalendar/calendar.php?show=event
&id=2701
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): CSAIL
For more information, contact:
Colleen Russell
617-253-0145
crussell at csail.mit.edu
----------------------
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Communications Forum: Communications in Slow-Moving Crises
Speaker: Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica; Andrea Pitzer, Nieman
Storyboard; Rosalind Williams, MIT STS
Time: 5:00p–7:00p
Location: 4-231
Civic Media Series
Governments, corporations, and communities plan for sudden crises: the
White House drafts strong responsive rhetoric for the next terrorist
attack; Toyota runs reassuring national TV spots within hours of a
product recall; and 32 Massachusetts towns successfully publicize
water distribution sites following a water main rupture.
But some crises are complex, not amenable to news flashes and
emergency warnings. Like the housing collapse or the recent Gulf oil
spill, these crises don?t fit traditional media frameworks.. Because
they are slow-moving, simmering rather than boiling dramas, all our
media struggle both rhetorically and technologically to cover them.
With government regulators weak, corporations still focused on the
bottom line, and communities adapting to structural change, this
Communications Forum asks: What new media tools and strategies can be
used to help everyone better prepare for the unique communications
challenges of slow-moving crises?
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Communications Forum, Center for Future Civic Media
For more information, contact:
Andrew Whitacre
617-324-0490
awhit at mit.edu
----------------
BUILDing the Future: Energy Efficiency made in Germany
November 18, 2010 6:00p–8:30p
The architect who built the first certified passive house in China,
Ingrid Spengler, travels from Hamburg, to Boston to present her work
for the Expo 2010 Shanghai. That building had to be adapted from a
model designed for Hamburg, by the way the European Green Capital 2011
(http://hamburggreencapital.eu/) to the different climate (plus
technological and workforce advancement) of Shanghai (see also http://www.expo2010-english.hamburg.de/)
. Matt Noblett from the Boston office of Behnisch Architekten will
introduce the new Unilever HQ in Hamburg Hafencity, an exciting
sustainable urban development in a city that has so much in common
with Boston. The evening will be rounded out by a networking reception
hosted by Bodo Liesenfeld, Hamburg Ambassador to Boston.
Category: lectures/conferences
Location: Seaport Hotel, Boston Plaza B Ballroom
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Campus Events
Admission: Open to the public
Tickets available from Please register at: Please register at http://buildingthefuture.eventbrite.com
For more information: http://www.germany.info/BuildingTheFutureBoston
-------------------
Energy Discussions: Getting Renewables on the Grid
November 18, 2010 6:00p–7:00p
Perhaps the biggest challenge of switching to renewable energy
generation is accommodating the uncontrollable swings in energy output
when clouds roll in or the wind picks up. Wind and solar generation
produces power that varies on scales of minutes to seasons. In order
to deploy wind and solar at large scale, we need to learn to deal
effectively with that variability. Join members of the MIT Energy Club
and experts from the MIT Future of the Electric Grid study to discuss
what changes in the system operation of the grid will allow us to
mitigate the impact of intermittency as more renewables come online.
Please prepare for the discussion by reading the articles on the event
website.
A light dinner will be served.
Category: MIT events/clubs: interest clubs/groups
Speaker: Tim Heidel and Richard Zhang
Location: 56-167
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Club
Admission: Open to the public
For more information:
Contact Rebecca Dell: rwdell (at) mit.edu
http://www.mitenergyclub.org/events-and-programs/discussion-series
----------------------
Friday, November 19, 2010
Computation Lecture Series FA'10
Speaker: Timothy Prestero- CEO, Design that Matters
Time: 12:30p–2:00p
Location: 7-431
Title: Better by Design
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Computation Group Events, Department of Architecture
For more information, contact:
Daniela Stoudenkova
danielas at mit.edu
-------------------
Friday, November 19
12:30 to 2:00 PM
MIT Room 32-155
"C-ROADS: the Climate-Rapid Overview And Decision Support Simulator"
John D. Sterman
John D. Sterman will present how the failure of the Copenhagen climate
conference demonstrates a pressing need for flexible, user-friendly
analytical tools to quickly yet reliably assess the impacts of the
rapidly evolving proposals for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Such
tools should enable negotiators, policymakers and other stakeholders,
including the general public, to understand the relationships among
proposals for emissions reductions, concentrations of GHGs in the
atmosphere, and resulting climate impacts. He will describe and
demonstrate the Climate-Rapid Overview And Decision Support Simulator
(C-ROADS), a user-friendly, interactive computer model of the climate
system. He will present the structure of the model, compare it to more
complex models, and discuss how policymakers and other parties use it.
