[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Feb 12 18:17:44 PST 2012
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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Channel Surfing from Doomsday Preppers to a Navaho Community Greenhouse
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/07/1062713/-Channel-Surfing-from-Doomsday-Preppers-to-a-Navaho-Community-Greenhouse
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Restoring the Gulf of Mexico—An Energy Policy? A Historical
Perspective on Energy/Environment in the Gulf Region"
Monday, February 13, 2012
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Harvard, Bell Hall, 5th Floor, Belfer Building, 79 JKF Street, Cambridge
Jason Theriot, Energy Policy Fellow, Consortium for Energy Policy
Research at Harvard
Contact Name: Louisa Lund
louisa_lund at harvard.edu
----------------------------
Challenges of Globalization: Global Engagement
WHEN Mon., Feb. 13, 2012, 2 – 5 p.m.
WHERE First Parish in Cambridge, 3 Church Street (Harvard Square)
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Conferences, Humanities, Social
Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Cambridge Forum
SPEAKER(S) Richard Parker, Mark N. Katz, and others
COST FREE
CONTACT INFO director at cambridgeforum.org, 617.495.2727
NOTE At a conference on the impact of global engagement on America's
sense of security and well-being, speakers examine the challenges
posed by the European debt crisis, changing relationships with Israel
and Palestine, and the war on terror.
LINK http://www.cambridgeforum.org
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Design and Optimization of Hybrid Electrical Energy Storage Systems
Monday, February 13 2012
2:30PM to 3:30PM, Refreshments: 2:15PM
MIT, Building 32-G449 - Kiva, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Massoud Pedram, EE department /USC
Abstract: Electrical energy is a high-quality form of energy, and thus
it is beneficial to store the excessive electric energy in the
electrical energy storage (EES) rather than converting it into
different types of energy. EES systems can also be used for energy
management on the Grid, peak load shaving, and UPS applications.
Unfortunately, no existing EES element can fulfill all the desired
requirements for electrical energy storage, such as high power/energy
density, low cost/weight per unit capacity, high round-trip
efficiency, and long cycle life. Furthermore, despite active research
on the new EES technologies, it is unlikely that we will have an ideal
EES element in the near future.
Our approach for improving the performance of EES systems is to
exploit different types of EES elements, where each type has its
unique strengths and weaknesses, to design hybrid EES (HEES) system
architecture along with dynamic control policies that can dramatically
improve the key performance characteristics of the EES system. This
approach exploits fundamental properties that provide a HEES system
with the potential to achieve a combination of performance metrics
that are superior to that for any of its individual EES elements. In
fact, in some cases, it is possible for a HEES system to attain values
of individual metrics that are close to their respective best values
across its constituent EES elements. The proposed architecture is
inspired by (and similar to) the memory hierarchy of a modern computer
system.
In my talk I will describe the circuit and architecture design of
(bus- and network-based) HEES systems and give an overview of the HEES
management policies, ranging from charge allocation to different banks
of EES elements, pre-emptive charge migration from one EES bank to
another, charge replacement (i.e., discharge) from different banks of
EES elements, and on-the-fly reconfiguration of EES elements within
each bank. I will conclude my talk with performance results obtained
for some HEES systems.
Biosketch: Massoud Pedram joined the EE department of USC after
receiving a PhD in EECS from UC-Berkeley in 1991. He is a recipient of
the 1996 Presidential Faculty Fellows Award, a Fellow of the IEEE, an
ACM Distinguished Scientist, and the Editor-in-Chief of the ACM
Transactions on Design Automation of Electronic Systems and the IEEE
Journal on Emerging and Selected Topics in Circuits and Systems. Dr.
Pedram's research focuses on energy-efficient computing, energy
storage systems, low power electronics and design, and computer aided
design of VLSI circuits and systems.
--------------------------
Future Prospects for Nuclear Power after Fukushima
Monday, February 13, 2012
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 26-414, Kolker Room, 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Jacopo Buongiorno, MIT
Nuclear is a high-intensity energy source with a practically unlimited
fuel availability and a long record of excellent safety. The
environmental benefits of nuclear are clear: as a near-zero-CO2
emission energy source, nuclear can contribute to combating climate
change. However, its contribution will be greatly enhanced, if its use
is not limited only to the electric power market. In this presentation
we will discuss a new paradigm in which (i) nuclear energy can be used
to displace large amounts of fossil fuels (and their related CO2
emissions) from the transportation sector, and (ii) nuclear can be
combined with and stabilize renewable energy sources (such as wind and
solar) to enable their expansion. A second focus of the presentation
will be a review of the advanced Light Water Reactor designs being
considered for new plant construction in the US and overseas. Emphasis
will be on their safety performance, in particular with respect to
accident scenarios similar to the recent event at the Fukushima-
Daiichi plant in Japan.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/lns/news/nuclear.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Laboratory for Nuclear Science Colloquia and Seminars
For more information, contact:
Randyn Miller
32395
randyn at mit.edu
--------------------------------
How Finance Went Wrong, and How to Fix it: Some Worthwhile Canadian
Initiatives
WHEN Mon., Feb. 13, 2012, 4 – 6 p.m.
WHERE Wasserstein Hall, Room 2036, Harvard Law School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR WCFIA Canada Program and the Labor and Worklife
Program, Harvard Law School
SPEAKER(S) Randall Morck, the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Distinguished
Chair in Finance, University of Alberta
COST Free and open to the public and off the record
CONTACT INFO canada at wcfia.harvard.edu
LINK http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/seminars/canada/schedule
-------------------------------
The Electric Information Age Book
WHEN Mon., Feb. 13, 2012, 5 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Boylston Hall, Room 403, Harvard Yard
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Information Technology, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR De Bosis Colloquium in Italian Studies
SPEAKER(S) Jeffrey Schnapp, Harvard University
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Schnapp presents his book "The Electric Information Age
Book" (Princeton Architectural Press). Talk in English.
