[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Mar 13 18:38:07 PDT 2011
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
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MIT
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MA Utility Energy Efficiency Program Ramp-Up
March 14, 2011 9:00a–10:30a
Mark Sylvia will be a guest lecturer discussing utility programs to
promote energy efficiency in 11.369 "Energy Policy for a Sustainable
Future" taught by Dr. Raab. Massachusetts current ramp-up of utilitiy
energy efficiency programs puts MA in the lead among all U.S. states
according to ACEEE's recent scorecard Commissioner Sylvia was
appointed in 2011 after serving as director of DOER?s Green
Communities Division From 2009 to 2010. In this role, he oversaw the
allocation of over $42 million in federal Energy Efficiency and
Conservation Block Grants. Mr, Sylvia also established criteria for
and successfully designated 53 cities and towns as Green Communities,
including distributing over $8 million in Green Communities grants to
municipalities in 2010 alone.
Category: lectures/conferences
Speaker: Mark Sylvia, Commissioner of Mass DOER
Location: 4-145
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Club
Admission: Open to the public
For more information:
Contact Elena Alschuler
elena12 at mit.edu
--------------------------------
Catherine Havasi: "Digital Intuition: Building the Future of Language
and Intelligence"
Monday, March 14, 2011 | 3:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: MIT Media Lab, Bartos Theatre (E15, Lower Level)
Speaker: Catherine Havasi
Language is central to how people reason about and understand their
world. As computers increasingly pervade human lives and decision-
making processes, they must learn to understand and mediate human-to-
human interaction. People use their intuitive knowledge of the world
and the experiences they've had in the past to react intelligently to
the world around them. If we were to give machines these capabilities,
they could help us make better-informed decisions, conquer mountains
of data, and expand the reach of our creativity and intelligence.
What if we could: Help an organization understand its network of
relationships and expertise, using only the things people have already
written? Use stories told by patients to give predictive advice and
support in managing chronic illnesses? Provide artistic lighting
design for a play by understanding intuitive connections and threads
within that play? Instead of just searching the news, predict its
implications and help arrange a network to better handle an emergency
or developing situation?
People are remarkably effective at handling and connecting many
streams of noisy and ambiguous data in ways that make sense. Havasi's
research has always focused on finding the signal in the chaos, and
utilizing that signal to bring to a computer a human-like intuitive
understanding of the material. Often, she uses common-sense knowledge
to facilitate this discovery. Additionally, she develops noise-
resistant algorithms for working with real-world data and applications
that benefit from common sense knowledge. More recently, she has
focused on how to integrate these elements into larger systems.
In the future, we must expand the domain of AI by combining building
blocks like these. After all, no one solves a difficult problem by
thinking about it in only one way. Modern AI uses advanced techniques
such as ensemble methods and metacognition to organize many different
problem solving strategies. In this talk, Havasi will announce an
exciting new long-term project that aims to put the power of these
methods in everyone's hands.
Biography:
Catherine Havasi is a researcher in artificial intelligence and
computational linguistics at the MIT Media Lab. Eleven years ago, she
co-founded the Open Mind Common Sense project, which uses crowdsourced
information about the world to understand natural language text and
make computers easier to use. She currently manages the Common Sense
Computing Initiative, a research project to collect common sense in
six languages, with ties to companies and research groups around the
world. With students, she re-created the lexical resource ConceptNet
which is used in hundreds of research projects every year. At Brandeis
University, she created the machine learning technique Blending, which
reasons over data from multiple domains. She received her PhD from
Brandeis University in 2009 for research in machine learning and
natural language processing and an MEng from MIT in 2004 for cognitive
modeling in developmental psychology.
Havasi also co-founded Learning Unlimited, a non-profit organization
that supports college students sparking a passion in middle and high
school students by teaching them about everything and anything. You
may have taught at MIT's Splash, the founding instance of Learning
Unlimited's programs. She concentrated in theater in college and has
directed and designed for plays at MIT, Brandeis, and non-university
venues. She organizes and writes high-tech puzzle hunts and other
creativity-inducing events.
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Compton Lecture, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security
Time: 4:00p–5:00p
Location: W16, Kresge Auditorium
"The Future of Science as Public Service"
Web site: http://compton.mit.edu/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): President's Office
For more information, contact:
617-253-4795
infocenter-www at mit.edu
-----------------------------
Monday, March 14, 2011
Dynamic Stability and Flame Characteristics of Oxy-Combustion Systems
Using Methane
Speaker: Andrew Shroll, Dept. Mechanical Engineering, MIT
Time: 4:00p–5:00p
Location: 3-343
Center for Energy and Propulsion Research Seminar Series
Oxy-fuel combustion is a promising technology for carbon capture in
natural gas power plants. Challenges in implementing the technology
for gas turbines stem from the altered fluid properties in using
carbon dioxide as the diluent in the combustion process instead of air
as used in conventional combustion. A one-dimensional strained flame
code is used to simulate the effects on flame consumption speed and
emissions. Next, experiments are conducted in a 50 kW swirl-stabilized
combustor to compare air and oxy-combustion thermoacoustic
instabilities which are inherent to premixed combustion systems. The
dynamic stability characteristics of the two flame types are shown to
collapse as a function of adiabatic flame temperature for a given
inlet Reynolds number. Data from an open exhaust configuration, which
removes combustion dynamics, is also presented to compare flame
structures and blowoff conditions. These cases are captured using high
speed Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV).
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): RGD Lab
For more information, contact:
Patrick Kirchen
------------------------------
Monday, March 14, 2011
Breaking the Code (special preview event)
Speaker: Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT
Time: 6:00p–7:00p
Location: N51, MIT Museum
Celebrate Pi Day and Einstein's birthday with a staged reading of
scenes from Breaking the Code with Catalyst Collaborative at MIT, an
award-winning science theater collaboration between MIT and
Underground Railway Theater. Breaking the Code is a deeply moving play
about the brilliant mathematician Alan Turing, regarded by many as the
father of computer science. The play's title refers both to the fact
that Turing broke the German "Enigma" code during WWII (greatly
contributing to the Allies' victory) and to his refusal to lead a
closeted life. Performance will be followed by conversation with the
artists and a guest scientist.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/calendar.html
Open to: Recommended for adults and teens
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum
For more information, contact:
Josie Patterson
617-253-5927
museum at mit.edu
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Collision 2 Lecture Series: Jae Rhim Lee
Speaker: Jae Rhim Lee
Time: 7:00p–9:00p
Location: E15-070, Bartos Theater
MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology presents its Monday night
lecture series, Collision 2: When Artistic and Scientific Research Meet
Parallel/Peripheral: Working at the Intersection of Art and Other
Jae Rhim Lee, artist and ACT research fellow, MIT, Cambridge MA
Respondent: Nicholas A. Ashford, Professor of Technology and Policy;
Director, MIT Technology and Law Program
Jae Rhim Lee's current work, the Infinity Burial Project, proposes
alternatives for the post-mortem body and features the training of a
unique strain of edible mushroom to decompose and remediate toxins in
human tissue. Jae Rhim Lee's work challenges the boundaries prescribed
by society and culture between self and other by proposing unorthodox
relationships for the mind/body/self, and the built and natural
environment. Lee has exhibited both nationally and internationally and
is a recipient of a Creative Capital Foundation Grant (2009), Institut
fur Raumexperimente/Universitat der Kunste Berlin Grant (2010), and
the renowned MAK Schindler Center Scholarship, Los Angeles. Lee is
currently an ACT fellow.