---------------
Friday, November 19, 2010
Architecture Lecture
Speaker: Michael Meredith, MOS Architects, New Haven
Time: 6:30p–8:30p
Location: 7-431
IN PROGRESS "MOS"
Web site: http://architecture.mit.edu/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Department of Architecture
For more information, contact:
617-253-7791
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Harvard
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Monday, November 15, 9 a.m.
Theodore H. White Seminar on the Press and Politics with Mindy Finn,
GOP online political consultant at Engage; Charles Gibson, former ABC
News anchor, Shorenstein Center Fellow; William Greider, national
affairs correspondent for The Nation, 2010 Nyhan Prize winner;David
King, Lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School; Susan Milligan, former
Boston Globe reporter, IOP Fellow; Alex S. Jones, moderator,
Shorenstein Center Director.
Malkin Penthouse, Littauer Building
--------------------------
How Social Networks Shape Human Behavior
Prof. Alex 'Sandy' Pentland, MIT Human Dynamics Lab
When: Nov 15, 2010 | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Where: Maxwell Dworkin 119
We have developed robust models of how social network dynamics shape
human behavior. These models are constructed by use of data collected
by my research group's unique `reality mining' sensor platforms, which
allow us to track the behavior of hundreds of people in great detail
and over long periods of time. The resulting models bring into
question traditional ideas about group selection in evolution, the
role of trust in society, the nature of social learning, and economic
mechanism design.
Contact: Carol Harlow
harlow at seas.harvard.edu
--------------------------
Why Developing Countries Urgently Need a Global Climate Deal ... and
Why They Shouldn't Wait for One”
WHEN
Tue., Nov. 16, 2010, 4 – 5 p.m.
WHERE
Northwest Labs B-101
52 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Science, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard University Center for the Environment; Center for
International Development; Bank of America
SPEAKER(S)
Andrew Steer, special envoy for climate change, World Bank;
discussants include John Briscoe, Gordon McKay Professor of the
Practice of Environmental Engineering, Harvard University (School of
Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health and
Harvard Kennedy School); and Daniel Schrag, professor of earth and
planetary sciences and professor of environmental science and
engineering, and director, Harvard University Center for the Environment
CONTACT INFO
Lisa Matthews: lisa_matthews at harvard.edu, 617.495.8883
NOTE
Join HUCE for the first "Green Conversations" lecture of the semester,
featuring Andrew Steer. Steer became special envoy for climate change
at the World Bank in July 2010. He is responsible for guiding the bank
group's work on climate change and further advancing its internal
capabilities in this area. In his post, which ranks at the level of
vice president, he will also oversee the multibillion dollar Climate
Investment Funds and help mobilize climate financing.
Prior to his appointment, Steer served for three years as director
general, policy and research at the UK Department of International
Development in London. Steer has three decades of experience working
on development issues at the country level in Africa and Asia, and on
global development issues. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the
University of Pennsylvania, has written widely on development issues,
and has taught economics at several universities.
Green Conversations are sponsored by the Harvard University Center for
the Environment with generous support from Bank of America. This
lecture is co-sponsored with the Harvard University Center for
International Development Sustainability Science Program. Free and
open to the public.