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What Do Artists Know? Contemporary Responses to the Deskilling of Art
Monday, February 13, 2012
7:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building E15-001, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Michael Corris, Professor/Chair of Studio Art, Southern
Methodist University, Dallas
Part of the ACT Spring 2012 Monday Nights Lecture Series:
Experiments in Thinking, Action and Form
Some contemporary art is profoundly engaged with the world in ways
that go beyond interpretation. We seem to be in the midst of a
cultural moment where the instrumentalization of art has never been
more widely accepted among artists. Whether such artistic practices
seek to work across disciplines like science or sociology, or aim to
intervene positively in the social and cultural life of communities,
the artists involved may be said to hold in common the belief that
there is a real advantage that flows from the fact that they come to
the scene as artists. We are familiar with the notion of the artist as
a problem-solver. But what of other, more contentious knowledge
claims? Michael Corris is an artist and writer on art whose work is
most closely identified with the critical practices and attitudes of
Conceptual art; specifically, with the work of the collective, Art &
Language.
Web site: http://act.mit.edu/projects-and-events/lectures/2012-spring/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free and open to the public
Sponsor(s): MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology, School of
Architecture and Planning, Department of Architecture
For more information, contact:
Laura Anca Chichisan
617-253-5229
act at mit.edu, clauraa at mit.edu
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The Future of Power
WHEN Mon., Feb. 13, 2012
7 – 8:30 p.m.
3 Church Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Cambridge Forum
SPEAKER(S) Joseph Nye
COST FREE
CONTACT INFO director at cambridgeforum.org, 617.495.2727
NOTE Kennedy School Professor Joseph Nye discusses the options that
“soft power” and “smart power” offer to American foreign policy in the
21st century.
LINK http://www.cambridgeforum.org
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Vicky Chow, Bang on a Can All-Stars pianist Cage Recital
Monday, February 13, 2012
8:00p–10:00p
MIT, Building 14W-111, Killian Hall, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
In honor of John Cage's centennial, Bang on a Can All-Stars pianist
Vicky Chow will perform John Cage's Sonatas and Interludes for
prepared piano. These pieces are a landmark in the history of
classical music and piano repertoire. Written in 1946-48, this hour
long set of pieces is one of the examples of Cage's life long
fascination with the exploration of sound. 8pm, Killian Hall. Free and
open to the public. www.vickychow.com
Web site: web.mit.edu/mta
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Tickets: none required
Sponsor(s): Music and Theater Arts
For more information, contact:
Clarise Snyder
mta-request at mit.edu
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The Boston-Area Climate Experiment: Responses of a local old-field
Ecosystem to Simulated Climate Change
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
12:00pm
HUH Seminar Room, 22 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
Jeffrey Dukes Purde/UMASS,
http://www.huh.harvard.edu/seminar_series/
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Tuesday, February 14, 12 p.m.
"Covering the Age of Political Uprising: Decentralization of Politics
and the Media."
Speaker Series with Matt Bai, chief political correspondent, New York
Times Magazine.
Harvard, Taubman 275, 5 Eliot Street, Cambridge
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World Regions in Turmoil: Globalization, Asia, and Europe
WHEN Tue., Feb. 14, 2012, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Bowie-Vernon Room (K262), CGIS Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge
Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Program on U.S.-Japan Relations, co-sponsored by
the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, the Harvard
University Asia Center, and the Program on Transatlantic Relations,
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (WCFIA)
SPEAKER(S) Kumiko Haba, academic associate, Program on U.S.-Japan
Relations, Harvard University; and Jean Monnet Chair and Professor of
European International Politics, Aoyama Gakuin University
Karl Kaiser, director, Program on Transatlantic Relations, Weatherhead
Center for International Affairs (WCFIA), and adjunct professor of
public policy, Harvard Kennedy School
COST Free
CONTACT INFO xtian at wcfia.harvard.edu
LINK http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/us-japan/schedule/schedule.htm
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The North African "Arab Spring": Days of Rage, Dreams of Trespass
February 14
4:30-6:30pm
MIT, Building E51-395, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. William Lawrence, Director, North Africa Program for
International Crisis Group
Dr. Lawrence is a Massachusetts native and holds a B.A. in History and
French from Duke University, a 2nd level certificate in History from
the University of Paris IV (Sorbonne) and a MALD and PhD from the
Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
He is currently the Director of the North Africa Program for
International Crisis Group, a leading international think tank based
in Morocco.
-------------------------------
Legatum Lecture: Mastering Business Model Innovation
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
5:30p–6:30p
MIT, Building E62-276, 100 Main Street, Cambridge
Reception to follow
Speaker: Alexander Osterwalder
The Business Model Canvas, a conceptual management tool to visualize,
discuss, and invent business models, has known a phenomenal success
around the world. Now its inventors, Alexander Osterwalder and Yves
Pigneur are working on a series of new practical tools to continue to
revolutionize how executives and entrepreneurs think of business.
Besides explaining the Business Model Canvas, Alexander will elaborate
on the usability of management concepts and how this will change the
way we approach business.
Web site: http://legatum.mit.edu/content/1130
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0
Sponsor(s): Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship
For more information, contact:
Agnes Hunsicker
617-324-2768
agnesh at mit.edu
------------------------
What is Massachusetts Doing to Address Climate Change: From the
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to the Global Warming Solutions Act
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
5:30p–7:00p
MIT, Building 4-145, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Dwayne Breger, Director of the Renewable and Alternative
Energy Division at the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
(DOER)
While federal attention to global climate change has waned,
Massachusetts continues to confront and embrace the challenge.
Massachusetts played a leading role in the development of the
northeast Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a 10-state, first-
in-the-country mandatory CO2 cap-and-trade program on the power
generation sector in effect since 2009. In 2008, the Massachusetts
passed the Global Warming Solutions Act which commits the Commonwealth
to economy-wide reductions of GHG emissions of 25% by 2020 and 80% by
2050. This presentation will provide a summary and update on RGGI, as
well as an overview of the policies and programs being implemented
across the state to meet our GHG reduction commitments.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club, Energy & Environment Community
For more information, contact:
Energy & Environment Community @ MIT Energy Club
energy-environment at mit.edu
-----------------------------
Solar Energy the Third Way: Solar Thermoelectric Generators
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
7:00 PM
Boston University College of Arts & Sciences (west side), 725
Commonwealth Ave, Room 522
Last fall, Professor Gang Chen was a guest on SftPublic’s Contemporary
Science Issues & Innovations program. There was so much interest that
we asked him to give a presentation in our Lecture series at Boston
University so that more people would be able to talk with him. This
time, Dr. Chen will expand on the topic of solar energy and he’ll tell
us more about the “third way” of generating solar power and why this
technology is taking off in other countries.
