[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Jul 17 17:46:22 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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Can We Build a People's Internet? (Part Two) http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/07/14/993888/-Can-We-Build-a-Peoples-InternetPart-Two?
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A Conversation with Rob Hopkins (and hosted by Richard Heinberg)
Date: Monday, July 18, 2011 - 8:00am - 9:15am
Note: All Transition US virtual events are Pacific Time (PT) [11:00 -
12:15 pm Eastern Time]
Join us for a conversation with Rob Hopkins. Rob needs no introduction
really but if you are new to the concept of "Transition" then this is
a great opportunity to learn from the source.
Rob Hopkins is the originator of the Transition concept and co-founder
of the Transition Network. He spent many years teaching permaculture
and cob building, mostly when living in Ireland. Now based in Totnes,
he is a member of Transition Town Totnes, works part time for
Transition Network, publishes www.transitionculture.org, is author of
the ‘Transition Handbook’ and generally spends far too much time
thinking about Transition stuff. He is also a Trustee of the Soil
Association.
Rob is a family man with 4 sons, Rowan, Finn, Cian and Arlo, and is
deeply in love with the raised beds he just finished building.
We are excited to announce that Richard Heinberg will be hosting this
call.
Phone: (707) 763-1100
email: carl at transitionus.org
register: http://myaccount.maestroconference.com/conference/register/KECC4Y6CWC0T2KF
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Monday, July 18, 2011
300 of the world's best design theses on view at SA+P: Archiprix
Time: 9:00a–8:00p
Location: MIT 7-431, On the 4th floor above Lobby 7, at 77
Massachussets Avenue
A major exhibit on view throughout the summer at the School of
Architecture + Planning is presenting 300 of the world's best thesis
projects in architecture, urban design and landscape architecture.
Sponsored by Archiprix International, the biennial exhibit is the
largest such presentation in the world -- more than 1,400 universities
were invited to nominate their best graduating students -- and offers
a rare opportunity for assessing current trends in design education
around the world and architecture in general.
Hosted by SA+P's Platform for Permanent Modernity, a research program
in the Department of Architecture, the exhibit opened May 30 as part
of a two-week international event that also features intensive six-day
workshops for about 100 of the students represented in the show,
conducted at MIT by prominent designers from leading architecture
schools in the United States.
Web site: http://www.archiprix.org/2011/
Open to: the general public
This event occurs daily through August 31, 2011, except May 30, 2011
and June 6, 2011.
Sponsor(s): School of Architecture and Planning, Arts at MIT
For more information, contact:
Alexander D'Hooghe
617 308 7386
adhooghe at mit.edu
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Monday, July 18, 2011
Talk: LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman "How to Benefit 100 Million People"
Speaker: Reid Hoffman
Time: 11:00a–12:30p
Location: MIT E14-674, On Twitter: #MediaLabTalk
Reid Hoffman is a partner at Greylock, and co-founder and exec.
chairman at LinkedIn. His areas of focus include consumer Internet,
enterprise 2.0, mobile, social gaming, online marketplaces, payments,
and social networks. An accomplished entrepreneur, executive, and
angel investor, he has played an integral part in building many
leading consumer technology businesses. Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn,
the world's largest professional networking service, in 2003; it now
has more than 100 million members in 200 countries around the world,
and a diversified revenue model that includes subscriptions,
advertising, and software licensing. Hoffman led LinkedIn through its
first four years and to profitability as CEO. Prior to LinkedIn,
Hoffman served as executive VP at PayPal, where he was a founding
board member. He is a board observer at Airbnb, Gowalla, and Swipely,
an advisor to Groupon, and a director at Zynga, Mozilla, Six Apart,
Shopkick, and Kiva.org. He is an angel investor in many influential
Internet companies, including Digg, Facebook, Flickr, Last.fm, Ning,
Six Apart, and Zynga. Hoffman earned a master's degree in philosophy
from Oxford as a Marshall Scholar, and a bachelor's degree with
distinction in symbolic systems from Stanford.