LINK
http://www.environment.harvard.edu/events/2010-11-16/green-conversations-andrew-steer-special-envoy-climate-change-world-bank
-----------------------
Farming the Ogallala Aquifer: Short and Long-run Impacts of
Unsustainable Water Use
WHEN
Wed., Nov. 17, 2010, 4:10 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE
Room L-382, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Business, Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Kennedy School
SPEAKER(S)
Richard Hornbeck, Harvard University, and Pinar Keskin, Wesleyan
University
LINK
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k73011
---------------------------
Science in the News' 11th Annual Free Lecture Series
Star Power: New Ways to Harvest Energy from Our Sun
WHEN
Wed., Nov. 17, 2010, 7 – 9 p.m.
WHERE
Armenise Amphitheatre
Harvard Medical School
200 Longwood Ave
Boston, MA 02115
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Education, Environmental Sciences, Ethics, Health Sciences, Lecture,
Science, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Harvard Medical School
Division of Medical Sciences
CONTACT INFO
sitnboston at gmail.com
NOTE
Free weekly science seminars about today's hottest science topics.
LINK
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu
-----------------------
What's Next? Feasible Options for Climate Policy in the United States
WHEN
Thu., Nov. 18, 2010, 1:15 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE
Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Building, 5th Floor, Bell Hall
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Business, Classes/Workshops, Education, Environmental Sciences,
Lecture, Science, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government, Harvard Kennedy
School
SPEAKER(S)
Professor Robert Stavins, Harvard Kennedy School
LINK
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/events.htm
----------------------
Breaking through Bureaucracy for Speedy Recovery: Lessons Learned from
Post-Tsunami Indonesia
WHEN
Thu., Nov. 18, 2010, 5 – 6:30 p.m.
WHERE
Taubman 301, Harvard Kennedy School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Program on Crisis Leadership, Harvard University Asia Center
COST
Free, open to the Harvard community
CONTACT INFO
David Giles: david_giles at harvard.edu, 617.496.4165
NOTE
The Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami that devastated coastal areas along the
Indian Ocean caused particularly extensive damage in north Sumatra,
where destructive waves traveled more than five kilometers inland and
tragically killed well more than 100,000 area residents. In this
session of the Program on Crisis Leadership's (PCL) “Disaster
Management in Asia” seminar series, Maggy Horhoruw, formerly with the
Director’s Office of the Indonesian Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
Agency (BRR), will highlight lessons learned from the massive recovery
effort that followed, which not only involved scores of Indonesian
governmental agencies but hundreds of international donors and aid
organizations as well.
Doug Ahlers, a PCL faculty affiliate and adjunct lecturer in public
policy who teaches the course “Disaster Recovery Management and Urban
Development: Rebuilding New Orleans,” will serve as discussant,
linking Horhoruw’s observations to other major recovery efforts.
The event is the second session in the 2010/2011 Disaster Management
in Asia Seminar Series, co-sponsored by PCL and the Harvard University
Asia Center.
All members of the Harvard community are welcome to attend.
LINK
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/programs/crisisleadership/events
-------------------------
Thoreau as Climatologist: Tracking 160 Years of Climate Change
WHEN
Thu., Nov. 18, 2010, 6 – 8 p.m.
WHERE
Harvard Museum of Natural History
24 Oxford Street
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Education, Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Museum of Natural History
SPEAKER(S)
Charles Davis, assistant professor of organismic and evolutionary
biology and curator in the Harvard Herbarium
COST
Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO
617.495.3045
NOTE
Henry David Thoreau initiated a study of flowering times at Walden
Pond. Today, a research team including Charles Davis, assistant
professor of organismic and evolutionary biology, has updated
Thoreau’s records with current data and integrated them with modern
evolutionary biology to reveal how climate change and earlier
flowering times have affected Walden’s plants. Join Davis to explore
an integrated approach to climate change and biodiversity. Part of the
Asa Gray Bicentennial series.