Web site: http://visualarts.mit.edu/about/lecture.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
For more information, contact:
Laura Chichisan Pallone
617-253-4415
clauraa at mit.edu
-----------------------------------
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
150 D-Lab Projects for MIT's 150th Anniversary
Time: 10:00a–6:00p
Location: 10-Lobby
To celebrate MIT?s 150th anniversary, D-Lab is highlighting 150 recent
projects and offering a range of opportunities for the MIT community
to get engaged and learn about D-Lab?s work. Stop by Lobby 10 for
ongoing demonstrations of technologies designed in collaboration by
MIT students and inventors from around the world, a poster display of
150 projects from the past year, and special events throughout the week:
Tuesday, March 15
4:30pm - 6:00pm: Join us for the Mixer Mixer, co-hosted with
Development Ventures and Sloan SEID. Learn how to make pedal-powered
blenders and chat about social entrepreneurship over homemade
smoothies and snacks! (Lobby 10)
7pm - 9pm: Designing and Manufacturing Behavioral Diagnostics: Work
with D-Lab and IIH researchers to make XoutTB test strips for use in a
clinical trial in Karachi, Pakistan. XoutTB combines the latest
findings from psychological and economic research and innovations in
chemical and mechanical engineering to help patients adhere to complex
tuberculosis drug regimes. (D-Lab, E34-230)
Wednesday, March 16
12pm - 1pm: Food for Thought: Join practitioners and academics for a
lunch discussion and brainstorming session on technologies to bridge
the gap between humanitarian relief and development. Bring your own
lunch, we will provide cookies and lemonade. (13-2137)
Thursday, March 17
12:30pm - 1:30pm: Brown bag lunch presentation on D-Lab Schools' work
in Cambodia. (3-412)
Web site: http://d-lab.mit.edu
Open to: the general public
----------------------------
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Iraqi Women in the "New Iraq": Law, Violence & Mobilization
Speaker: Nadje Al-Ali
Time: 3:00p–4:30p
Location: 4-237
Iraq is not news anymore except during suicide bombings and targeted
attacks of religious minorities, politicians and professionals. But
what happened to Iraqi women who were promised liberation, greater
rights and an important role in the "New Iraq"? In this talk, I will
critically reflect on the legal, political and social conditions and
developments in post-invasion Iraq. I will pay particular attention to
various forms of increasing gender based violence and discuss the
mobilization against it. In this context I will address the importance
of transnational feminist solidarity that takes an intersectional
approach as its basis for mobilization.
Nadje Al-Ali is Professor of Gender Studies and Chair of the Centre
for Gender Studies, at the School of Oriental and African Studies
(SOAS), University of London. Her main research interests revolve
around gender theory; feminist activism; women and gender in the
Middle East; transnational migration and diaspora mobilization; war,
conflict and reconstruction.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/wgs/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Women's and Gender Studies, McMillan Stewart Spring
Lecture, MIT Technology & Culture Forum
For more information, contact:
The Friendly WGS Staff
617-253-8844
wgs at mit.edu
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Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Transportation at MIT Seminar Series
Speaker: Daniela Rus, MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Time: 4:00p–5:00p
Location: 3-270
Transportation at MIT Seminar Series
Web site: http://transportation.mit.edu/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free Admission to MIT and General Public
Sponsor(s): Transportation at MIT
For more information, contact:
Rebecca Fearing
6172533366
transportation at mit.edu
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Tuesday, March 15
4:15p.
"Improving the Efficiency and Lifetime of Molecular Photovoltaics."
Mike McGehee. McGehee lab.
MIT: Building 66-110, 25 Ames Street
-------------------------------------
The City of Cambridge: Retrofitting for the Future, Setting an Example
for All
March 15, 2011 - 6:30pm - 9:00pm
http://www.mitforumcambridge.org/events/energy-sig/
Contact Name:
Walter Frick
wfrick at cleanenergycouncil.org
UK Trade & Investment One Broadway Cambridge, MA 02142
MIT Enterprise Forum
According to the City of Cambridge, buildings are responsible for over
80% of the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in Cambridge. In
2008, Robert W. Healy, City Manager of Cambridge, appointed the
Cambridge Green Building/Zoning Task Force to, throughout 2009, look
at how to encourage energy efficient building practices. In our panel
we have brought together leaders of the Cambridge community to discuss
what Cambridge is doing in 2010, specifically their programs, plans,
challenges and successes. We will focus on retrofits in the business
sector, including hospitality, education, healthcare, housing, and
universities.
Registration required. Students $5.
Speakers to date:
Iram Farooq, AICP, LEED-AP
Senior Project Manager – Land Use, Urban Design, Sustainability City
of Cambridge – Community Development Department
Moderator:
Eric Friedman is Director of the Leading by Example program of the
Department of Energy Resources of the State of Massachusetts. The
program grew out of Friedman’s role as director of state
sustainability in the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental
Affairs, which he assumed in 2001, and seeks to reduce the
commonwealth’s carbon footprint by encouraging renewable energy,
energy efficiency and other initiatives that would lead to a greener
way of life.
Agenda:
6:30-7:00 Registration and Networking
7:00-8:15 Panel
8:15-9:00pm Networking
---------------------------------
Appliance Standards, Energy Building Codes, and Building Rating/Labeling
March 16, 2011 9:00a–10:30a
Jim O'Reilly will be a guest lecturer discussing recent policy
developments ies related to appliance standards, building codes,
benchmarking and labeling in 11.369 "Energy Policy for a Sustainable
Future" taught by Dr. Raab. Mr. O'Reilly oversees NEEP's policy
outreach and implementation efforts to develop and provide information
to key audiences, maintain relationships with NEEP sponsors and
partners, and manage NEEP's strategic communications to build public
support for energy efficiency. Previously, Jim was an Account Director
for Virtual, Inc., and has served as Director of Public Information
for the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance and
Director of Public Affairs for the Greater Boston Real Estate Board.
Category: lectures/conferences
Speaker: Jim O'Reilly, Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership (NEEP)
Location: 4-145
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Club
Admission: Open to the public
For more information:
Contact Elena Alschuler
elena12 at mit.edu
--------------------------------------
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Reshaping Intelligence for an Age of Terror: Where Do We Stand ?
Speaker: Gregory Treverton, RAND Corporation
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
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Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Making Sense of Low-Income Housing: an architect's view of policy and
design
Speaker: Mike Pyatok, FAIA Professor Emeritus, The College of Built
Environments, University of Washington Principal, Pyatok Architects,
Inc.
Time: 12:30p–2:00p
Location: 7-431, AVT
Urban Studies and Planning Departmental Speaker Series
Weekly Lecture Series of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning.
Mike Pyatok has been an architect and professor of architectural
design for more than 40 years. Since starting his practice in 1984,
Mike has designed more than 35,000 units of affordable housing in
California, Washington, and Arizona, as well as master planning
communities in Hawaii, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
--
The Spring 2011 DUSP Speaker Series explores how each invited scholar-
practitioner (or practitioner-scholar) has "made sense" out of a
complex socio-spatial phenomenon. In addition to conveying the
substance of their work, the speakers have been asked to reflect on
how they do what they do, bringing to life the ways that planners and
designers use qualitative methods in their scholarship and/or
practice. The subject matter ranges across all of the intellectual
domains of the Department, and each topic engages the terrain of more
than one DUSP program group. Please join us as we collectively make
sense of contending efforts to plan post-Katrina New Orleans, the
multiple rationales for community gardens and urban greening, the
institutional management of poverty by the microfinance industry, the
complex evolution of American suburbia, and the challenges of
designing 21st century communities to serve low-income households.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Urban Studies and Planning
For more information, contact:
Ezra Glenn
617-253-2024
eglenn at mit.edu
---------------------------------
Thursday, March 17, 2011
How Documentary Went Digital: the Implications of Informal Filming and
Skeptical Audiences
Speaker: John Ellis
Time: 4:00p–6:00p
Location: 2-105
CMS Colloquium Series
Digital filming has transformed documentary, offering new potentials
to filmmakers and at the same time transforming audience attitudes.