Web site: http://www.media.mit.edu/events/2011/07/18/talk-linkedins-reid-hoffman-how-benefit-100-million-people
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Media Lab
For more information, contact:
Nicole Freedman
nicolef at media.mit.edu
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The Hacker's Aegis - Protecting Hackers From Lawyers
Derek Bambauer of Brooklyn Law School & Oliver Day
Tuesday, July 19, 12:30 pm
Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, second floor
RSVP required for those attending in person to Amar Ashar (ashar at cyber.law.harvard.edu
)
This event will be webcast live (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast
) at 12:30 pm ET and archived on our site shortly after.
Research on software security vulnerabilities is a valuable example of
peer production. However, hackers are often threatened with
intellectual property lawsuits by companies who want to keep flaws
secret. Oliver Day and Derek Bambauer propose a liability shield for
security research to improve cybersecurity in a world dependent on
cloud computing and mobile platforms. Come debate whether hackers are
whistleblowers, and how legal immunity affects security when
cyberweapons like Stuxnet are increasingly available.
About Derek
Derek Bambauer teaches Internet law and intellectual property and
publishes articles on intellectual property, information control, and
health law. He has also written technical articles on data recovery
and fault tolerance, and on deployment of software upgrades. He has
presented on issues including spam and Internet filtering in both
technical and policy settings, model laws for spam regulation, and
China’s online controls. He is also one of the authors of Info/Law, a
popular blog that addresses Internet law, intellectual property, and
information law.
A former principal systems engineer at Lotus Development Corp. (part
of IBM), Professor Bambauer spent two years as a Research Fellow at
the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. At
Berkman, he was a member of the OpenNet Initiative, an academic
consortium that tests and studies Internet censorship in countries
such as China, Iran and Vietnam.
About Oliver
Oliver Day is a senior security researcher for Internet titan Akamai
where he is focused on web based malware such as Drive By Downloads.
He is intent on integrating biostatistical and epidemiological models
into modern network security practice and policy making. He was
formerly a security researcher at Stopbadware.org where he helped
build the infrastructure to monitor reports of infections across the
Internet and distill them into actionable reports. Previous to
Stopbadware Oliver was a principal security consultant with @stake
(then acquired by Symantec) and an engineer with eEye Digital
Security. Oliver graudated from the Harvard School of Extension with
concentrations in legal studies and Chinese studies. His thesis and
subsequent academic work have been focused on finding suitable
mathematical models to predict the spread of web based malware. He
also likes to interact with the cyberlaw community and is a strong
advocate for the disclosure process and shielding for security
researchers.
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Beekeeping in Cambridgeport
Tuesday, July 19, 6:30 pm
115 Pearl Street
and 7:00 pm, 9 Perry Street
A tour and talk with two bee keepers on location. Learn about the
bees and how beekepers funciton in a very tight urban location.
Sponsored by Greenport.
For more information, contact Steve Wineman atswineman at gis.net.
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Bottle Bill Update (H890/S1650 ) Hearing
Wed. July 20, 2011, 10am,
State House, Gardiner Auditorium, Boston
Sierra Club writes "The Bottle Bill is the State's most successful
recycling and litter prevention program. Since the Bottle Bill's
inception in 1983, over 35 billion containers have been redeemed,
contributing to a healthier environment, cleaner and safer
communities, and a stronger economy. But to keep up with the times and
consumer tastes, the bottle bill must be updated. An Updated Bottle
Bill would expand our container deposit system to include "new age"
drinks such as non-carbonated beverages, water, iced tea, juice, and
sports drinks. It would decrease litter and increase recycling. It
would nearly double the number of containers that would be recycled.
Nearly 200 cities and towns - in every corner of the state - have
passed resolutions in support of the Bottle Bill update."
To Show Your Support: Gather at the Beacon Street side Wed. July 20,
2011, 9am.
Contact phil at sierraclubmass.org for more information.