LINK
http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/lectures-classes-events/asa-gray-bicentennial.html
------------------------
FREETHINK at HARVARD: Sustainability Demands New Leadership Skills
WHEN
Fri., Nov. 19, 2010, 6 – 7 p.m.
WHERE
Online at www.alumni.extension.harvard.edu
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION
Business, Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR
Harvard Extension Alumni Association
SPEAKER(S)
Jack Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and
Habitation, Harvard School of Public Health, and director of the
Harvard Extension School's graduate program in Sustainabilty and
Environmental Management
COST
Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO
Ian Jackson: ijackson at fas.harvard.edu, 617.998.8514
NOTE
Professor Jack Spengler discusses how corporations are meeting the
challenges facing their organizations as a result of climate change.
View discussion followed by Q & A from around the world.
LINK
www.alumni.extension.harvard.edu
---------
BU
---------
Nov17 Wed 6:00 PM
Location
Boston University
640 Commonwealth Ave.
Student Lounge
Boston, MA 02215
Hacks/Hackers Boston, in partnership with the Boston University School
of Communication, Department of Journalism, and the Society of
Professional Journalists, is presenting a panel discussion on "Legal
liability in the age of WikiLeaks."
In the Internet age, where are the boundaries that separate safe
reporting from libel charges? What are the online potholes that can
lead to a courtroom?
6-8 p.m.: 6-7 for fun schmoozing; 7-8 for panel discussions
A panel discussion with some of the top First Amendment attorneys in
the state (with plenty of time for questions):
-- Attorney Jon Albano of Bingham McCutcheon is deputy managing
partner of Bingham’s Boston office and co-chairs the firm’s
Entertainment, Media & Communications Group. His practice focuses
primarily on constitutional and commercial litigation. Jon has been
listed in the Best Lawyers in America, First Amendment practice, for
10 years; is listed in Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business
Lawyers, First Amendment Litigation; was named one of the top
Massachusetts lawyers four years in a row by Super Lawyers. Jon has
represented newspapers, broadcasters, publishers, universities,
nonprofit organizations and individuals in cases involving a variety
of constitutional issues, including free speech rights; the public’s
right of access to information; and privacy, defamation and equal
protection claims.
-- Attorney Robert A. Bertsche is a partner at Prince Lobel, where he
practices media, internet, and employment law. Rob gave up a not-so-
promising career as a newspaper and magazine reporter in order to
attend Harvard Law School, where he earned his J.D. in 1989. Since
then, he has represented newspapers, magazines, bloggers,
broadcasters, and websites in matters involving libel, privacy,
freedom of information, subpoenas and reporter's privilege, prior
restraint, copyright, trademark, and related areas. Rob also serves as
general counsel to the New England Newspaper and Press Association.
-- Moderator: Dan Kennedy, assistant professor at Northeastern's
School of Journalism, specializing in new media trends, and Media
Nation blogger.
RSVP at http://meetupbos.hackshackers.com/calendar/15344482/?eventId=15344482&action=detail
--------------------------
Jim Gordon, President Cape Wind
November 18, 2010 6:00p–8:00p
Cape Wind president Jim Gordon will present a lecture on his efforts
and challenges faced in starting the country's first offshore wind
farm. The event will be held in the Boston University School of
Management's auditorium, is free of charge, and open to the public. No
registration is required.
Category: lectures/conferences
Location: BU School of Management 595 Comm. Ave
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Campus Events, BU Energy Club
Admission: Open to the public
For more information: buenergy at bu.edu
----------
Tufts
---------
November 17, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
"Nanoscale Catalysts for Clean Energy" Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos
sponsored by: Tufts School of Engineering
Location: Medford/Somerville Campus
Anderson Hall
Nelson Auditorium
Admission: free
Description: Chemical and Biological Engineering Professor Maria
Flytzani-Stephanopoulos is the first Robert and Marcy Haber Endowed
Professor in Energy Sustainability. She will give a lecture on her
research on nanoscale catalysts for clean energy production. Her
research into catalysts "materials that speed up chemical reactions"
is focused on the reforming of fuels, including biomass-derived "green
fuels," to generate hydrogen, the "future fuel."