Filmmakers have been able to work more informally with their subjects,
giving rise to the fusion format of reality TV as well as changing the
nature of documentaries themselves. From the audience perspective,
affordable digital platforms mean that almost everyone knows what it
is like to film and be filmed. The result is a transformation of the
documentary genre, where films are now seen as documents of
interactions rather than expositions of fact. Ellis explores this new
phase in documentary, using methods derived from Goffman as well as an
intimate understanding of the technologies of filming.
John Ellis is Professor of Media Arts at Royal Holloway University of
London, and this semester's visiting scholar at the Annenberg
Institute, University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of Visible
Fictions (1982), Seeing Things (2000) and TV FAQ (2007) and the co-
author of Language and Materialism (1977). His Documentary: Witness
and Self-Revelation will appear in 2012, and is based in part on his
19 years as an independent producer for British TV, making
documentaries about cinema and the arts, the politics of media, and
the food industry. He served on the editorial board of Screen magazine
(1975-1985), was the vice-chair of the film producers' association
PACT (1988-1994), and now chairs the British Universities Film & Video
Council (BUFVC).
Web site: http://cms.mit.edu/events/talks.php#031711
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies
For more information, contact:
Andrew Whitacre
617-324-0490
cms at mit.edu
---------------------------------
Energy Discussions: Hazards and Nuclear Power - Understanding the
Situation in Japan
March 17, 2011 6:00p–7:00p
The recent tragic earthquake in Japan has focused attention once again
on the safety risks of nuclear power. However, it can be hard to tell
from the news coverage exactly what is going on and what are the real
associated risks. Were the plants in Japan designed to withstand
earthquakes and tsunamis as strong as the ones that struck on Friday?
Should they have been?
Join nuclear specialists and members of the MIT Energy Club for a
roundtable discussion of the nuclear situation in Japan and some of
its potential implications.
See the event website for suggested background readings.
A light dinner will be served.
Category: MIT events/clubs: interest clubs/groups
Speaker: Lara Pierpoint
Location: 56-167
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Club
Admission: Open to the public
For more information:
Contact Rebecca Dell
rwdell (at) mit (dot) edu
http://www.mitenergyclub.org/events-and-programs/discussion-series/hazards-and-nuclear-power-understanding-the-situation-in-japan
-----------------------------------
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Architecture Lecture Series
Speaker: Walter Hood, Jr., Landscape Architect and Urbanist, Oakland;
Professor, University of California, Berkeley
Time: 6:30p–8:00p
Location: 7-431
Activating the Mundane
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Architecture, DUSP
For more information, contact:
617-253-7791
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Thursday, March 17, 2011
Human Diversity and Social Order Forum: Education in the United States
Time: 7:00p–9:00p
Location: 32-123, Kirsch Auditorium
Human Diversity and Social Order Forum Series
February and March bring a series of forums to examine how the
inherent and occasionally difficult diversity of humans shapes their
lives, their creativity, and the political and social context of their
existence. Titles include: The Fruits of Diversity, Diversity on the
World Stage, Minorities in the United States, and Education in the
United States.
Education in the United States: What is the fate of Americans left
behind after creation of the minority professional middle class? The
Civil Rights Movement encouraged major American universities,
including MIT and Harvard, to recruit underrepresented minority
students under terms that made their academic success probable.
American educational institutions still pursue diversity in their
faculty, staff, and students?but what of the poor (minority and
others) who have not entered the education pipeline?
Speakers
* Chair: Evelyn Higginbotham, Professor of History and African
American Studies, Harvard University
* Sylvester Gates, Department of Physics, MLK Visiting Professor, MIT
* Paula T. Hammond, Bayer Professor of Chemical Engineering, MIT
* Wesley L. Harris, Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, Associate Provost for Faculty Equity
Web site: http://mit150.mit.edu/events/education-united-states
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): MIT150 Office
For more information, contact:
human-diversity-forums at mit.edu
----------------------------------------
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thursday Killian Hall Jazz Series - Cheatham/Lowe
Time: 8:00p–10:00p
Location: 14W-111, Killian Hall
Saxophonist Arni Cheatham & Bass Trombonist/Tuba player Bill Lowe
Open to: the general public
Cost: FREE
Tickets: NO TICKETS REQ
Sponsor(s): Concerts Office
For more information, contact:
Clarise Snyder
617-253-2826
mta-request at mit.edu
Editorial Comment: Arni is an old friend and a fine musician and
artist. He plays music that sometimes reaches the celestial.
--------------------------------------
Making Sense of Social Networks
Speaker: Adam Perer, IBM Research
Date: Friday, March 18 2011
Time: 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Refreshments: 12:45PM
Location: Patil/Kiva Seminar Room, 32-G449
Host: Rob Miller, MIT CSAIL
Contact: Juho Kim, juhokim at mit.edu
The increasing amount of digital information in society has ushered in
a golden age for data analysis. Ample data encourages users to conduct
more frequent exploratory data analyses to explain scientific, social,
cultural and economic phenomena. However, access to data is important
but ultimately insufficient without understanding patterns,
identifying outliers, or discovering gaps. Modern databases are simply
too large to examine without computational tools that allow users to
process and interact with the data.
A growing trend in data analysis is sensemaking of linked data as
networks. My research focuses on understanding these (social) networks
because they are topical, emerging and an inherently challenging
process for analysts. Networks are difficult to visualize, navigate,
and most problematic, it is difficult to find task-relevant patterns.
Despite all of these challenges, the network perspective remains
appealing to sociologists, intelligence analysts, biologists,
communication theorists, bibliometricians, food-web ecologists, and
many other professionals. These analysts believe that the ways in
which elements are connected are just as important as the elements
themselves.
My talk will describe three major aspects of visual analytics:
designing new techniques to communicate and interact with network data
more effectively, designing new methods to understand and aid
analysts, and designing new applications to mine and visualize the
complex relationships of social media. In particular, I will describe
SocialAction, a visual analytical tool I built that has been
instrumental for scientific discoveries, including medical research at
the National Library of Medicine, counter-terrorism research at the
Department of Homeland Security’s START center, and political
analysis at US News & World Report.
Bio:
Adam Perer is a research scientist in the Visual Communication Lab at
IBM Research in Cambridge, where he visualizes, mines, and analyzes
digital traces of social media. He previously was a member of the
Social Technologies Group at IBM Research Haifa in Israel. He received
his Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College
Park in 2008, where his advisor was Dr. Ben Shneiderman and he was a
member of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab.
-------------------------------
Friday, March 18, 2011
Designing Novel Devices with Chemically Vapor Deposited Polymers
Speaker: Karen K. Gleason, Chemical Engineering, MIT
Time: 3:00p–4:00p
Location: 66-110
Chemical Engineering Department Seminar Series
See speakers, talk titles, and dates at http://web.mit.edu/cheme/news/seminar.html
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) methods significantly augment the
capabilities of traditional surface modification techniques for
fabricating polymeric surfaces. In CVD polymerization, the monomer(s)
are delivered to the surface through the vapor phase and then undergo
simultaneous polymerization and thin film formation. By eliminating
the need to dissolve macromolecules, CVD enables insoluble polymers to
be coated and prevents solvent damage to the substrate. Since de-
wetting and surface tension effects are absent, CVD coatings conform
to the geometry of the underlying substrate. Hence, CVD polymers can
be readily applied to virtually any substrate: organic, inorganic,
rigid, flexible, planar, three-dimensional, dense, or porous. CVD
methods integrate readily with other vacuum processes used to
fabricate patterned surfaces and devices. CVD film growth proceeds
from the substrate up, allowing for interfacial engineering, real-time
monitoring, and thickness control. The ability to grow grafted layers
and directly integrate them into devices will be demonstrated for
responsive polymers and electrically conducting polymers.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/cheme/news/seminar.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering Department
For more information, contact:
Melanie Miller
617-253-6500
melmils at mit.edu
----------
Harvard
----------
The Inconvenient Truth about the Causes of Global Warming
March 14, 2011 - 12:00pm
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Pratt conference room 60
Garden St Cambridge, MA
Speaker: Nir Shaviv (Hebrew University, Israel)
The 20th Century has seen a notable temperature rise, generally
attributed to the greenhouse effect of anthropogenic gases, and a
future "business as usual" policy is generally believed to be
catastrophic. I will show, however, that the story is not that simple.