Find your Senator or Representative at http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Search
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Eurie Stamps and DJ Henry were killed: NOT GUILTY!
Cambridge Community Center
5 Callender Street, Cambridge
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
5:30 to 9pm
Panel discussion:
Moderated by Harvard Law Professor Charles Ogletree
David Milton- Civil rights attorney
Hector E. Pineiro- National Police Accountability Project
Jessica Hedges-Civil Rights Attorney
Lawyer Johnson-African American convicted of murder, found not guilty
Marlon Stamps- Son of Eurie Stamps
Natashia Tidwell- Assistant Professor of Law-New EnglandSchoolof Law
Food Served by Coast Cafe
PLEASE RSVP: John Clifford 617-349-4264 or Richard Harding 617-354-0404
jclifford at cambridgema.gov Schools02139 at yahoo.com
This event is sponsored by Men of Color Task Force, City Councillor
Ken Reeves, Cambridge NAACP, Cambridge Elks Massasoit Lodge #129
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Arduino Hacking 101: Importing the Universe
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Location MIT Building E-51, Room 335
Presenter Federico Lucifredi
So, you have learned the essentials of the Arduino platform, its
software package, and completed a few tutorials - learned some basic
electronics in the process, including blinking the inevitable LED. Now
what?This session aims to give you the tools to import the real world
into the programming scope of your trusty $30 microcontroller, by
covering the technology fundamentals and Arduino integration
essentials of a wide variety of sensors and actuators.
Federico Lucifredi is the maintainer of the man suite, the primary
documentation-delivery tool under Linux, a graduate of Boston College
and Harvard University, and a software engineer-turned-manager at the
Novell corporation. Previously, Federico has been a CTO and a network
software architect at '.com' and embedded Linux startups, and he has
spent two years teaching in Boston University's graduate and
undergraduate programs, while simultaneously consulting for MIT. He is
a frequent speaker at user group and conference events, notably the
OSCON, LinuxWorld and IMPlanet conferences, where he was a panelist
representing the Jabber community. Federico is a recognized expert in
computing performance issues, and consults pro-bono with Standard and
Poor's clients interested in Free/Open Source Software technical and
strategic issues. He participated in the GPL v3 drafting process in
the large-corporation panel.
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The Arab Spring and its Energy Implications
WHEN Thu., July 21, 2011, 12 – 1 p.m.
WHERE Faculty Dining Room, Littauer Building, First Floor, Harvard
Kennedy School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Middle East Initiative, the Center for Middle
Eastern Studies Outreach Center, and the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal
Islamic Studies Program
SPEAKER(S) Meghan O'Sullivan, Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice
of International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
COST Free
LINK http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5540/arab_spring_and_its_energy_implications.html
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National Good Food Network Webinar
Clearing the Roadblocks: Market Based Strategies for Getting Good
Food to All Communities
Thursday, July 21
3:30 - 4:45pm ET
Free! Register now at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/474433131
It's an age-old conundrum:
How do you supply all communities with Good Food - healthy, fair,
affordable and green - while simultaneously ensuring that your food
business will itself be sustainable?
The Wallace Center, as administrator of the Healthy Urban Food
Enterprise Development (HUFED) Center, has a broad, national
perspective on the most innovative market based food access work in
the country.
In this webinar, we will explore three of the most promising
strategies and their business models for clearing away common barriers
to increasing access to fresh, healthy, regionally sourced food. Learn
howmobile markets, food hubs and processing / cold chain facilities
each have a crucial role in easing bottlenecks to widespread Good Food.
Taking each model in turn, we will describe the model from a national
perspective, including the essential features, and some of the variety
in implementation we have seen. Then a HUFED grantee will dive deep
into the details of their project to illustrate one way that theory
translates into practice.