Contact: Tamara Cleary Tamara.Cleary at tufts.edu
617-627-4847
---------------
Virtual Reality Technology
November 18, 2010
2:50 pm - 4:00 pm
Halligan 111
Speaker: Jeffrey Jacobson, PublicVR
Host: Rob Jacob
Abstract
Virtual Reality (VR) is a new medium that has captured the public
imagination, offering nothing less than a way for us to extend our
social space from the physical into the electronic. Recently, the term
has expanded from the old-fashioned flight simulators and three-
dimensional optical displays to computer games and shared worlds on
the Internet. In this discussion, we will survey the existing
technologies and their uses, especially modern low-cost methods. We
will look at the human factors elements, how the sensory illusions
work, and the phenomena of presence and embodiment.
Jeffrey Jacobson is the Director of PublicVR, a non-profit dedicated
to freeware and research in Virtual Reality for education. See http://publicvr.org
Background reading: http://publicvr.org/egypt/oracle/whitepaper.pdf
-----------
MA College of Art
------------
Media Tech Tonic #17: Ryan Evans: Information Architecture in the Age
of Mobile Devices
Our next speaker will be Ryan Evans, Director of Experience Design at
Corey McPherson Nash. He will speak about the unique challenges
presented to information architects faced designing for web-connected
mobile devices.
Event Details
Location: MassArt, 621 Huntington Avenue, Boston
Room: Tower Building, Room 312
Date: Thursday, November 18, 2010
Time: 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. (we suggest arriving a little early to
get a good seat)
RSVP: Not required for this event, free and open to the public.
Abstract
In a world where mobile access and mobile action is assumed by users,
how do we ideate and plan for Web and application interfaces? Small
screens and limited input options frustrate UX designers but
geolocation, touch screens, and real-time alerts open new doors. We
will discuss how mobile devices blow up standard information
architecture practice around hierarchy, organization, and navigation
and how we can bring the pieces back together to construct coherent,
actionable, inviting interfaces that meet user goals.
Speaker Bio
Ryan joined Corey in 1995 and since that time has played a critical
role in developing Corey’s award-winning Web work and interactive work
process. Ryan leads the critical process of understanding user needs
and mapping those to information architecture, user experience and
design. His clients include Harvard Business School, Museum of Science
Boston, Tuck School of Business, Ernst & Young Center for Business
Innovation, MIT OpenCourseWare, Forrester Research, Northern Light,
Pleasant Company, Direct Hit, and the Massachusetts Office of Child
Care Services. His work has been recognized with awards from MITX and
the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA). Prior to joining
Corey, Ryan was a researcher at the MIT Media Lab he specialized in
content-based interactive storytelling. He holds an MS (Media Arts and
Sciences) and a BS (Computer Science and Engineering), both from MIT.
------------
Other
----------
Intercollegiate Energy Social - John Harvard's
November 16, 2010 7:00p–9:00p
Are you interested in energy? Come to the Intercollegiate Energy
Social this Tuesday for an evening of energy debate and discussion!
All are welcome, and energy clubs from schools across the region are
invited to this intercollegiate mixer. This will be a unique
opportunity to meet graduate and undergraduate students who are
passionate about energy. Hope to see you there! This social is
organized by the Collegiate Energy Association, for more information
visit collegeenergy.org!
Over and under 21 welcome.