I will address the following questions, all of which have a far from
trivial and often surprising answer: How large is the greenhouse
effect? Could some of the temperature rise be natural and not
anthropogenic? If so, what is this natural driver? How sensitive
really is Earth's climate? What should we expect in the future? How
effective will the implementation of a cap and trade agreement be?
---
BU
---
Large Scale Digital Atlasing of the Brain
Dr. Hawrylycz will discuss the generation, methods, and data analysis
of the Allen Brain Atlases including adult and developmental mouse
atlases, as well as atlases for macaque and human.
Speaker(s): Michael Hawrylycz, Ph.D.
When Friday, Mar 18, 2011 at 12:00pm until 1:00pm on Friday, Mar 18,
2011
Where Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SAR)
Room 220
635 Commonwealth Ave, Boston
Who Open to General Public
Admission is free
More Info http://www.alleninstitute.org/about_us/staff/michael_hawrylycz.html
Contact
SAR Health Sciences
Danuta Charland
charland at bu.edu
617-353-2718
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Olin
-------
6:30 PM, Tuesday, 15 March
Enhanced Plug-in Hybrid Electric VehiclesAlan Millner Ph.D., Technical
Staff, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Plug-in Hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) potentially reduce fossil
fuel use, reduce pollution, and allow use of renewable sources for
transportation, but their lithium ion battery subsystems are presently
too expensive. The PHEV can be enhanced in three ways to improve the
economics. First, the incorporation of GPS information into the car’s
energy management algorithm allows predictive control through prior
knowledge of the route and energy required, so that fuel consumption
is reduced. Second, the use of the vehicle battery while parked
(vehicle to grid, or V2G) can provide additional revenue to pay for
the battery. A specific version of this called vehicle to building
(V2B) offsets the short peaks in commercial-scale facility electrical
demand to reduce demand charges, and the revenue from V2B can pay for
most of the battery cost. Third, the battery cycle life must be
maximized to avoid high replacement costs, and a model of battery wear
out for lithium ion batteries is presented, and utilized to show that
the above strategies are compatible with long battery life. The
enhanced PHEV is then seen to have improved economics, helping
bootstrap the technology into economies of scale.
Alan Millner has BS, MS and PhD degrees from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology and is now a technical staff member at MIT
Lincoln Laboratory. He was a principal in a pioneering photovoltaic
systems firm. Dr. Millner has developed switch mode power electronics
for medical MRI and ultrasound systems, has developed propulsion
motors for marine applications, and created power electronics
solutions for industrial applications up to 30kW. He has authored 11
patents and over 20 publications. Dr. Millner is a senior member of
IEEE. His present interests are energy systems and hybrid vehicles.
The meeting will take place from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (Pizza and
refreshments will be available at 6:00 PM)
Location: Olin College, Needham, MA
This event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in
joining the Boston PES Chapter or joining the IEEE, please come along
and talk to some of the Committee members.
For further information please call Bryan Gwyn on 781-907-3229 or
email him at bryangwyn at ieee.org.
Directions to Olin College
Take Route 95/128 to exit 19B (Highland Avenue, Needham). Follow
Highland Avenue for 1.5 miles to a three-way intersection with Chapel
and May Streets; bear slight right onto Chapel Street (to the right of
the gas station). Take a right at the first light onto Great Plain
Avenue/Rte 135. Proceed on Great Plain Avenue for 1.5 miles and the
Olin College campus will be on the right. Enter the campus at "Olin
Way" and follow the road around to the left to parking lot A, which
provides access to all campus buildings. The meeting is being held at
the Auditorium at Milas Hall.
----------------
Northeastern
---------------
"Beyond the Pages: the Future of the Book" - Panel Discussion
Thursday, March 17th 5:00PM - 7:00PM in 309 Kariotis Hall, 55 Forsyth
St, Boston
This event explores the interplay between digital media and
traditional media, interactive fiction, and augmented reality. In
addition to Davidson, panelists include: Timothy Bickmore - Event
Host, NU Assistant Professor in the College of Computer and
Information Science, Amaranth Borsuk - Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in
the Humanities, MIT and Erika Boeckeler - NU Assistant Professor in
English. Boeckeler will talk about the shift from manuscript to print
and how the invention of letterpress stimulated intense
experimentation with the alphabet. Borsuk will present her recent
augmented reality poetry project entitled Between Page and Screen.
Bickmore will discuss his interest in the human/computer interaction
(HCI), an interdisciplinary field that integrates theories and
methodologies from computer science, cognitive psychology, design, and
many other areas. Refreshments will be served. This event is co-
sponsored by the College of Computer and Information Science.
-------
Other
-------
Economic Insecurity? Hey, Join the Club!
Here in Boston and around the country, people are being reminded of
their vulnerabilities. Energy costs are sky high, housing values are
down, savings have taken a hit, and state and local budgets are
extremely tight. Many of us are dealing with unemployment,
underemployment, and "anxious employment." And what on earth is up
with the weather?
Don't confront these questions alone. Join with members of your
community to learn about the economy and the environment, re-engage in
mutual aid, and take social action together so we can create an
economy that works for everyone.
Join us to learn more and sign up for a club:
Jamaica Plain Common Security Club
Monday, March 14 at 7 PM
Nate Smith House
155 Lamartine Street (across from Orange Line Stony Brook T)
Please RSVP here! http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=169628086419599
If you can't make the event but would like to join a club, sign up
here. http://surveymonkey.com/s/cscboston
--
Sarah Byrnes
Common Security Clubs Organizer
IPS New England
617.477.8630 x307
http://commonsecurityclub.org
--------------------------------------
Sustainability Education Committee on March 15, @ noon, @ the Boston
Society of Architects:
Why must ecodesign replace traditional architecture?
"Our series of presentations has centered on what constitutes the
knowledge arsenal, the tools, skills and methods required by cutting
edge professionals to effectively contribute to climate change
mitigation rather than aggravation. We’ve heard from senior members
of the profession what they would have liked to learn while in school,
we’ve had a Report from the trenches: LEED implementation, we’ve
compared the two performance evaluation systems of LEED and the
Living Building Challenge, and on March 15 we will start investigating
ecodesign. The title for our next meeting is provocative, but also
points to the new formulation of architecture. Bill Grover, AIA, will
introduce via brief videoclips compelling reasons for ecological
design imperatives informing architectural education and the building
industry, followed by a discussion amongst participants.
Conference call: 712 432-1620,
Participant Access Code: 456642#
Contact Peter Papesch at papesch at mac.com or 617 267-6598
The Architects Building, 52 Broad Street, Boston
---------------------------------
March 2011 Boston New Tech Meetup
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
7:00 PM
Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD)
One Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA
Boston New Tech Meetup #3, Tuesday March 15. Doors open at 7 in the
Deborah Sampson and Thomas Paul room, presentations start at 7:30. 6
Presenters each giving 5 minutes of demo followed by 5 minutes of
questions. See what's new and cool in the local startup scene!
Here's the lineup:
• Anurag Wakhlu / Coloci / @colocifriends
• Josh Bob / Textaraunt / @Textaurant
• Alex Grodd / BetterLesson / @BetterLesson
• Tushneem Dharmagadda / Mobinett Plug / @PlugEventsBos
• Aaron White / Proxlet / @proxlet
• Lida Tang / Cloud Browse / @cloudbrowse
Please use the hashtag #bnt3 to promote and discuss this event on
twitter.