Reserve your spot at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/474433131
Editorial Comment: Good article on future of sustainable food and
farming systems. Links to articles on regional as well as local food
systems as well
http://world.edu/content/future-sustainable-food-farming/
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Showing Thursday, July 21, in Cambridge: [please download & distribute
flyer <http://rule19.org/download-film/film-110721-burzynski.pdf>]
Burzynski, the Movie
Cancer Is Serious Business
*Burzynski, the Movie* is the remarkable story of Stanislaw Burzynski,
MD, PhD who won the largest, and possibly the most convoluted and
intriguing legal battle against the Food & Drug Administration in
American history.
This documentary takes the audience through the treacherous, yet
victorious, 14-year journey both Dr. Burzynski and his patients have
had to endure in order to obtain FDA-approved clinical trials of
Antineoplastons, which Burzynski developed to treat a wide range of
cancers - with remarkable and continuing success.
"/topically fertile ... tickles the mind ... a stoic victim of patent
fraud, government harassment and scientific sabotage/" ~NYT
"/a dramatic expose of the FDA and its incestuous relationship with
Big Pharma as it seeks to first discredit, and then to co-opt
Burzynski's discovery/" ~Variety
"/It constitutes nothing less than the one of the worst abuses of the
criminal justice system I have ever witnessed./" ~Richard Burr,
congressman [R-NC], on the government's pursuit of Burzynski
"/People think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. The FDA protects
the big drug companies and are subsequently rewarded; using the
government's police powers they attack those who threaten the big drug
companies./" Dr Herbert Ley, former FDA Commissioner
*NOTE: early bird short film at 6:40pm*
*When/where*
6:30 pm, doors open for refreshments, extra
*7pm, film starts promptly*
243 Broadway, Cambridge - corner of Broadway and Windsor,
entrance on Windsor
*rule19.org/videos <http://rule19.org/videos/>*
Please join us for a stimulating night out; bring your friends!
free film, free refreshments, & free door prizes.
[donations are accepted]
"/You can't legislate good will - that comes through education./" ~
Malcolm X
*UPandOUT film series - see rule19.org/videos <http://rule19.org/
videos/>*
Why should YOU care? It's YOUR money that pays for US/Israeli wars -
on Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Palestine, So America, etc etc - for
billionaire bailouts, for ever more ubiquitous US prisons, for the
loss of liberty and civil rights...
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We're Having a "Potty!"
Raise a plunger to the potties that don’t need one -- composting
latrines!
On July 22nd EcoLogic is throwing a Potty Party on Facebook
to celebrate the ultra-effective and environmentally friendly
composting latrines that we are currently building in Panama.
In the Gulf of San Miguel, Panama, EcoLogic is working with
communities and our regional partner organization to construct
composting latrines for families in rural areas without access to
plumbing. The latrines help reduce illness, protect water sources, and
conserve fishing grounds that are vital to the communities' livelihood.
Save the Date!
On Friday, July 22nd, learn more about the latrine project, take
online quizzes, get live updates from field staff about our work and
be prepared to "potty" like there's no tomorrow.
Contact http://www.ecologic.org/en/ctdpanama
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Clean Economy Network - Breakfast of Champions with Nolan Browne
Friday, July 22, 2011 from 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM (ET)
Boston, MA
Please join Clean Economy Network of Boston
at our
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS
July 22, 2011
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM
At the offices of Cooley LLP
Boston, MA 02116-3736
500 Boylston Street
Our speaker will be
Nolan Browne
Managing Director - Fraunhofer CSE
Tickets are limited, so register today at http://cenbreakfast2.eventbrite.com/
Event Summary:
CEN is pleased to invite you to our Breakfast of Champions. At these
meetings, we will provide a forum for a limited number of attendees to
have some breakfast, do some networking, and hear from a star in the
local cleantech community who has an established career in the field.
We will hear about successes and failures along their way, and have an
opportunity for some Q&A as well.