The conversion of sunlight into electricity has been dominated by two
approaches: photovoltaic (PV) and solar-thermal power generation.
Photovoltaic cells are mostly deployed as flat panels on rooftops or
solar farms, while solar-thermal electricity generation technology
relying on bulky optical concentrating systems and mechanical heat
engines are used in large power plants.
In this presentation, Professor Gang Chen gives an overview of the two
current methods of generating electricity from sunlight. He then
turns to the potential of using the thermoelectric effect to harness
solar energy for the production of electricity. He explains the
basics of thermoelectric energy conversion and advanced materials, and
then describes solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs) that combine
solar power with thermoelectric generators. Dr. Chen explains the
increasing popularity of STEGs in Europe and China as these devices
become more efficient, less expensive and easier to install compared
to other types of solar energy.
Gang Chen, Ph.D., is the C. R. Soderberg Professor of Power
Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He obtained his
Ph.D. degree from UC Berkeley in 1993 working under then Chancellor
Chang-Lin Tien. He was a faculty member at Duke University
(1993-1997), University of California at Los Angeles (1997-2001),
before joining MIT in 2001. He is a recipient of the NSF Young
Investigator Award, the ASME Heat Transfer Memorial Award, the R&D100
Award, and the MIT McDonald Award for Excellences in Mentoring and
Advising. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, a
Guggenheim Fellow, an AIAA Fellow, an AAAS Fellow, and an ASME
Fellow. He serves as the director of Solid-State Solar-Thermal Energy
Conversion Center (S3TEC), a DOE Energy Frontier Research Center. He
has published extensively in the area of nanoscale energy transport
and conversion and nanoscale heat transfer, and co-founded GMZ Energy.
-----------------------------
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Wednesday February 15
12pm EST/9am PST for an interactive webinar about organizing a
Resilience Circle!
Register here. https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/303828366
We’ll talk about how to start a group for your community, including:
finding an organizing partner
finding participants through "base communities" and the "linking method"
how to share the idea of a circle with others
some notes on the curriculum
Before the webinar, please take 10 - 15 minutes to familiarize
yourself with the Resilience Circle seven-session curriculum. Contact
us (info at localcircles.org) for an electronic copy.
You will receive a confirmation email after registering with
information about how to join the webinar. View system requirements
below.
Webinar System Requirements:
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows(R) 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh(R)-based attendees
Required: Mac OS(R) X 10.4.11 (Tiger(R)) or newer
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MassChallenge UnTapped @ CIC: Featuring 2011 Alum Sonia Divney
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM (ET)
Cambridge Innovation Center, 1 Broadway, 14th Floor, Cambridge
What is MassChallenge? When can I apply?
Join MassChallenge Alumni Sonia Divney, CEO & Founder ofZarzaTech, who
will share her experience in the MassChallenge program. Learn first-
hand the benefits of participating in the Accelerator from one of our
very own!
Joining Sonia is Akhil Nigam, Founder & President of MassChallenge,
who will talk about the founding of MC and what we have in store for
2012. Find out how you can compete for a portion of $1 Million, no
strings attached!
Please join us for an information session and lunch
at Cambridge Innovation Center
Pizza and drinks on us
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions?
events at masschallenge.org
Register at http://mcinfosessioncic-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=13
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012Triple Agent: Lessons from the CIA's
Disaster at Khost, Afghanistan
Speaker: Joby Warrick, Washington Post
12:00p–1:30p
MIT, Building E40-496, 1 Amherst Street, Cambridge
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, February 15, 1:30 p.m.
"Agriculture and Obesity Can Teach Us about Media and Ignorance."
Speaker Series with Clay Johnson, founder of Blue State Digital.
Moderated by Nicco Mele, Adjunct Lecture in Public Policy.
Harvard, Cason Seminar Room, Taubman Building, First floor, 5 Eliot
Street, Cambridge
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How Do Bugs' Gases Alter Planetary Atmospheres?
WHEN Wed., Feb. 15, 2012, 4 – 5 p.m.
WHERE Geological Museum, Haller Hall (Room 102), 24 Oxford Street
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Origins of Life Initiative
SPEAKER(S) Paul Falkowski, Rutgers University
COST Free
CONTACT INFO origins at cfa.harvard.edu
LINK http://origins.harvard.edu
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Is America in Decline?
WHEN Wed., Feb. 15, 2012, 4:10 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, 124 Mt. Auburn Street, Suite 200-North
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Ash Center for Democratic Governance and
Innovation, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
SPEAKER(S) Joseph Nye, University Distinguished Service Professor,
and former dean, Harvard Kennedy School
COST Free
CONTACT INFO Bruce Jackan: bruce_jackan at hks.harvard.edu, 617.495.7548
NOTE In this Decline of Democracy Seminar, Professor Joseph Nye will
draw upon the argument of his recent book, "The Future of Power," to
discuss what we mean when we talk about decline, what the relevant
indicators are, and what difference it makes to our future.
LINK http://www.ash.harvard.edu/Home/News-Events/Events/Is-America-in-Decline
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Film screening: "Bully" and Forum Discussion
Wednesday, February 15
5:00-7:00PM
Longfellow Hall, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge
Hosted and organized by the Harvard Graduate School of Education in
conjunction with the Berkman Center and Facing History and Ourselves.
Introduction: Kathleen McCartney, dean and Gerald S. Lesser Professor
in Early Childhood Development, HGSE
Moderator: Richard Weissbourd, Ed.D.’87, director, Human Development
and Psychology Program, HGSE
Panel participants include:
Lee Hirsch, director and documentary filmmaker
Stephanie Jones, assistant professor of education, HGSE
Jennifer Clark, associate program director, Facing History and
Ourselves, New England
5:00 - 6:30PM - Film screening of Bully documentary
6:30 - 7:15PM - Panel discussion regarding the film and The Bully
Project
Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch,
Bully follows five kids and families over the course of a school year.
As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find
answers, Bully examines the dire consequences of bullying through the
testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their
stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal
with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.
------------------------------
My Sabbatical at Hogwarts: Initial Explorations into Meaningful
Gamification
Wednesday, February 15th
4:00pm to 6:00pm
Kotzen Meeting Room, Lefavour Hall, Simmons College, Boston
Free and open to the public
Join Dr. Nicholson as he presents the tales of his exploration and
learn about his early explorations in developing Meaningful
Gamification, which is grounded in theories from Education, HCI, and
LIS. Attendees will see MIT from the view of someone from the LIS
field, will learn about life in the dorms and on the MIT campus, and
will learn about gamification and how to think more deeply about the
use of meaningful play.