RSVP http://www.meetup.com/newtech-73
--------------------------------
Wednesday, March 16
11am - 1pm
Location: online
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Featured Speakers
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11:00AM EST
Driving to 1 Million Electric Vehicles by 2015
Patrick Davis, Program Manager,Vehicle Technologies
U.S. Department of Energy
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12:00PM EST
Challenges of Electric Vehicle Integration
Clay Luthy, Global Distributed Energy, Resource Manager
IBM Global Energy & Utilities
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Attend this complimentary event for U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle
Technology Program updates and to learn about the challenges involved
in ensuring an effective grid integration and seamless user experience.
Contact: http://www.virtualenergyforum.com
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newsletters at virtualenergyforum.com
--------------------------------
Farm-Based Education Association
Natick Community Organic Farm
Natick, MA
March 16 , 11-1
This gathering will feature a tour of Natick Community Organic Farm
with an emphasis on their sugaring programs that teach visitors about
Native American and Colonial sugaring techniques while experiencing
how the Farm sugars today. There will be a potluck lunch so please
bring something to share (limited reheating space).
Learn More About Natick Community Organic Farm at http://www.natickfarm.org/
---------------------------------
SEIU 1199's George Gresham, Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
150 Mount Vernon Street, Dorchester, MA 02125, http://bit.ly/Gresh
Building on the Wisconsin Uprising...
SEIU 1199 President George Gresham
Calls on us to Join the Fight For a Fair Economy
At this important moment in American history come hear a major
national labor leader discuss next steps in building a movement to
confront major issues confronting the country:
• The attacks against public services and public employees
• Continued funding for war draining resources from our communities
• The expanding income divide between rich and poor
• How tax breaks for large companies and the super wealthy are
depriving our communities of good jobs, good schools, and vital services
George Gresham is President of 1199SEIU, a union of 375,000 healthcare
workers in Massachusetts, New York, Washington D.C., Maryland, New
Jersey and Florida. Mr. Gresham is also one of the founders of One
Nation Working Together.
One Nation Working Together is a social movement of individuals and
organizations committed to putting America back to work and pulling
America back together. Coming from a diverse set of backgrounds,
experiences, beliefs and orientations, we are determined to build a
more united country with good jobs, equal justice, and quality public
education for all.
Directions & RSVP here: http://bit.ly/Gresh (Map only - http://bit.ly/1199Boston
)
---------------------------------
What Vermont's District Heating Efforts Could Mean for Cambridge
Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 6:45pm
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Lecture Hall, Lower Level (L2)
Ralph Meima is Program Director for the MBA in Managing for
Sustainability, Marlboro College Graduate School, Brattleboro, VT.
Meima is Co-Chairman of the Board of Brattleboro Thermal Utility,
which is developing a biomass district energy system. The long-term
aim of the system is to eliminate Brattleboro's dependency on fossil
fuels (primarily oil and natural gas) for heating, deliver energy in
the most efficient manner,and obtain most of its electricity from
renewable local sources. He will be speaking on how that plan might
apply to Cambridge.
------------------------------------
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
7:00 pm
Fire in the Heart: White Activists for Racial Justice
Harvard sociologist Mark Warren uncovers the dynamic processes through
which some
white Americans become activists for racial justice [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7wih55cab&et=1104449747173&s=217&e=001DKbjUrRpB-6qAw6qZKRL7KAVDV0WrVEmgcUbqXnEa001hLPAUovvX9XZ-TW6bHJfKF71lXjDKHKqIKMQBxcWEZ2E2Bhv_iKdmpDupikTbBIuNfwKlyAO0Gt0DaoKUZb10k7u-f7UmvDhqCKY7i0Cbw==
]
Cambridge Forum
The First Parish in Cambridge
3 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
www.cambridgeforum.org [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7wih55cab&et=1104449747173&s=217&e=001DKbjUrRpB-5of3dakCr4HiT9q0asS8mXVVrIZ2V0AiOVVCWtQPhlVVoqnsAB2Wyg9g2ss9e8SnYH6MZ-HEIh_DNzdYvWpakjY4yowi5qI56hR7jLEXodZQ==
]
Cambridge Forum is recorded and edited for public radio broadcast.
Edited CDs are
available by contacting Cambridge Forum [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=7wih55cab&et=1104449747173&s=217&e=001DKbjUrRpB-5of3dakCr4HiT9q0asS8mXVVrIZ2V0AiOVVCWtQPhlVVoqnsAB2Wyg9g2ss9e8SnYH6MZ-HEIh_DNzdYvWpakjY4yowi5qI56hR7jLEXodZQ==
]
or calling 617-495-2727. Select forums can be viewed in their
entirety on the Forum Network.
---------------------------------
7:00 PM, Thursday, 17 March (see NOTE below)
The Secrets of Building and Participating in Global Communities
Dries Buytaert
We all know many successful communities, but how are active
communities built? In this session, Drupal founder Dries Buytaert will
share his secrets for building a thriving global community with more
than 500,000 members worldwide. He'll describe processes essential for
community growth and share his experience building the Drupal project.
Attendees will learn:
Lessons community managers can use to foster participation Why to
focus on coordination, rather than planning How bumps in the road can
bring communities closer together How to ensure your community
includes a diverse mix of participants
Dries Buytaert is the original creator and project lead for the Drupal
open source web publishing and collaboration platform. Buytaert serves
as president of the Drupal Association, a non-profit organization
formed to help Drupal flourish. He is also co-founder and chief
technology officer of Acquia, a venture-backed software company that
offers products and services for Drupal. Dries is also a co-founder of
Mollom, a web service that helps you identify content quality and,
more importantly, helps you stop website spam. A native of Belgium,
Buytaert holds a PhD in computer science and engineering from Ghent
University and a Licentiate Computer Science (MsC) from the University
of Antwerp. In 2008, Buytaert was elected Young Entrepreneurs of Tech
by BusinessWeek as well as MIT TR 35 Young Innovator.
The IBM Innovation Center is located at 404 Wyman Street, Waltham.
There is free parking in the garage at the north end of the building.
To reach the meeting room, walk out the front of the garage and around
to your right to the front door of the building. Directions to the
room will be available when you sign in at the front desk.
NOTE: Attendance at this event is free, but because of limited seating
capacity, registration is required athttp://www.eventbrite.com/event/1379501125
We will be taking Dries to dinner at the Green Papaya after the talk
at about 9pm.
Up-to-date information about this and other talks is available online
at http://ewh.ieee.org/r1/boston/computer/. You can sign up to receive
updated status information about this talk and informational emails
about future talks athttp://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/ieee-cs,
our self-administered mailing list.
For more information contact Peter Mager (p.mager at computer.org)
------------------------------------
EBC Climate Change Program: Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate
Plan for 2020
March 18, 2011 - 7:30am - 12:00pm
http://www.ebcne.org
Contact Name:
Megan Curtis-Murphy
mcurtismurphy at ebcne.org
617-505-1818
Nixon Peabody 100 Summer St. Boston, MA
On December 29, 2010, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental
Affairs released the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for
2020, as required by the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008. The
Plan establishes the most ambitious target identified for the
reduction in GHG emissions -- 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. The Plan
outlines the Commonwealth’s roadmap for how to reach that aggressive
goal, including myriad policies and incentives that are expected to
produce cost savings and job growth in the clean energy sector. David
Cash, Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Executive Office of Energy
and Environmental Affairs, will be the keynote speaker for this program.
---------------------------------------
Gragger/Noisemaker! The Workmen's Circle's 4th Annual Radical Purim
Party Celebrating Economic Justice!
