[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Mar 4 20:15:22 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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Integrated Urban Agricultural Systems: on the thought experiment of
making Cambridge, MA 100% food self-reliant
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/02/29/1069619/-Integrated-Urban-Agricultural-Systems
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Monday, March 5
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"Are Current Electricity Markets Suitable to Integrate Non-
dispatchable (Renewable) Producers?"
Monday, March 5
12:00pm - 1:30pm Energy Policy Seminar
Bell Hall, 5th Floor, Belfer Building, HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Antonio Conejo, University of Castilla - La Mancha
Contact Name: Louisa Lund louisa_lund at harvard.edu
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Rio+20 and Cairo+20: What Now?
Monday, March 5, 2012
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1,
Room 1208, Boston
The HSPH Department of Global Health and Population presents a
Frontiers in Global Health Seminar:
Donald Sawyer
Professor, Center for Sustainable Development, Universidade de Brasília
Associate Researcher, Institute for Society, Population and Nature
Lemann Visiting Scholar, DRCLAS (2011-2012)
With remarks by
Marcia Castro, Assistant Professor of Demography, Department of Global
Health and Population
contact agallant at hsph.harvard.edu
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"Layers of Uncertainty in Science Policy"
Monday, March 5
2:00pm
Harvard Science Center, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Rear Admiral Ali Khan, Director of Health Preparedness and Response,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Panel discussion with
Sheila Jasanoff, Harvard Kennedy School; Dan Hastings, MIT Dean for
Undergraduate Education; Eli Kintisch, MIT Knight Science Journalism
Fellow
http://stpcrossroads.org/
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"Are Abrupt Climate Changes Predictable?"
Monday, March 5, 2012
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Haller Hall (Geo Museum 102), 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Peter Ditlevsen, Niels Bohr Institute, Denmark. Hosted by Peter Huybers.
Abstract: It is taken for granted that the limited predictability in
the initial value problem, the weather prediction, and the
predictability of the statistics are two distinct problems. Lorenz
(1975) dubbed this predictability of the first and the second kind
respectively. Predictability of the first kind in a chaotic dynamical
system is limited due to the well-known critical dependence on initial
conditions. Predictability of the second kind is possible in an
ergodic system, where either the dynamics is known and the phase space
attractor can be characterized by simulation or the system can be
observed for such long times that the statistics can be obtained from
temporal averaging, assuming that the attractor does not change in
time. For the climate system the distinction between predictability of
the first and the second kind is fuzzy. On the one hand, the
predictability horizon for a weather forecast is not related to the
inverse of the Lyapunov exponent of the system. These are rather
associated with the much shorter times in the turbulent boundary layer
and so on. These time scales are effectively averaged on the time
scales of the flow in the free atmosphere. Thus, when forecasting,
say, showers in the afternoon, this is really a forecast of the second
kind giving a statistical probability of convection and precipitation
at a specific location at a specific time as a function of a large
scale flow pattern predicted from initial conditions. On the other
hand, turning to climate change predictions, the time scales on which
the system is considered quasi-stationary, such that the statistics,
say mean surface temperature, can be predicted as a function of an
external parameter, say atmospheric greenhouse gas concentration, is
still short in comparison to slow dynamics such as the oceanic
overturning. On these time scales the state of these slow variables
still depends on the initial conditions. This fuzzy distinction
between predictability of the first and of the second kind is related
to the lack of scale separation between fast and slow components of
the climate system.
The non-linear nature of the problem furthermore opens the possibility
of multiple attractors, or multiple quasi-steady states. As the
paleoclimatic record shows, the climate has been jumping between
different quasi-stationary climates. Such a jump happens very fast
when a critical tipping point has been reached. The question is: Can a
tipping point be predicted? This is a new kind of predictability (the
third kind). If the tipping point is reached through a bifurcation,
where the stability of the system is governed by some control
parameter, changing in a predictable way to a critical value, the
tipping is predictable. If the sudden jump occurs because internal
chaotic fluctuations, noise, push the system across a barrier, the
tipping is as unpredictable as the triggering noise. In order to hint
at an answer to this question, an analysis of the Dansgaard-Oeschger
climate events observed in ice core records is presented. The result
of the analysis points to a fundamental limitation in predictability
of the third kind.
Contact Name: Sabinna Cappo
scappo at fas.harvard.edu
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Physical and Chemical Modeling of Thermochemical Biomass Conversion to
Fuels
Monday, March 05, 2012
4:15p–5:15p
MIT, Building 3-333, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Addison Killean Stark, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
MIT
Center for Energy and Propulsion Research Seminar Series
Thermochemical conversion of biomass to liquid fuels offers an
attractive option to satisfy the need to produce drop-in ready
biofuels to meet national mandates designed to displace petroleum
consumption for transportation. There are different conversion
technologies and schemes under development from fluidized bed
pyrolysis reactors for the production of bio-oil to entrained flow
gasifiers coupled with Fischer-Troepsch synthesis. The aim of this
talk is to give an introduction to the different thermochemical
conversion pathways currently under development for ligno-cellulosic
fuel production and to give an overview of modeling approaches for
these processes. Particular attention will be paid to the modeling
approaches for the physiochemical conversion of the solid biomass -
pyrolysis, gasification and combustion- as this complex first step is
shared between the various conversion technologies.
Addison Stark joined the RGD Lab in February 2010 after receiving
Master's Degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Technology and Public
Policy from MIT. For his Master's research, Addison analyzed
thermochemical biofuel production using a life-cycle methodology.