Agenda:
8: 00 -8:30 - Breakfast and Networking
8:30 - 9:30 - Featured Speaker Nolan Browne and Q&A
9:30 - 10:00 - Wrap-up and Networking
Speaker Bio:
Browne co-founded the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems
in February 2008 with the vision of creating a world-leading R&D lab
in PV modules, building energy efficiency and certain smart grid
applications. Previously, he worked for Massachusetts-based Evergreen
Solar, where he was responsible for developing research relationships
to facilitate Evergreen's advanced PV module efforts and support their
capacity expansion. Prior to this, Nol served as a senior associate
at Cambridge Energy Research Associates, where he started-up CERA's
Clean Energy Study.
While at MIT, Browne co-founded the MIT Energy Conference and was
involved with a number of energy startups, including GreenFuel
Technologies. Nolan, a Kauffman Fellow Finalist, is active in the
entrepreneurial and venture capital communities, where he has founded
two successful for-profit companies to date. He holds an MA and BA in
International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of
Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and an MBA from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
About Clean Economy Network: The Clean Economy Network is the
national non-partisan advocacy organization for individuals who
support the development of a clean economy. It develops public
positions on, and actively engages with policymakers and elected
officials to lobby for, specific legislative proposals critical to the
development and growth of a new clean economy. CEN is the largest
national networking, educational, and advocacy organization shaping a
new economy based on clean technology and innovation. Our members are
professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers who connect
to each other, learn information relevant to business and professional
growth, and influence public policies that impact the clean economy.
To learn more, please visit http://cleaneconomynetwork.org.
About Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE): Based in
Cambridge, MA, the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems
(CSE) is a non-profit applied research and development laboratory
dedicated to the commercialization of clean energy technologies. CSE
engages in collaborative research and development with private
companies, government entities, and academic institutions, performing
research that broadly benefits firms, industries, and society. These
partnerships take a wide variety of forms, including confidential co-
development programs, third-party technology validation, and joint
applications for grant programs.
Founded in 2008 and supported by the Massachusetts state government,
the CSE is part of an international research network spearheaded by
Germany's Fraunhofer Society, Europe's largest contract R&D
organization. In Germany, the Fraunhofer CSE is closely partnered with
the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg
and the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) in Stuttgart. http://cse.fraunhofer.org
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FARM + CAMP JOURNEY
Barre MA - July 22-24th
After the first one was a huge sucesss, theMOVE (http://getoutma.org/)
is proudly putting on our second farm-volunteer camping weekend, at
Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre MA!
This weekend is designed for folks to get a rich experience taking
part in the life of a working farm -- to get to to roots of how our
food gets to us. It's an amazing invitation into the home and onto
the farm of NOFA/Mass Executive Director, Julie Rawson! We'll enjoy
delicious farm-fresh meals, some of which will be hand-picked by our
group, and also we'll have time to hang out and soak in the beautiful
surroundings.
The trip will run from Friday evening (7/22) to Sunday afternoon
(7/24). The trip fee is $80 ($70 for theMOVE members), which includes
near-everything for the weekend (transportation, food, and
accommodations). We also have half-scholarships available if needed.
18-person limit, so please sign up soon!
Get more information @ http://getoutma.org/volunteer!
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Making a Green Solidarity Economy
A Community Conference to Build a More Just and Sustainable Future in
Worcester and Beyond
Worcester Youth Center, 326 Chandler St.
Saturday, July 23, 10am-6pm
The Worcester Green Jobs Coalition and the Making a Green Solidarity
Economy Planning Committee invites Organizers, Activists, Academics,
Media, and Community Members to participate in workshops, discussions,
music and fun.
The conference will bring together individuals and organizations in
Central Massachusetts who are working towards progressive social,
environmental, and economic goals. The day's events are structured to
help share resources and skills, discuss best practices, strengthen
inter-organizational relationships, and identify actions we can take
together to make a green solidarity economy for the betterment of our
communities. Morning workshops and discussions will build towards an
afternoon dedicated to more participatory envisioning and planning
that will identify specific actions groups can take to support each
other and generate new initiatives that can transform our economy. The
evening session will feature local musicians and food in a casual
atmosphere to encourage further discussion and relationship-building.