Over the last academic year, Scott Nicholson has found himself in a
world of magic and mystery – MIT. He is normally an LIS professor at
Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, but for his
sabbatical, has been working with several game research centers at MIT
and living as a visiting scholar in one of the undergraduate dorms.
While here, he has been watching for ways to connect libraries and LIS
theories into game studies, and has found a connection through
Gamification (the use of game design for non-game activities).
Pizza will be served!
Dr. Scott Nicholson, MLIS
http://becauseplaymatters.com
Syracuse University / MIT
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Civic Media Session: "What's Your Information Diet?"
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
5:00p–7:00p
MIT, Building E14, (Media Lab 6th floor, "Skyline Room"), 75 Amherst
Street, Cambridge
Civic Media Sessions
If we are what we eat, does it hold that we are also what we read and
watch? You've made a New Year's Resolution to eat healthy, but do you
ever consider what you feed your brain? When's the last time you took
a critical look at the news and information sources that help you form
opinions, learn new things, and generally live your life?
Center director Ethan Zuckerman will discuss these questions with Clay
Johnson, author of The Information Diet, and Sean B. Cash, Associate
Professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at
Tufts University.
We'll have a lively, interdisciplinary conversation about health and
sanity in an age of overconsumption, and how to best design tools to
help people.
Web site: http://civic.mit.edu/event/civic-media-session-whats-your-information-diet
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Center for Civic Media
For more information, contact:
Andrew Whitacre
617-324-0490
awhit at mit.edu
--------------------------
Countdown: Iran, Israel and the Threat of a Military Strike
WHEN Wed., Feb. 15, 2012, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE JFK Jr. Forum, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK St., Cambridge,
MA 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Institute of Politics; co-sponsored by the
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Middle East
Initiative
SPEAKER(S) Nazila Fathi, spring 2012 Shorenstein Fellow, Harvard
Kennedy School (HKS); Neiman Fellow (2010-11)
Charles Freilich, senior fellow, International Security Program, HKS
Steven E. Miller, director, International Security Program, HKS
Meghan O’Sullivan, Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of
International Affairs, HKS
David Sanger, chief Washington correspondent, New York Times
Stephen Walt (moderator), Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of
International Affairs, HKS
LINK http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Events-Meetings/JFK-Jr.-Forum-Calendar/FORUM-%22Countdown-Iran,-Israel-and-the-Threat-of-a-Military-Strike%22
-------------------------
Ben Houge Artist Panel: Sound and Real-Time Systems
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
7:00p–8:30p
MIT, Building E15-001, Bartos Theater, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Ben Houge, Joe Paradiso, Evan Ziporyn, David Cossin, Nick
Montfort
Visiting Artist Ben Houge leads the panel Sound and Real-Time Systems,
a discussion about the overlap between such disparate disciplines as
video games, digital media, and music composition. To underscore these
connections, MIT panelists will share their experience in a range of
fields: Joe Paradiso will present his modular synthesizer, newly
installed at the MIT Museum; Evan Ziporyn and David Cossin of Bang on
a Can All-Stars will discuss performance and composition; and Nick
Montfort will provide insights into media environments.
Web site: http://arts.mit.edu/va/artist/houge/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Arts at MIT
For more information, contact:
Meg Rotzel
617-253-2372
mrotzel at mit.edu
--------------------------
--------------------------
Amory Lovins presents "Reinventing Fire"
February 16, 2012
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 54-100, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Lovins is Co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist at the Rocky
Mountain Institute, an independent nonprofit think-and-do tank that
drives the efficient and restorative use of resources. Lovins will
present key ideas form one of his latest books titled "Reinventing
Fire." In it, he builds a case that maps pathways for running a 158%-
bugger U.S. economy in 2050 but needing no oil, no coal, no nuclear
energy, one-third less natural gas, and no new inventions.
"Reinventing Fire's" business case -- built on enduring value,
resilience, and risk management -- is so compelling that its execution
wouldn't require new federal taxes, subsidies, mandates, or laws; it
makes sense and makes money. Written for all of America's leaders,
it's a story of astounding choices and opportunities for creating the
new energy era.
Sponsored by: MIT Energy Campus Events
Admission: Open to the public
For more information: Contact MIT Energy Club
energy-events at mit.edu
--------------------------------
Experiments in Social Computation
Thursday, February 16, 2012
4:00p–5:30p
MIT, Building 32-123, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Michael Kearns
Dertouzos Lecturer Series 2011/2012
The Dertouzos Lecturer Series has been a tradition since 1976,
featuring some of the most influential thinkers in computer science,
including Bill Gates, Steven Jobs, Donald Knuth, John McCarthy, and
Mitchell Kapor. Formerly the Distinguished Lecturer Series, the series
has been renamed in memory of Michael Dertouzos, Director for the Lab
for Computer Science from 1974 to 2001.
What do the theory of computation, economics and related fields have
to say about the emerging phenomena of crowdsourcing and social
computing? Most successful applications of crowdsourcing to date have
been on problems we might consider "embarrassingly parallelizable"
from a computational perspective. But the power of the social
computation approach is already evident, and the road cleared for
applying it to more challenging problems. In part towards this goal,
for a number of years we have been conducting controlled human-subject
experiments in distributed social computation in networks with only
limited and local communication. These experiments cast a number of
traditional computational problems --- including graph coloring,
consensus, independent set, market equilibria, biased voting and
network formation --- as games of strategic interaction in which
subjects have financial incentives to collectively "compute" global
solutions. I will overview and summarize the many behavioral findings
from this line of experimentation, and draw broad comparisons to some
of the predictions made by the theory of computation and microeconomics.
Web site: University of Pennsylvania
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): CSAIL
For more information, contact:
Colleen Russell
617-253-0145
crussell at csail.mit.edu
-----------------------------
"Coming to a city Near You? Economic Crisis and Social Unrest in
Greece and Europe"
Thursday, February 16, 2012
5:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 4-231, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Prof Kalyvas
Web site: hsa.mit.edu
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Hellenic Students' Association
For more information, contact:
Dimitris Chatzigeorgiou
dchatzis at mit.edu
--------------------------
Biodiversity, Ecology, and Global Change. “Global Change, Biodiversity
and Poverty: Insights from the Himalaya”
WHEN Thu., Feb. 16, 2012, 5 – 6 p.m.