Invited clubs:
Babson Energy and Environment Club
Boston University Energy Club
Fletcher Energy Consortium
Harvard Business School Energy and Environment Club
Harvard Energy Journal Club
Harvard Kennedy School Energy and Environment Professional Interest
Council
MIT Energy Club
MIT Sloan Energy & Environment Club
Tufts Energy Forum
Category: MIT events/clubs: social
Location: John Harvard's (Harvard Square) -Meet in the bar area
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Club
Admission: Open to the public
For more information:
Contact MIT Energy Club
energyclub at mit.edu
collegeenergy.org
--------------------
GIS Day social tweetup #GISDBOS
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 6:00 PM (ET)
Where
Kennedy's Midtown
42 Province Street
Boston, MA 02109
Event Details
Come join us for a GIS Day social tweetup celebration. Come hang out
with others who can share your joy and pain over using GIS.
It's going to be an informal gathering, no name tags, no agenda...
just find a seat at the bar and let's hang out and talk about GIS and
spatial fun.
Please RSVP so we the bar can set aside some space for us. Also,
please use the #GISDBOS hash tag so we can track the conversation
online.
http://gisdbos2010.eventbrite.com/?utm_source=I+Spatial+Boston+List&utm_campaign=d17117a16d-November_Mailing11_5_2010&utm_medium=email
----------------------
Boston Arduino Users Groups
• Date: 11/18/10, 12/16/10, 1/20/10, 2/17/10
• Location: Microsoft New England R&D Center, One Memorial Drive,
Cambridge, MA 02142
• Time: 6-9pm
• Audience: Students, hobbyists and professionals interested in
Arduino microcontroller development.
• Description: Informal and open meeting for people to discuss their
Arduino projects, get help with Arduino software development, system
and circuit design. All are welcome. Students are especially
encouraged to participate.
Register at http://www.meetup.com/The-Boston-Arduino-Users-Group
--------------------------------------
Please join us at Smallbean World Headquarters to celebrate the
ongoing success of the Smallbean Citizen Archivist Project in Kenya.
Meet Smallbean staff, volunteers & fellow Smallbean supporters at a
free event and immerse yourself in the fantabulous oral history
interviews, audio and video footage collected by Smallbean-trained
Citizen Archivists. Plus, get a sneak preview at some of the very cool
technology initiatives keeping Smallbean busy this winter. Light
refreshments and drinks provided!
--The Smallbean Event Committee
• WHERE: 515 Beacon Street, Boston
• When: 7 - 9pm, Thurs. Nov. 18, 2010
• How much: FREE
• More info: www.smallbean.org • 617-600-8314
---------------------------
Help Out on a Deep Energy Retrofit
November 20 from 9 to 5, in a small ranch house in Framingham. The
family hopes to eventually reach zero net energy use.
We will be drilling into the concrete walls and screwing three inches
of Thermax board into the basement walls. The work already completed
will be visible to all who are curious. This includes the sealing of
the attic, installation of ventilation chutes, a new icenene product
which is the greenest made (with the least embodied energy), four
inches of polyisocyanurate on the exterior walls, windows that are
screwed into the outside of the poly (extended). Since the family has
two toddlers, they would have a hard time doing the work on their own.
This is a great chance to learn hands-on skills doing deep energy
retrofits under the expert supervision of Kerry Koskinen of
Byggmeister Associates.
If you would like to participate, please email Jason Taylor (jason.taylor727 at gmail.com
). Food and drinks will be provided.
------------
Upcoming
-----------
Feel free to forward info about this FREE workshop.
Dear concerned food advocate,
We all care about food, right? Maybe we want to support farmers’
markets or
we belong to a Community Shared Agriculture program. Maybe our kids
eat school
lunches. Maybe we want to make sure city dwellers have access to
fresh food.
Maybe we’re concerned about the future of farms. Maybe we want to
improve the
quality of our mealtime conversations.
No matter what, we need to be able to talk to each other. In fact, to
be the
best advocates for whatever we believe in, we need to be able to
understand
people with whom we may disagree.