The ecological and economic crises present both challenges and
opportunities. Increasing social dislocation, insecurity, entrenched
unemployment, and growing inequalities demand that we rethink the
foundations of our economy and recreate our communities. In Worcester,
we have the opportunity to build a new economy based on ethical
choices rather than market logics, an economy organized through a
caring community rather than by predatory profit-seeking, and an
economy that marshals our political and social resources instead of
handing them over through corporate welfare and broken political
systems. Now is the time to Make a Green Solidarity Economy that
privileges people over profits and sustainability over environmental
destruction.
Contact: Lazri DiSalvo
Phone: (860) 309-5690; Email: Lazri.disalvo at gmail.com
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July 10th marked the beginning of this season's Sunday Parkland Games,
and a good time was had by all! If you joined us in past summers
you'll no doubt recall a multitude of activities and enough games to
keep kids of all ages entertained throughout the afternoon. If you
haven't attended yet, we invite you to bring your friends and family
members for bocce, badminton, horse shoes, hula hoops, and much, much
more! And following the Games, don't forget to stay for a free outdoor
yoga class, taught by certified instructors.
Sundays, July 10th-September 25th
Allston's Herter Park
Games & Activities: 2-5pm
Yoga: 5-6pm
All active parkland activities are FREE and open to the public!
For additional information, please contact Charles River Conservancy's
Director of Outdoor Wellness, Dr. Alexios Monopolis, at anm at thecharles.org
. For more information, visit www.thecharles.org. Weekly updates
and weather cancellations will be posted on our Facebook page.
--------------
************
Upcoming
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*************
The Open Technology Initiative: How Geeks, Wonks, & Field Operatives
are Fighting to Transform Inside-the-Beltway Policy-Making
Tuesday, July 26, 12:30pm ET,
Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 23 Everett St., Cambridge, MA.
RSVP ashar at cyber.law.harvard.edu
This event will be webcast live at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast
Since its founding in 2009, the New America Foundation's Open
Technology Initiative (OTI) has been a catalyst for innovative
technology and telecom interventions. OTI's formulates policy and
regulatory reforms to support open architectures and open source
innovations and facilitates the development and implementation of open
technologies and communications networks. OTI is committed to
maximizing the potentials of open technologies, particularly for poor,
rural, and other underserved constituencies. Through its work, OTI
promotes affordable, universal, and ubiquitous communications
networks. This talk will focus on three projects that have captured
substantial attention over the past year: 1. OTI is working in
Philadelphia and Detroit to build community wireless networks in areas
underserved by broadband providers. 2. OTI coordinates
MeasurementLab.net (M-Lab), an open, distributed, global platform for
Internet measurement tools. 3. Commotion Mesh Wireless Project
(a.k.a., "Internet-in-a-Suitcase") -- as recent events in Tunisia,
Egypt, and Libya have illustrated (and Myanmar demonstrated several
years prior), democratic activists around the globe need a secure and
reliable platform to ensure their communications cannot be controlled
or cut off by authoritarian regimes. Sascha Meinrath is the Director
of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative and
Research Director of the Foundation's Wireless Future Program. Sascha
has been described as a "community Internet pioneer" and an
"entrepreneurial visionary" and is a well-known expert on community
wireless networks (CWNs), municipal broadband, and telecommunications
policy. In 2009 he was named one of Ars Technica's Tech Policy "People
to Watch". RSVP Required (ashar at cyber.law.harvard.edu). More
information at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2011/07/meinrath
>
------------------------------------------
Nerdnite
Monday June 27, 2011 — 8pm at Middlesex Lounge
315 Mass Ave, Cambridge
In Central Square
$5
Featuring Nerd-appropriate tunes by Claude Money
Talk 1. “Wake, REM, Light, Deep, and WTF: A Savage Journey to the
Heart of Sleep & Dreams”
by Steve Fabregas
Talk 2. “The Neurobiology of Zombies”
by Jeremy Kay
For more information about the speakers and the talks: http://boston.nerdnite.com/2011/06/23/nerdnite-june-27-sleepin-with-the-zombies/
------------------------------------------
The Ethical Society of Boston will be presenting a program, Sunday,
July 31 from 10AM to 12PM.