WHERE Biolabs Lecture Hall, 16 Divinity Ave, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Sustainability
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard University Center for the Environment
with generous support from Bank of America
SPEAKER(S) Kamaljit S. Bawa, professor, Department of Biology,
University of Massachusetts, Boston
CONTACT INFO Lisa Matthews: matthew at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE Followed by a reception.
Global change in the form of climate, land use and biodiversity change
is underway in the Himalayas at an unprecedented rapid rate. The
Himalayas are the most spectacular of the 34 global hotspots of
biodiversity. With about 15 000 glaciers—the highest concentration in
the world— these mountains are also the source of Asia’s eight largest
rivers. More than 2.0 billion people inhabit the basins of these
rivers. Thus global change in the Himalayas is likely to have serious
consequences for almost one third of the humanity. In the first part
of his talk, Kamal will present recent data from his group on climate
and land use change in the Himalayas. In the second part, he will
outline the constraints in maintaining multi-functional landscapes
that could conserve ecosystem services and foster human wellbeing. In
the third and final part, he will comment on the knowledge and
institutions required to promote landscape resilience.
LINK http://environment.harvard.edu/kbawa
-------------------------
20 Questions with Steven Pinker on Violence
WHEN Thu., Feb. 16, 2012, 6 – 8 p.m.
WHERE Sackler Auditorium (029) at 32 Quincy Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Ethics, Humanities,
Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Mahindra Humanities Center at Harvard
SPEAKER(S) Steven Pinker
Moderated by Homi Bhabha
Questioners:
Amy Hollywood
Jim Kloppenberg
Charles Maier
Michael Sandel
Elaine Scarry
COST Free
CONTACT INFO humcentr at fas.harvard.edu, 617.495.0738
LINK http://mahindrahumanities.fas.harvard.edu/content/steven-pinker-violence
---------------------------
Darwin's Nightmare: climbing the evolutionary ladder on the backs of
Africans
Thursday, February 16
6:40 pm doors open, 7 pm film starts
243 Broadway, Cambridge - corner of Broadway and Windsor, entrance on
Windsor
This is a tale about humans between the North and the South, and about
globalization, and about fish.
Some time in the 1960's, in the heart of Africa, a new animal was
introduced into Lake Victoria as a little scientific experiment. The
Nile Perch, a voracious predator, extinguished almost the entire stock
of the native fish species. The new fish multiplied so fast ...its
white fillets are today exported all around the world.
The larger scope of the story explores the gun trade to Africa that
takes place under the covers -- Russian pilots fly guns into Africa,
then fly fish back out to Europe. Huge hulking ex-Soviet cargo planes
come daily to collect the latest catch in exchange for their
southbound cargo ? Kalashnikovs and ammunitions for the uncounted wars
in the dark center of the continent. The hazards and consequences of
this trade are explored, including the pan-African violence propagated
by constant flow
of weapons into the continent.
If it is a "survival of the fittest" world, as Darwin concluded, then
the capitalist interests that fund the gun runners are climbing the
evolutionary ladder on the backs of the Africans in this stark
Darwinian example. Much like the foreseeable extinction of the Lake
Victoria perch, and death of Lake Victoria itself, the Africans are in
grave jeopardy, even as they survive in the only ways they know how.
This booming multinational industry of fish and weapons has created an
ungodly globalized alliance on the shores of the world's biggest
tropical lake: an army of local fishermen, World bank agents, homeless
children, African ministers, EU-commissioners, Tanzanian prostitutes
and Russian pilots.
"...an extraordinary work of visual journalism, a richly illustrated
report on a distant catastrophe that is also one of the central
stories of our time." ~ NYT
"Sauper's delicately horrific documentary is a short, sharp slap in
the face of the developed world, and a long overdue one at that." ~
Austin Chronicle
"It immerses you in its reality one toe at a time, until suddenly you
are in over your head, gasping for air as the horror of the situation
reveals itself in all its savage devastation." LA Times
"This isn't Darwin's nightmare; it's our own." Howard Schumann, IMdb
"Mr Sauper has done something extraordinary. Without putting in any
bias, he has allowed this story to unfold on its own. I've never, EVER
seen a documentary like this." ~B Merritt, Amazon.com
Director Hubert Sauper says: "In DARWIN'S NIGHTMARE I tried to
transform the bizarre success story of a fish and the ephemeral boom
around this "fittest" animal into an ironic, frightening allegory for
what is called the New World Order. I could make the same kind of
movie in Sierra Leone, only the fish would be diamonds, in Honduras,
bananas, and in Libya, Nigeria or Angola, crude oil. Most of us I
guess, know about the destructive mechanisms of our time, but we
cannot fully picture them. We are unable to "get it", unable to
actually believe what we know.
It is, for example, incredible that wherever prime raw material is
discovered, the locals die in misery, their sons become soldiers, and
their daughters are turned into servants and whores. Hearing and
seeing the same stories over and over makes me feel sick. After
hundreds of years of slavery and colonisation of Africa, globalisation
of African markets is the third and deadliest humiliation for the
people of this continent. The arrogance of rich countries towards the
third world (that's three quarters of humanity) is creating
immeasurable future dangers for all peoples."
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]
---------------------------
Harvard Law School Food Law Society Hosting a Raw Milk Debate
When: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm
Where: Harvard Law School, Langdell South Classroom. For those that
can’t make it, the event will be live-streamed. Video will also be
available after the event.
At one time, everyone drank raw milk. But with the invention of
pasteurization and its attendant safety benefits, consumption of raw
milk in this country almost completely disappeared. In fact, in many
states it is illegal to sell raw milk. But a growing segment of the
population is clamoring for increased access to raw milk, citing its
nutritional benefits. Opponents are skeptical of such nutritional
claims and believe the safety risks of unpasteurized milk are simply
too high.
Join the Food Law Society as we present a debate covering the legal,
health, and nutritional merits of raw milk. The participants are:
Fred Pritzker, Pritzker & Olson Law Firm
Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Director, Dairy & Food Inspection Division,
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
vs.