Saturday, March 19th, 8pm - midnight
At Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St, Jamaica Plain
Sliding scale $10-20
*Bloco AfroBrazil*
*DJ Annie R U Ok*
*And a unique, never-before-seen Purim shpiel (play)*
We will honor work that is being done locally to protect workers'
rights and fight back against bad employers. The Gragger, the Jewish
noisemaker, is traditionally used to drown out the name of our foes -
join us to make some serious noise in a rowdy call for justice and joy!
Live music! Costume contest! Cash bar! Performance!
Contact Leah for more info: leah at circleboston.org
www.circleboston.org
Leah Madsen
Program and Membership Organizer
Boston Workmen's Circle
leah at circleboston.org
617-566-6281
----------------------------------
Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy for Multifamily Residential
Buildings Workshop – Saturday, March 19, Cambridge City Hall Annex
A morning workshop for owners of multifamily residential buildings on
energy efficiency and renewable energy options and opportunities
Sponsored by the Cambridge Energy Alliance, Massachusetts Rental
Housing Association, and City of Cambridge
For more info, contact John Bolduc, jbolduc at cambridgema.gov,
617-349-4628
----------------------------------
HEET Barnraising
Saturday, March 20th from 3 to 7:30 p.m. (note this is a different
time than normal)
62-64 Amory Street, Cambridge
This is a building that had a heating bill of over $1,500 last month,
so we can make a huge difference. The site is a Seventh Day Adventist
home where over 20 members of the congregation want to learn how to
reduce their energy use. Help out one of the only all-vegetarian
churches around. We'll teach how to install programmable thermostats,
use less water, reduce drafts, and fix old replacement windows
inexpensively. There will be music and food afterward.
Sign up at https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFpubXVTS0F3UjY5RXNkUTdWNXJMckE6MQ
Contact http://www.heetma.com
--------------------------------------
Join us at the JP Forum for--
Time Trade Circle: Creating a Local Economy
When: Sunday March 20, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Where: First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU, 6 Eliot Street, Jamaica
Plain, MA 02130
After the economic crisis, more people are bartering with friends and
neighbors and forming time banks to share goods and services locally.
Come meet local members of the Time Trade Circle, a Boston-area
organization with more than 700 members, to learn how you can start
participating in this locally-grown and sustainable economy. There are
more than 700 members in the Greater Boston Area.
This orientation meeting will be followed by a potluck get-together at
5:00 PM, including JP folks who are already members of the Time Trade
Circle. If you wish to stay for the potluck, please bring a dish to
share.
What is a time bank?
A time bank is an organization where members have a bank account of
time, and exchange time-based services with other members. It?s a
pool of members, and operates like a circle, not a one-to-one swap or
barter. In a time bank, for example, Lara makes a cake for Aldo,
Keren gives skiing lessons to David, Dianne gives Carol ride to the
airport, Carol paints a painting for Louisa, Krystyna lends her
vacation house to Alice, etc. You get time credit for the services you
provide, and you can spend that time on services that other members
offer. The Time Trade Circle lets us share our own skills and get help
from others who offer things we need.
Becoming a member is easy. For more information visit: http://www.timetradecircle.org
Co-Sponsored by Jamaica Plain New Economy Transition
For more information, please visit www.jamaicaplainforum.org
------------
Upcoming
------------
Urban Gardening Book Club
We'll be discussing the book Farm City, by Novella Carpenter, and how
it relates to community and urban food production at Roxbury Community
College on 3/22 at 6:00 pm (Academic Bldg 3). All are welcome! We'll
be selecting the next book at the meeting, but if you're interested
and unable to make it, feel free to send me your suggestions in
advance. Free to contact me with any additional questions.
The event is supported by the Boston Gardener's Council and The
Roxbury Community College Service Learning Garden Project. In
addition, event information is available on the page below:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=143456282386051
Thank you very much!
Stephanie
--
Stephanie Bostic
MS in Agriculture, Food & the Environment 2010
Tufts University
Blogging about food and fiber: http://groundcherry.wordpress.com
-------------------------------------
Eco-Municipalities Talk - Wednesday, March 23, 7:00 pm, Cambridge Main
Library Auditorium
Speakers: Peter Britt, Sustainability Coordinator, Portsmouth, NH
John Bohenko, City Manager, Portsmouth, NH; Sarah James from the
Institute for Eco-Municipality Education & Assistance will give a
brief introduction about eco-municipalities.
In November, 2007, Portsmouth, New Hampshire formally decided to
become an Eco-Municipality, when its City Council passed a resolution
declaring that the following four sustainability objectives would
guide its municipal operations:
1. Reduce dependence on fossil fuels, underground metals, and minerals
2. Reduce dependence upon synthetic chemicals and other unnatural
substances.
3. Reduce encroachment upon nature.
4. Meet human needs fairly and efficiently
An Eco-Municipality uses a comprehensive, integrated approach to
creating a sustainable city.
Find out how Portsmouth became an Eco-Municipality and how the city
takes the systems approach to sustainability now.
Sponsored by the office of Vice Mayor Henrietta Davis, the Cambridge
Renewable Energy Team (CREATe), and the Cambridge Energy Alliance.
--------------------------------------
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk Univesity
“WikiLeaks, OpenLeaks, and Our Right to Know”
with Daniel Domscheit-Berg (former WikiLeaks staffer) and Herbert
Snorasson (former WikiLeaks staffer); moderator Wendy Ballinger (Ford
Hall Forum Board member)
Thursday, March 24, 8-9:00 am [special breakfast forum]
Moot Court Room, Suffolk University Law School
Although Herbert Snorasson and Daniel Domscheit-Berg, both former
staffers at WikiLeaks, cannot enter the United States for fear of
arraignment, they join us live by video fromIceland and Germany to
answer questions about the necessity of and danger in leaking state
secrets. With Wendy Ballinger, Treasurer and former Executive
Director of Ford Hall Forum, Snorasson and Domscheit-Berg discuss why
their newest venture, OpenLeaks, is superior to Assange’s WikiLeaks
model and other various “Leaks” sites launching around the world. The
two will tell us how and why they became involved with WikiLeaks,
particularly their idea on the public’s right to know versus global
security. Signed copies of the book will be sold following the
presentation.
-------------------------------------------------------------
*Compelling Conversation with Rubin "Hurricane" Carter
Civil Rights Activist and Former Champion Boxer
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 1:00 p.m.*
Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a formidable boxer who had won the
European Light Welterweight Championship for two years in a row and
knocked out Emile Griffith in the first round when his promising
career was cut short. In 1966, he was falsely arrested for the murder
of three white people in a bar. Sentenced to a triple life-sentence,
Carter always maintained his innocence. Subjected to a nineteen-year
travesty of justice, he was finally set free in 1985 by a federal
court. His story was immortalized in a Bob Dylan song and made into a
Hollywood movie starring Denzel Washington.
Carter has chronicled his own life in two books, _The Sixteenth
Round_, and 2011?s _Eye of_ _the Hurricane: My Path from Darkness to
Freedom_. He now devotes much of his time to speaking out on behalf
of the wrongly convicted.
*Bunker Hill Community College**in A300 Auditorium*
250 New Rutherford Ave.
Boston, Massachusetts 02129-2995
Free but you need to register for tickets at the website below*
*
Compelling Conversations Speaker Series
<http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/cc/index.php>
Directions
http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/inside/64
-----------------------------
Think Global, Act Local:
A Community Climate Action Roundtable
Thursday, March 24, 6pm-7:30pm, Suffolk University, 73 Tremont St.
All politics are local but many problems are global. How do
neighborhood-based groups form effective partnerships with larger
organizations to bring global issues home and amplify grassroots
voices? Join BostonCAN and representatives from other neighborhood-
based and national sustainability organizations as we discuss stories
of successful collaboration between community-based organizations and
national groups that highlight best practices. Speakers will include
Cindy Luppi from Clean Water Action discussing stopping coal power in
eastern Mass and Mela Bush from Greater Four Corners Action Coalition
onimproving mass transit in Dorchester.