THE CAMPAIGN TO REVERSE "CITIZENS UNITED DECISION"
The discussion will take place at the Spiegel Auditorium, 56 Brattle
St., Harvard Sq. Cambridge.
The discussion will be led by the Ethical Society Program Director
Andrea Perrault
-------------------------------------------
The Ethical Society of Boston will have a discussion on Sunday, August
7 from 10AM to 12PM.
THE TEA PARTY: IS IT AN IMPORTANT MOVEMENT? WHY? WHAT ARE ITS MESSAGES?
The discussion will take place at Spiegel Auditorium, 56 Brattle St.,
Harvard Sq., Cambridge.
The discussion will be led an Ethical Society member - Gaston de los
Reyes.
*************
----------------
Opportunity
---------------
AC Swap – The Cambridge Energy Alliance’s window air conditioner swap
program is in progress. Residents can obtain a voucher for $125 if
they swap an inefficient window AC unit for an Energy Star rated
model This is a limited time offer. Go to the CEA website for
participation details: http://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/resources/a-c-swap
----------------------------------------------------
Free Solar Panels for Houses of Worship
From a recent Mass Interfaith Power & Light (http://mipandl.org/) email
"We've recently been talking with DCS Energy (http://
www.dcsenergy.com/) who has an unbeatable offer: if your site
qualifies, they design and install the panels at no cost, don't charge
you for any electricity, and donate the system to your house of
worship after five years. Your only costs will be for a building
permit, possibly a structural engineer to verify that your roof can
support their weight, and any preparatory work such as roof work or
tree removal. If solar panels are so expensive how can anyone give
them away for free? First, there is a federal grant program that is
only available until November that pays for 30% of the cost of the
system. Then there is an accelerated depreciation option that gives
certain kinds of investors another tax advantage. Finally, the state
awards a special allowance called a "Solar Renewal Energy
Credit" (SRECs) to owners of solar electricity systems which are sold
at auctions to utilities who buy them to meet their requirements under
the Massachusetts' renewable portfolio standard. DCS is betting that
the price of these SRECs will remain high. Jim Nail, president of MA
IP&L, has talked to DCS Energy and is currently having them prepare a
proposal for his church, St. Dunstan's Episcopal in Dover. Jim says,
"The references I've talked to have been quite positive about the
program and the company has been very responsive. "If you think your
site might qualify, contact Peter Carli, pete at dcsenergy.com, with the
address of your house of worship and your contact information. He'll
take a preliminary look at your site and advise you if it meets their
criteria."
----------------------------------------------------------
Young World Inventors (http://yinventors.wordpress.com/) has started a
Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1036325713/youngworldinventorscom
) to fund insider web stories of African and American innovators in
collaboration, whom Diane Hendrix will be following with her camera
from June 23 to August 2 in Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. They are
building a community and raising funds for production and editing.
One of the people she will be following is Bernard Kiwia, a Tanzanian
inventor who teamed up with MIT grad Jodie Wu to start Global Cycle
Solutions in Arusha, near the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro. They are
starting with ten insider stories of innovators (high and low tech) in
East Africa on a new interactive site, with collaborators who'll help
distribute stories, such as AITI, who who led us to some fascinating
projects (see our intro to AITI on YouTube).
Editorial Comment: I too have met Bernard Kiwia and am deeply
impressed by the variety of projects and collaborations happening
between Africa and the USA. Bernard's bicycle cell phone charger is
only one of the many innovative ideas coming out of young African and
American imaginations and expertise these days.
---------------------------------------------------------
What you need to know: The Staples Youth Social Entrepreneur (YSE)
Competition is a global competition created by Staples Foundation and
Ashoka to recognize exceptional young people using innovation and
technology to advance social change and improve their community and
the world.
Who’s eligible?: Young people (age 12-24), living anywhere in the
world, are eligible to apply.