Sally Fallon Morell, President, Weston A. Price Foundation
David Gumpert, Author, The Raw Milk Revolution
Contact: Jonathan Abrams, jabrams at jd12.law.harvard.edu
---------------------------
---------------------------
Lessons Learned from Actual Multifamily Renovations
February 17
8:30 am
BSA Space, 290 Congress Street, Boston
Presenters: Beverly Craig, Homeowner’s Rehab, Inc. & Matt Root,
Conservation Services Group
Explores sustainability and construction management issues for
multifamily housing as well as meeting Energy Star requirements, low
HERS indexes, and LEED for Homes.
Sponsored by Boston Society of Architects Housing Committee
RSVP to rsvp at architects.org
------------------------------------
Implementing Bold State Energy-Related Environmental Regulations,
Policies, & Programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut;
and The Future of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Friday, February 17, 2012
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02210
***Free and open to the public with no advanced registration***
Join us as we kick off the Roundtable's 17th year with a blockbuster
Roundtable focusing on bold state and regional energy-related
environmental regulations, policies, and programs.
Our first panel features recent important state-level developments in
Massachusetts and Connecticut.Massachusetts Department of
Environmental ProtectionCommissioner Ken Kimmel will describe the
various new activities that DEP and the state are undertaking to
insure the successful implementation of Massachusetts' landmark
legislation, including the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green
Communities Act.
Connecticut's recently-appointed Deputy Commissioner of Energy
Jonathan Schrag will then discuss the plethora of activities
Connecticut is undertaking (following the recent consolidation of its
energy and environmental agencies under a new Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection), all of which aim to reduce energy prices,
while enhancing the pursuit of energy efficiency and clean energy
technologies.
Our second panel focuses on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
(RGGI), the first carbon cap and trade system in the United States, as
it completes its third year of operation and begins a three-year
review process that could result in changes to RGGI's design and
implementation. Yet with New Jersey's recent withdrawal from RGGI and
New Hampshire's near-withdrawal, is RGGI's future secure?
The panel begins with Maine PUC Commissioner David Littell (who is
also Chairman of RGGI,Inc.)
Commissioner Littell will take stock of RGGI's first phase, laying out
the questions that the states will be trying to answer in their review
process and describing the review process itself.
Analysis Group Senior Vice President Paul Hibbardwill then present the
findings of an in-depth study undertaken by Analysis Group, with
funding support from several foundations, on the economic costs and
benefits of RGGI's first phase - both regionally and state-by-state.
Rounding out the panel and sharing their insights on RGGI's first
three years, the Analysis Group study, and their hopes and fears
regarding RGGI's future, will be Environment Northeast's Director for
Energy/Climate Policy Derek Murrow, and NRG Energy's Senior VP for
Sustainability Policy & Strategy Steve Corneli.
12/9/11 Restructuring Roundtable Meeting video at http://www.raabassociates.org/main/roundtable.asp?sel=110
------------------------------
From Ruins to Revival A Blueprint for Reconstruction, One Year After
the Great Earthquake and Tsunami in Northeastern Japan
10:00am - 12:00pm
Harvard Neighbors Meeting Room, Loeb House, 17 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Learn more about the terrible disaster, the rescue efforts, the
government’s response, and the reconstruction plans for this region,
including the problem of the disabled nuclear power plant.
Contact Name: yayoi.witzel at gmail.com
--------------------------------
Using Computational Optimization to Support Sustainable Building Design
Friday, February 17, 2012
12:00p–1:00p
MIT, Building 1-150, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Forest Flager, Ph.D.
This seminar presents computational design optimization methods that
enable architects and engineers to quantitatively evaluate orders of
magnitude more design alternatives than currently possible using
conventional simulation-based processes, and thereby, facilitates the
discovery of innovative robust and sustainable design solutions. The
successful application of these new design methods to several building
and sports stadia projects in collaboration with Arup, Disney and The
Beck Group will be discussed.
Dr. Flager is a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Integrated
Facility Engineering (CIFE) at Stanford University as well as a
lecturer for the Architectural Design program. He received his MEng
from MIT in 2003 and has practiced as a structural engineer for Arup
in San Francisco and London.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Civil and Environmental Engineering
For more information, contact:
Lauren
8-8685
laurenm at mit.edu
-----------------------
Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq: War and Landscape Photography
Friday, February 17, 2012
12:00p–2:00p
MIT, Building 14E-304, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Chuong-Dai Vo
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/cbbs/
Open to: the general public
Cost: N/A
Sponsor(s): Foreign Languages & Literatures, Women's and Gender Studies
For more information, contact:
Chuong-Dai Vo
617-253-4771
chvo at mit.edu
--------------------------
The Precision vs. the Energy Frontier-Testing the Standard Model at
Jefferson Lab
Friday, February 17, 2012
2:00p–3:00p
MIT, Building 26-414, Kolker Room, 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Juliette Mammei, University of Massachusetts
The Standard Model of Particles and Interactions (SM) describes our
current understanding of the fundamental particles that make up matter
and their interactions. However, there are still many questions which
are not answered by the SM, such as the origin of dark matter and dark
energy, which together make up 95% of the energy in the universe, but
are not yet included in the SM. Various extensions to the SM predict
the existence of new particles, some of which could be dark matter
candidates. The SM can be tested with direct searches for as-yet-
undiscovered particles, such as the Higgs boson, at colliders which
explore the energy frontier such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
An alternative, yet complementary, approach is to search for physics
beyond the SM by making extremely precise measurements of SM
quantities, where deviations from predicted values would indicate the
presence of new physics. Qweak and MOLLER comprise a program of
measurements at Jefferson Lab which will test the SM by exploiting the
property of parity-violation in the weak interaction. They will
measure the parity-violating asymmetry in elastic electron-proton or
electron-electron (M??ller) scattering, respectively, anticipated as
the world???s most precise measurements of the weak mixing angle,
sin2??W, away from the Z resonance. I will describe the experiments
and their potential impact on the development of the New Standard Model.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/lns/news/specialseminar.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Laboratory for Nuclear Science Colloquia and Seminars
For more information, contact:
Randyn Miller
32395
randyn at mit.edu
----------------------------
Breaking down old approximations to help develop third generation
solar cells: a quantum mechanical model for singlet fission
Friday, February 17, 2012
3:00p–4:00p
MIT, Building 66-110, 25 Ames Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Paul Zimmerman, Department of Chemistry, UC Berkeley
Chemical Engineering Department Seminar Series
See speakers, talk titles, and dates at http://web.mit.edu/cheme/news/seminar.html
Strong interest in creating next-generation solar cells has renewed
focus on singlet fission, where one absorbed photon converts into two
triplet charge carriers. Utilization of singlet fission could lead to
solar cells with efficiencies greater than the Shockley-Quiesser
limit. Before effective design of such cells could be achieved, a
fundamental understanding of the singlet fission mechanism must be
developed. This is challenging because it requires a detailed
characterization of multi-exciton (multi-charge carrier) states. While
many quantum simulations are unable to capture even the qualitative
nature of these states (ie most TD-DFT, EOM-CCSD theories), multi-
exciton states can be characterized using restricted-active-space spin-
flip methods. In this talk, the double and quadruple spin flip methods
are applied to singlet fission in tetracene and pentacene crystals. A
specific intermolecular motion will be highlighted as the key nuclear
coordinate responsible for singlet fission in the acenes. This
vibration facilitates nonadiabatic conversion of a bright, single
exciton state to a dark multi-triplet state. From this mechanism, I'll
discuss implications for the design of new solar cells that utilize
singlet fission to harvest a maximum portion of the solar spectrum.