In honor of U.N. World Food Day, Public Conversations and The Family
Dinner
Project are offering a free dialogue workshop for anyone who is
working on
issues around access to healthy food. The workshop will introduce
participants
to dialogue as a tool for building better relationships and more
effective
interpersonal communication, even across contentious issues.
Join us on Monday, November 22, 9:30 am-noon for a free workshop.
For 20 years, the Public Conversations Project (www.publicconversations.org
)
has been helping groups divided by values, worldviews, or identities
have
critical discussions about what they care about most deeply, so that
they can
live or work together.
The Family Dinner Project (www.thefamilydinnerproject.org) is a start-
up
grassroots movement of food, fun and conversation about things that
matter.
Families come together to share their experiences and insights to help
each
other realize the benefits of family dinners.
For more information or to RSVP please contact Alison Streit Baron at:
abaron at publicconversations.org
Limited space available—please RSVP by November 19.
This workshop will be held at 51 Kondazian Street, Watertown, which is
accessible via bus 71 from Harvard Square. Free parking is available.
Link to this event...
On our website
<http://www.publicconversations.org/news/constructive-conversations-food-politics
>
On
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/posted.php?id=179093792798&share_id=133702156680091&comments=1#s133702156680091
>
Or tweet it! woww.it/food To subscribe to the Boston Food System list,
click on the following:
https://elist.tufts.edu/wws/subscribe/bfs
---------
Ongoing
---------
To members of the Climate CoLab community,
We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Climate CoLab contest,
as well as a major upgrade of our software platform.
The contest will address the question: What international climate
agreements should the world community make?
The first round ended on October 31 and the final round runs through
November 26.
In early December, the United Nations and U.S. Congress will be
briefed on the winning entries.
We are raising funds in the hope of being able to pay travel expenses
for one representative from each winning team to attend one or both of
these briefings.
Learn more at http://climatecolab.org
We also encourage you to fill out your profiles and add a picture, so
that members of the community can get to know each other.
And please inform anyone you believe might be interested about the
contest.
Editorial Comment: I played a previous version of this simulation.
This time around, I like the 350 plan which is as close to zero
emissions as the exercise will get.
http://climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans#plans=
------------
Resource
-----------
Boston Food System
"The Boston Food System [listserv] provides a forum to post
announcements of events, employment opportunities, internships,
programs, lectures, and other activities as well as related articles
or other publications of a non-commercial nature covering the area's
food system - food, nutrition, farming, education, etc. - that take
place or focus on or around Greater Boston (broadly delineated)."
The Boston area is one of the most active nationwide in terms of food
system activities - projects, services, and events connected to food,
farming, nutrition - and often connected to education, public health,
environment, arts, social services and other arenas. Hundreds of
organizations and enterprises cover our area, but what is going on
week-to-week is not always well publicized.
Hence, the new Boston Food System listserv, as the place to let
everyone know about these activities. Specifically:
Use of the BFS list will begin soon, once we get a decent base of
subscribers. Clarification of what is appropriate to announce and
other posting guidelines will be provided as well.
It's easy to subscribe right now at https://elist.tufts.edu/wws/subscribe/bfs
----------------------
Artisan Asylum http://artisansasylum.com/
Sprout & Co: Community Driven Investigations http://thesprouts.org/studios
Greater Boston Solidarity Economy Mapping Project http://www.transformationcentral.org/solidarity/mapping/mapping.html
a project by Wellesley College students that invites participation
-----------------------------------------------------
Links to events at 60 colleges and universities at Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com
Thanks to
Fred Hapgood's Selected Lectures on Science and Engineering in the
Boston Area http://fhapgood.fastmail.fm/site02.html
Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/
http://www.mitenergyclub.org/calendar/mit_events_template
http://green.harvard.edu/events
--------------------------------------------------
Energy (and Other) Events is a weekly mailing list published most
Sundays covering events around the Cambridge, MA and greater Boston
area that catch the editor's eye.
Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.
If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events
email gmoke at world.std.com
More information about the Act-MA
mailing list