Dates and details: Apply online between June 22 and September 19, 2011.
For more information: http://ashokayouthcompetition.org/
--
Laura Sampath
MIT International Development Initiative
77 Mass Ave, 10-110
Cambridge MA 02139
617.253.7052
Sign up for the 2011 Yunus Challenge Facebook page: yunus2011 at groups.facebook.com
---------------------------------------------------
The Medford Farmers Market is looking for organizations, individuals,
chefs, nutritionists, educators, musicians, physical activity
specialists, gardeners, and other fun people who would like to do
educational activities on market days.
We are looking for activities that are interactive and enjoyed by all
ages. Demos, how-tos and games are encouraged. Should be somehow
related to sustainable living, health, nutrition, farming, gardening,
physical activity, sustainability, learning and development, music,
art, creativity. Most importantly it should be entertaining for people
at the market.
We are looking to fill 1, 2, 3 or 4 hour time slots. The Medford
Farmers Market is a great place for you to gain experience and
exposure - there are over 20 vendors signed up for the season
including local wine, meat, vegetables, honey, bread, art.....Your
activity/demo/gig will be well publicized via social media, as well as
local newspapers and newsletters sent to hundreds of people.
The market goes from June 16- Oct 13 at the Whole Foods Market Parking
Lot, 2151 Mystic Valley Parkway (Rt 16), Medford, MA 02155. Plenty of
parking and restrooms are available.
Please contact me if you are interested. Please feel free to forward
this e-mail to people who you think may be interested. Thanks so much,
have a great weekend!
For more info, please see the following:
website: www.medfordfarmersmarket.org
e-mail: medfordfarmersmarket at gmail.com
twitter: MedfordFarmMkt
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Medford-Farmers-Market/135452753138491
Address: Whole Foods Market Parking Lot, 2151 Mystic Valley Parkway
(Rt 16)
Editorial Comment: I have taken some of my solar displays to farmers'
markets from time to time and have advocated doing so as a way to
change US energy attitudes, policies, and realities as the people who
go to farmers' markets are a core constituency for renewable energy.
More at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/5/27/870257/-How-to-Change-US-Energy-in-One-Growing-Season
*********
-----------
Resource
-----------
Cambridge Residents!
Trade in your old inefficient air conditioners:
Cambridge Energy Alliance (CEA), in partnership with the City of
Cambridge and local retailers, is offering residents through July, the
chance to swap old air conditioning units for new energy Star-rated
window models. Participants will receive $125 voucher for purchasing
Energy Star -rated air conditioners which use about 10% less energy.
For more information call: (617) 491-0488.
-------------------------------------------------
Massachusetts Attitudes About Climate Change – An opinion survey of
Massachusetts residents conducted by MassINC and sponsored by the Barr
Foundation found that 77% of respondents believe that global warming
has “probably been happening” and 59% of all respondents see see it as
being at least partially caused by human pollution. Only 42% of the
state’s residents say global warming will have very serious
consequences for Massachusetts if left unaddressed. The 18 to 29 age
group is more likely to believe global warming is appearing and caused
by humans compared to the 60+ age group. African-American (56%) and
Latino residents (69%) are more likely than white residents (40%) to
believe global warming will be a very serious problem if left
unaddressed. The MassINC report, titled The 80 Percent Challenge:
What Massachusetts must do to meet targets and make headway on climate
change (http://www.massinc.org/Research/The-80-percent-
challenge.aspx), contains many other findings.
----------------------------------------------------
The presentations from the recent Affordable Comfort National Home
Performance Conference are available online at
http://2011.acinational.org/downloadable_resources
Lots of good information from what some call the best energy
conference in the USA on Deep Energy Retrofits to Community Energy
Challenges with details on insulation, heat flow, energy metering,
ducting, hot water, and many, many other topics. If you are a
practical energy wonk, this should make your eyes light up.
--------------------------------------------------
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
------------------------
Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/
********************************************
-----------------------------------------------------
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