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
***********
-------------
Upcoming
-------------
***********
CDD Forum - Shrinking Cities
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
6:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building 10-485, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
City Design and Development Lecture Series focusing on Shrinking Cities
Speaker: Daniel D'Oca - Interboro Partners
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Architecture, Department of Urban Studies
and Planning
For more information, contact:
Sandra Elliott
617-253-5115
sandrame at mit.edu
------------------------
The Boston Globe's digital strategy: a peek behind the (pay)wall
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
7:00 PM
Boston Globe, 135 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester
Jeff Moriarty, vice president of digital products, will talk about the
Boston Globe’s digital strategy – the launch of the premium
BostonGlobe.comalongside the advertising supported boston.com — and
how the websites embody and renew the values and ambitions that have
guided its parent newspaper for 139 years.
With more ways to present the news, tell stories, and convey data the
Globe is pursuing new products and transforming its business across
all of its print and digital brands.
RSVP at http://meetupbos.hackshackers.com/events/43943892/?a=ea1_evn&eventId=43943892&action=detail&rv=ea1&rv=ea1
-----------------------------
GreenPort Forum
Two New GreenPort Projects: Greening our Buildings and Neighborhood
Kitchen
Tuesday, February 21 at 7:00pm
Cambridgeport Baptist Church, 459 Putnam Ave.
How can our neighborhood green up its buildings? How can GreenPort
help make more energy audits, efficiency implementations renewables
happen? House parties? Energy walks? A buddy system? We've got
some ideas and would like to spark a discussion about what might work
and how to start. Presented by Rosalie Anders. Rosalie works on
climate issues for the City of Cambridge and is active in GreenPort.
GreenPort is starting a Neighborhood Kitchen--food prep, meal
distribution and meal sharing for Cambridgeport. Sue Reinert and Sally
Watermulder are initiating this. Sue is a Cambridgeport resident,
member of Simplex Community Garden and a good eater. Sally is also a
Cambridgeport resident, GreenPort Coordinating Committee member as
well as a green building architect and community planner.
Come with your ideas for how we can launch these two important projects.
GreenPort envisions and encourages a just and sustainable
Cambridgeport neighborhood
For more information, contact Steve Wineman at swineman at gis.net
------------------------------------
Five members of the Beehive, a design cooperative based in Machias,
Maine, will be in residence in the Art Education Department from
February 21-28. They will be visiting classes and studios, installing
an exhibition in the Arnheim Gallery, and giving two public
presentations.
The Beehive?s mission is to create collaborative, anti-copyright
images that can be used as alternative educational and organizing
tools. Best known for their posters, the bees collaborate to create
visual narratives that break down and deconstruct complex and
overwhelming political/social issues.
Schedule of Beehive Events at MassArt:
February 27 - March 14 Arnheim exhibition
Monday, Feb. 27, 7:00 - 8:30pm opening
Wednesday, February 22, 5:15-7:00 pm, Kennedy 406, MassArt, Boston
Presentation on running a collaborative of artists and activists
Monday, February 27, 5:00-7:00 pm, Tower Auditorium, MassArt, Boston
Presentation on the True Cost of Coal Banner
The Beehive Collective releases their innovative graphic, "The True
Cost of Coal: a visual exploration of Mountaintop Removal coal mining
and Resistance"
Two years in the making, "The True Cost of Coal" is an elaborate
narrative illustration that explores the complex story of mountaintop
removal coal mining and the broader impacts of coal in Appalachia and
beyond. The image is the culmination of an intensive and collaborative
research process, as the Beehive methodology centers on first hand
story-sharing. To create the poster, the Beehive interviewed hundreds
of community members throughout the Appalachia region. "We feel it?s
extremely important to gather our information from as close to the
source as possible," a Beehive illustrator says.
The Bees craft visual metaphors and weave them together in a patchwork
"quilt" of personal stories. In their interactive picture-lectures,
the Bees lead audiences through an engaging, larger-than-life banner
version of the graphic, interweaving anecdotes, statistics, and
history. The experience prompts discussion and understanding of
contemporary struggles about energy and coal, while honoring the deep
legacy of the Appalachian experience. Upon seeing the graphic, Tanya
Turner of Pineville, KY said, "This image is changing Appalachia.
Appalachians are taking back Appalachia and this image is a tool for
that change."
-----------------------------------
"Drones: the New Frontier of Warfare and Spying"
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
7:00pm until 10:00pm
Friends Meeting, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge
Description
U.S. use of drones for warfare and spying has become routine. The use
of drones increased dramatically under the Obama administration.
Pentagon funding for drones is scheduled to increase by up to 60
percent while other programs are being cut. Drones have been used for
targeted killings in Pakistan,. Afghanistan and Yemen. One in three
U.S. warplanes are now drone piloted. Drones have also been used for
surveillance in the U.S.
Learn more about this new instrument of war and plan together about
how we can respond.