Free and open to the public. Snacks provided. RSVP at on-line https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115453565198269
or by calling 857-544-6846.
------------------------------------------------
"Noam Chomsky & Malalai Joya: The Case for Withdrawal from Afghanistan"
5:30pm, Friday, March 25th
Harvard University
Student Organization Center at the Hilles Building (SOCH)
Radcliffe Quadrangle
59 Shepard Street (corner of Shepard and Garden Streets)
Cambridge, MA, 02138
Walking Directions to the SOCH : Located on the corner of Garden and
Shepard Streets, the SOCH is just a 15 minute walk from the Harvard
Square T-stop on the Red line. Just follow Garden St.
past the Sheraton Commander hotel. The main entrance is located on
the right side of the building facing the Radcliffe Quadrangle.
About the Speakers:
NOAM CHOMSKY, PhD, is a linguist, political philosopher, social
critic, and has been referred to as "arguably the most important
intellectual alive today."
Most recently, with Ilan Papp, he has completed "Gaza in
Crisis" (Haymarket Books, 2010). Other examples of his prolific work
include: The Culture of Terrorism; Manufacturing Consent (with E.S.
Herman); Understanding Power; Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest
for Global Dominance; and most recently, Imperial Ambitions:
Conversations on the Post-9/11 World, (with David Barsamian).
http://www.chomsky.info/
MALALAI JOYA has been called "the bravest woman in Afghanistan" by the
BBC News, while the New York Times has said of her, "Joya's life has
been singular and heroic."
At a constitutional assembly in Kabul in 2003, Malalai Joya stood up
and denounced her country's powerful U.S./NATO-backed warlords. She
was only 25 years old. Two years later, she became the youngest person
elected to Afghanistan's new Parliament.
In 2007, she was suspended for her persistent criticism of the
warlords and drug barons. Beloved by her people for daring to speak
out against U.S.-backed war criminals that dominate the government,
Joya has survived at least 4 assassination attempts. Having come face-
to-face with the brutality of war, Joya has been demanding an end to
the occupation for years.
In her book A Woman Among Warlords, just out in paperback, Joya
explains the situation of ordinary Afghans: "We are caught between
two enemies - the Taliban on one side and the U.S./NATO forces and
their warlord allies on the other."
http://malalaijoya.com/dcmj/
Sponsors (list in formation): Haymarket Books, United for Justice with
Peace, the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee.
RSVP to the facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?
eid=151499161576478
-------------------------------------------
The Wild and Scenic Film Festival
"e" inc. is proud to be the official Boston host of The Wild and
Scenic Environmental Film Festival -- the largest environmental film
festival in the United States. Created eight years ago by a small
group of riverkeepers in California, The Wild and Scenic Environmental
Film Festivalis designed to inspire by showing actions and ideas from
around the globe on a wide array of environmental issues.
Opening Night Reception:
Robin Young leads expert panel on energy's future
Friday Mar 25, 2011
6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Come to the Wild and Scenic Film Festival's Opening Event as WBUR's
Robin Young (host of "Here and Now") serves as moderator for a panel
of experts on the future of energy. Panelists include: Howard Herzog
(MIT), Namrita Kapur (Environmental Defense Fund), David Cash (Under
Secretary - EOEEA) and Alexander Taft (National Grid Climate
Officer). Wine and Hors D'oeuvres reception at 6PM. Panel at 7PM.
Afternoon FilmFest:
View shorts MC'd by PRI's Bruce Gellerman
Saturday Mar 26, 2011
1:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Come see shorts, documentaries, and animations from around the world.
Learn about inspiring young leaders and about the lives of beings
chronicled by the planet's greatest filmmakers. Walk away with a new
sense of commitment to our Earth.
The Finale:
See Carbon Nation plus locavore tasting and silent auction
Saturday Mar 26, 2011
6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
An evening of wonderful foods and wine from some of our area's great
eateries, followed by a feature documentary just released
“CarbonNation.” Our final Wild and Scenic Film Festival evening is
rounded off with dessert and a silent auction.
contact http://www.e-action.us/wsfilmfestival/
----------------------------------------
JP Forum Invites you to Join Us for--
Special Guest: Malalai Joya: Liberating Afghan Women
When: Saturday March 26, 3:00 ? 5:00 PM
Where: First Church in Jamaica Plain, UU, 6 Eliot St
Speaker: Malalai Joya, author of A Woman Among Warlords: The
Extraordinary Story of a Woman Who Dared Raise Her Voice
At a constitutional assembly in Kabul in 2003, Malalai Joya stood up
and denounced her country's powerful U.S./NATO-backed warlords. She
was only 25 years old. Two years later, she became the youngest person
elected to Afghanistan?s new Parliament. In 2007, she was suspended
for her persistent criticism of the warlords and drug barons. Beloved
by her people for daring to speak out against U.S.-backed war
criminals that dominate the government, Joya has survived at least
four assassination attempts.
Having come face-to-face with the brutality of war, Joya has been
demanding an end to the occupation for years. In her book ?A Woman
Among Warlords", just out in paperback, Joya explains the situation of
ordinary Afghans: "We are caught between two enemies - the Taliban on
one side and the U.S./NATO forces and their warlords allies on the
other"
About Joya:
Malalai Joya is an Afghan politician who has been called "the bravest
woman in Afghanistan."As an elected member of the Wolesi Jirga from
Farah province, she has publicly denounced the presence of what she
considers warlords and war criminals in the parliament. She is an
outspoken critic of both the Taliban as well as the present Afghan
government of Karzai and its western supporters. In May 2007, Joya was
suspended from the parliament on the grounds that she had insulted
fellow representatives in a television interview. Her suspension,
which is currently being appealed, has generated protest
internationally and appeals for her reinstatement have been signed by
high profile writers, intellectuals such as Naomi Klein and Noam
Chomsky, and politicians including Members of Parliament from Canada,
Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain. Joya has been compared
to the symbol of Burma's democracy movement, Aung San Suu Kyi. TIME
magazine named Malalai Joya to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine?s
annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Foreign
Policy Magazine listed Malalai Joya in its annual list of the Top 100
Global Thinkers.
Co-sponsored by: WILPF Boston, Code Pink, Community Church of Boston,
and ESAC
For more information, please visit www.jamaicaplainforum.org
------------------------------------------
The Harvard Food Law Society and the Harvard Health Law and Policy
Clinic Present
Gary Taubes
Why We Get Fat: Adiposity 101 and the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity
Wednesday March 30
6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Pound 101, Harvard Law School
Sign up at http://garytaubes.eventbrite.com
Space is Limited
In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes
argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates—
not fats and not simply excess calories—has led directly to the
obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen
insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories
immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics,
journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a
vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.”
In his lecture “Why We Get Fat: Adiposity 101 and the Alternative
Hypothesis of Obesity,” Taubes explains why he believes the
nutritional science of the last century has been misguided and
damaging, particularly the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we
get fat, and reveals the good science that has been ignored.
For more information visit foodsoc.org or email Nate Rosenberg at
nrosenberg at jd11.law.harvard.edu.
--------------------------------------
Babson Energy and Environmental Conference
Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future
Register Now at http://beec2011conference.eventbrite.com/
Register now to attend the 5th Annual Babson Energy and Environmental
Conference on March 31st, 2011 at the F.W. Olin Graduate School of
Business.