Bruce Gagnon - Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Nancy Murray - American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts
Matthew Hoey - Military Space Transparency Project
For more information contact:
boston.wilpf.org -- 617-244-8054 or www.justicewithpeace.org --
617-383-4857
-----------------------------
2012 FARM SHARE FAIR! ::
Thursday March 1st @ 5:30-8PM | Free Admission
The Argenziano School in Union Sq @ 290 Washington St / Somerville
We’re bringing lots of local farms to the city! Meet the folks who
grow your food, and sign up for a local CSA share to get weekly fresh
veggies!
A CSA share is a weekly box of fresh/delicious/natural veggies (and
sometimes meat/fish) delivered by local farms to convenient pickup
spots within our community.
* Presented by theMOVE | more info @ www.farmsharefair.org
* Sponsored by Rafiki Bistro + Craigie on Main
* Co-sponsored by Somerville Climate Action + NOFA/Mass + Somerville
Community Health Agenda + Union Square Main Streets
------------------------------
Landlord Profitability Workshop
Saturday, March 3
9am to noon
MIT Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Water bills high?
Tenants keep moving out?
Hefty common area electricity bills?
Bed bugs, rats, or mice?
Too much garbage?
Choose from several short talks. Ask questions of the experts:
Sam Corda, Water Department Director
Michael Blasnik of Blasnik Associates
Wegowise Utility Tracking
Winn Management’s Energy Coordinator
And others!
Get answers from the experts.
Get paid for solar panels
Sign up for free email water-use alerts
See a free infrared scan of your building
We’ll only have room for 100 attendees.
Reserve your spot and learn more at http://www.HEETma.com
Sponsored by HEET, the Cambridge Energy Alliance, and the Sustainable
Business Network.
------------------------------
Statewide Farm to School Convention
March 15, 2012
Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge, MA!
Come hear how inspiring food service directors, educators, students,
parents, and community members are building connections between
schools and farms in Massachusetts - and learn what you can do to
further those connections.
This year's convention will feature Curt Ellis, Executive Director of
FoodCorps, and Abbie Nelson, Vice President of the SNA in VT and
Director of VTFEED, as well as six workshop tracks:
New Ideas for Locally Grown in School Cafeterias
Farm to School for Very Young Students
New Strategies for Expanding Farm to School Sales
Models for Successful Agriculture-Based Education
Community Connections
New Initiatives in Colleges and Other Institutions
Register at http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103105356625-127/Convention+Registration+Form.pdf
----------------------------
Transition to a New Economy Conference
March 30th - April 1st at Harvard University
Speakers include: Richard Heinberg Post Carbon Institute and Juliet
Schor Boston College and others
Apply online and find out more at http://www.economyfutures.org/
Early application deadline: Feb 15
Final application deadline: Feb 21
*************
----------------
Opportunity
---------------
*************
Cambridge Residents: Free Home Thermal Images
Have you ever wanted to learn where your home is leaking heat by
having an energy auditor come to your home with a thermal camera?
With that info you then know where to fix your home so it's more
comfortable and less expensive to heat. However, at $200 or so, the
cost of such a thermal scan is a big chunk of change.
HEET Cambridge has now partnered with Sagewell, Inc. to offer
Cambridge residents free thermal scans.
Sagewell collects the thermal images by driving through Cambridge in a
hybrid vehicle equipped with thermal cameras. They will scan every
building in Cambridge (as long as it's not blocked by trees or
buildings or on a private way). Building owners can view thermal
images of their property and an analysis online. The information is
password protected so that only the building owner can see the results.
Homeowners, condo-owners and landlords can access the thermal images
and an accompanying analysis free of charge. Commercial building
owners and owners of more than one building will be able to view their
images and analysis for a small fee.
The scans will be analyzed in the order they are requested.
Go to Sagewell.com. Type in your address at the bottom where it says
"Find your home or building" and press return. Then click on "Here"
to request the report.
That's it. When the scans are done in a few weeks, your building will
be one of the first to be analyzed. The accompanying report will help
you understand why your living room has always been cold and what to
do about it.
With knowledge, comes power (or in this case saved power and money,
not to mention comfort).
---------------------
Cambridge Energy Alliance is kicking off a brand new pilot project to
make Cambridge more energy efficient and install more renewable energy
one neighborhood at a time. Live Better Porter Square will
simultaneously engage every sector in Porter Square; bringing together
churches, schools, community gardeners, business leaders,
students and more!
The goals of this four month campaign are to promote community
involvement, support the local economy, and highlight Porter Square as
a model for the rest of the city.
Neighborhood Liaison volunteers will assist with planning and
implementing outreach efforts, as well as community events. We are
looking for individuals with an interest in community organizing,
outreach, and event planning.
If you are interested in volunteering please sign up to attend the
information and interview session on February 14th.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGhQRUFaRU85dVp1c244LVJnWERTaXc6MQ
We’ll be offering an interactive and fun half-day training session for
Neighborhood Liaison volunteers on March 3rd.
Questions? Email Meghan at outreach at cambridgeenergyalliance.org
---------------------------
*J e s t e r*
**Facebook Profile <https://www.facebook.com/jester.ronin> **¦**
LinkedIn<http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?trk=tab_pro&id=26526883>
**
P a r a n o i d Z e n
jes... at paranoidzen.com*
http://www.paranoidzen.com
Hi All,
I am sending this out to a bunch of lists I'm on, so apologies for
cross posting effects.
Our new forums are up and running, and they are free for all! We are
aiming for this to become a place where Boston area collaborations,
discussions and skill shares in audio, video, lighting, programming,
hacking, and other various forms of 'making' happen.
Find them here: http://cemmi.org/index.php/forum/index
Since its early, I imagine they will go through some serious
evolutions in terms of organization but we hope you will stop by and
check them out. The forums even work on most mobile platforms :)
You can sign in using your Gmail, Google app, or Facebook credentials
so there is no need to create a new account (we'll be adding a button
to make that more obvious soon).
If you have any suggestions or changes, let us know, and if you are up
for helping moderate, please reach out!
Many thanks, and I hope to see you there!
*********
-----------
Resource
-----------
Sustainable Business Network Local Green Guide
SBN is excited to announce the soft launch of its new Local Green
Guide, Massachusetts' premier Green Business Directory!
To view the directory please visit: http://www.localgreenguide.org
To find out how how your business can be listed on the website or for
sponsorship opportunities please contact Adritha at adritha at sbnboston.org
--------------------------------------------------
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
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/
********************************************
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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://www.BostonScienceLectures.com
Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/
Arts and Cultural Events List http://aacel.blogspot.com/
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