This year’s theme is “Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Future”, and
we will explore how innovation and entrepreneurship will play a
pivotal role in shaping the new green economy in the years to come. We
will hear severalexciting keynotes from high profile entrepreneurs:
• Dr. Bart Riley, Co-Founder, A123 Systems (NASDAQ: AONE)
• Sheeraz Haji, CEO, Cleantech Group
• Nancy Floyd, Founder & Managing Director, Nth Power
• Kathy Brown, Senior Vice President – Public Policy Development and
Corporate Responsibility, Verizon
Other featured speakers
• Leonard Schlesinger, President, Babson College
• Mark Donohue, Clean Technology Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Babson
College
• Peter Rothstein, President, New England Clean Energy Council
• Cynthia Curtis, Chief Sustainability Officer, CA Technologies
• Rob Pratt, Chairman & CEO, GreenerU
• Clint Wilder, Senior Editor, Clean Edge & Author, The Clean Tech
Revolution
• Chuck McDermott, General Partner, Rockport Capital
• Jeramy Lemieux, Head of Climate Savers, Diversey, Inc.
• Greg Dixon, SVP of Marketing, EnerNOC
• Kathy Loftus, Global Leader for Sustainability Engineering,
Maintenance & Energy Management, Whole Foods
• Michael Bakas, Senior Vice President – Renewable Energy, Ameresco
• Robert Gough, Founder, Port Meadow Tech
• Bob Reese, President/ Co-Founder, Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery
• Jonathan Nash, Director of Business Development, NewStream
• Patrick Cloney, Executive Director, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
• David O’Connor, Senior Vice President for Energy and Clean
Technology, ML Strategies, LLC
• Kim Stevenson, Manager of New Technologies, CT Clean Energy Fund
And Many More!
Our engaging panel sessions will focus on several main topics:
• Innovations in Cleantech and Renewable Energy
• Sustainable Business Practices
• Financing Strategies
• New Energy Policy & Implications
• Responsible Consumption and Disposal of Food, Water & Waste
Our Entrepreneurs Showcase will give a glimpse of some of the newest
innovators in the industry. Further, you will have the opportunity to
listen to panelists from Enernoc, WholeFoods, Massachusetts Clean
Energy Center, CA Technologies, Diversy and many more. Our goal is to
show that sustainable business practices are not at odds with creating
profit and growing a company.
The world needs more entrepreneurs and leaders focused on preserving
the earth’s resources while building a more sustainable future. We
hope that you will join us for this exciting event, and be inspired to
become part of the next wave of change!
For additional information, please contact Jatin Ahuja (jahuja1 at babson.edu
), Adam Ostaszewski (aostaszewski1 at babson.edu) and Joel Robbins (jrobbins1 at babson.edu
)
----------------------------
Digital Media and Popular Uprisings
March 31, 2011
6-8 p.m.
Lesley University
University Hall Amphitheater
1815 Mass. Ave.
2nd Flr.
Cambridge, MA 02140
Google Map: http://bit.ly/edM4fz
The importance of digital media in building the recent wave of popular
uprisings in the Middle East has been widely heralded in the global
press. But how are social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook,
and digital communication devices like texters, cell phones and PDAs
really being used on the ground to help organize millions of people
towards a common goal - democracy. And is it true that these movements
for democracy in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and beyond are completely
spontaneous and being organized on the fly with the help of modern
technology? Or is there more to the story?
Lesley University and Open Media Boston have invited three experts on
digital media and grassroots organizing to speak to these and related
issues. Each brings a unique perspective to the discussion.
Ethan Zuckerman is co-founder of the citizen media network Global
Voices and senior researcher at the Berkman Center for Internet and
Society.
Jillian York is a writer and freedom of expression activist who
studies Internet controls and online activism, with a focus on the
Arab world. She is a project coordinator at the Berkman Center for
Internet and Society.
Suren Moodliar is a coordinator of Massachusetts Global Action and an
organizer of the Majority Agenda Project. He is deeply interested in
networks and social change.
The panel will be chaired by Jason Pramas, Editor/Publisher of Open
Media Boston, www.openmediaboston.org, and introduced by a
representative of Lesley University.
Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. There will be light refreshments served
in the Atrium just outside the Amphitheater. The event is free and
open to the public.
For more information, or press inquiries, please email info at openmediaboston.org
.
--------------------------------
The Sociology Department at Northeastern University is hosting our 2nd
annual globalization symposium on March 31, with a focus on global
commodity chains, neoliberalism, and human rights. The evening
session, in particular, will explore issues related to politics and
activism surrounding global commodities such as coffee, coca cola,
drugs, arms, as well as clothing and apparel.
What: Global Commodities, Chained and Unchained- 2nd Annual Conference
on Globalization at Northeastern University
When: March 31, 2011
Panel 1- 2:45 to 4:30pm (Global Commodity Chains- a Critical Approach)
Panel 2- 6:00 to 8:00pm (Global Commodity Chains and Human Rights)
Where: Northeastern University, 20 West Village F
For more Information, see: http://globalcommodities2011.blogspot.com/
Conference Description:
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Northeastern
University is pleased to host its 2nd annual conference on
globalization. We are excited to bring together a group of prominent
scholars to discuss their recent research on global commodity chains
and to critically assess the political and cultural implications of
neoliberal globalization.
Presenters at the evening session, including Carolyn Nordstrom (Notre
Dame University), Robert Ross (Clark University), Edward Fischer
(Vanderbilt University) and Robert Foster, will discuss the
interconnections between commodity chains and human rights and the
potential paths of resistance available to populations marginalized
within the current neoliberal order.
Presenters at the afternoon session, including Catherine Dolan (Oxford
University), Andrew Schrank (University of New Mexico), Robert Foster
(University of Rochester) and Damla Isik (Western Connecticut State
College), will draw on their ethnographic field work to discuss
critical approaches to global commodity chain research and theory.
This event is free and open to the public. The Department of Sociology-
Anthropology at Northeastern hopes you can join us for what promises
to be an exciting, politically inspirational, and intellectually rich
encounter. For more information on the conference, including times and
location, please visit our blog at http://globalcommodities2011.blogspot.com
.
Hope to see you there!
Jeffrey S. Juris
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Northeastern University
www.networkingfutures.com
------------------------------
"Secret of the Dawn" - film screening, followed by a panel discussion
about female genital mutilation (FGM) and efforts to stop it in Mali,
Saturday, April 16, 2011, 4:00-6:30 p.m. at Emerson Hall, Harvard U.,
25 Quincy Street, Cambridge.
This documentary shows current attitudes of people in Mali toward FGM,
and Malians struggling to end it, including Healthy Tomorrow's sister
group, Sini Sanuman. Dancer and health educator Wyoma
will perform a dance of hope for a future without FGM. We will end
with a music video that is shown on Malian TV, featuring 17 actual ex-
excisers. This event is co-sponsored by Healthy Tomorrow and the
Harvard Extension International Relations Club. For more info, call
(617) 776-6524.
Feel free to call with any questions.
Susan McLucas, director, Healthy Tomorrow, (617) 776-6524, SusanBMcL at gmail.com
Editorial Comment: Susan McLucas is another old friend who has been
working in the US and Mali for many years on the issue of female
genital mutilation.
-----------
Resource
-----------
Free Monthly Energy Analysis
CarbonSalon is a free service that every month can automatically track
your energy use and compare it to your past energy use (while
controlling for how cold the weather is). You get a short friendly
email that lets you know how you’re doing in your work to save energy.
https://www.carbonsalon.com/
---------------------------------------
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,
contact jmatthaei at wellesley.edu
-----------------------------------------------------
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://sustainability.mit.edu/
http://www.environment.harvard.edu/events/calendar/
http://green.harvard.edu/events
http://microsoftcambridge.com/Events/tabid/57/Default.aspx
http://pechakuchaboston.org/blog/
http://boston.nerdnite.com/
http://www.meetup.com/
http://www.eventbrite.com/
--------------------------------------------------
More information about the Act-MA
mailing list