Addison graduated from the University of Iowa in 2007 earning
Bachelor's Degrees in Mathematics and Chemistry. Outside of the lab
Addison has been engaged with the MIT Energy Club and Conference,
formerly serving as Co-President of the Energy Club, and Content Co-
Director for the 2010 Energy Conference.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): RGD Lab
For more information, contact:
Jeff Hanna
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The Geometry of Molecules
Monday, March 05, 2012
5:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 2-132
D.W. Weeks Lecture Series
Women in Mathematics Lecture Series
Speaker: Julie Mitchell (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Web site: http://math.mit.edu/wim/events/seminars.php
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Mathematics, Department of
For more information, contact:
Avisha Lalla
617-253-4381
avisha at math.mit.edu
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Learning Through Noticing: Theory and Experimental Evidence in Farming
Monday, March 05, 2012
5:30p–7:00p
Harvard, Littauer M16, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Josh Schwartzstein (Dartmouth)
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT/Harvard Applied Theory Workshop
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
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CDD Forum - Shrinking Cities
Monday, March 05, 2012
6:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building 10-485, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Justin Hollander, Tufts University
City Design and Development Lecture Series focusing on Shrinking Cities
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Urban Studies and Planning, Department of
Architecture
For more information, contact:
Sandra Elliott
617-253-5115
sandrame at mit.edu
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The Last Mountain - film showing
Monday, March 5, 2012
6:00pm
Nye BC (5th Floor, Taubman Building), Harvard Kennedy School, 5 Eliot
Street, Cambridge
First screening of the 2012 Environmental Film Series: The Last
Mountain
Q & A with the filmmaker, Bill Haney, to follow
Open to the public
Refreshments will be served
Film synopsis:
In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a
mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every
American, regardless of their social status, economic background or
where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and
continues to do so the longer it is waged. It is a battle over
protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of
Big Coal.
The mining and burning of coal is at the epicenter of America’s
struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental concerns.
Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West
Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are
trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from
continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal.
David, himself, never faced a Goliath like Big Coal.
The citizens argue the practice of dynamiting the mountain’s top off
to mine the coal within pollutes the air and water, is responsible for
the deaths of their neighbors and spreads pollution to other states.
Yet, regardless of evidence supporting these claims, Big Coal
corporations repeat the process daily in the name of profit. Massive
profit allows Big Coal to wield incredible financial influence over
lobbyists and government officials in both parties, rewrite
environmental protection laws, avoid lawsuits and eliminate more than
40,000 mining jobs, all while claiming to be a miner’s best friend.
As our energy needs increase, so does Big Coal’s control over our
future. This fact and a belief that America was founded on the
democratic principal that no individual or corporation owns the air
and water and we all share the responsibility of protecting it, drives
these patriotic citizens and their supporters from outside of
Appalachia, like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., to keep fighting.
A passionate and personal tale that honors the extraordinary power of
ordinary Americans who fight for what they believe in, THE LAST
MOUNTAIN shines a light on America’s energy needs and how those needs
are being supplied. It is a fight for our future that affects us all.
Written, directed and produced by Bill Haney, an award-winning
documentary filmmaker and founder and president of the eco-housing
start-up, Blu Homes, THE LAST MOUNTAIN was co-written and edited by
Peter Rhodes and produced by Clara Bingham and Eric Grunebaum.
Narrated by William Sadler, the film features original music by
composer Claudio Ragazzi and includes the song “Your Control” by
Crooked Fingers and Neko Case.
Speaker Info:
Bill Haney has written, produced and directed award winning
documentary and narrative features for ten years. He is co-founder of
Uncommon Productions.
His most recent feature documentary, The Price of Sugar, which he
wrote, produced and directed, was short-listed for an Academy Award,
nominated for the NAACP’s Image Award and was the recipient of
numerous other honors, including the Gabriel Award and the Audience
Award at South by Southwest.
In addition to filmmaking, Haney is founder of the eco-housing startup
Blu Homes, using advanced technology to make housing greener,
healthier and more affordable. He is also chairman of World Connect,
a non-profit supporting programs to help women and children in 400
developing world villages.
More information about the film, which premiered at Sundance in 2011,
can be found atthelastmountainmovie.com
Contact Name: Amanda Swanson Sardonis
amanda_sardonis at harvard.edu
http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5736/last_mountain.html
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Web Innovators Group 33 (WebInno33)
Monday, March 5, 2012
6:30 PM (ET)
Royal Sonesta Cambridge, 40 Edwin H Land Blvd, Cambridge
WebInno is an informal gathering of people interested in internet and
mobile innovation - open to all in the community.
We'll begin with the doors officially opening at 6:30pm in the
Cambridge Royal Sonesta Hotel.
7PM: Main Dish Presentations
MediaMob - Matt Snyder
GatherEducation - Pano Anthos, Chris Mortonson, & Shonak Patel
Lifeables - Jeremy Daly, Karen Macumber & Greg Czarnowski
6:30-9pm: Side Dish Demos
Abroad101 - Adam Miller, Mike Stone, Jamie Davidson, & Jenna Lashley
Zoora - Aubrie Pagano & Chirag Nirmal
Mosaic Storage Systems - Gerard Murphy & Andy Young
OnTheBar - Ian Stanczyk
Cangrade - Michael Burtov, Gershon Goren & Steve Lehr
Register at http://webinno33.eventbrite.com/
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8pm: Steve Papa, Founder and Chairman of Endeca, which was sold to
Oracle for a rumored $1B+, will share his founding stories in session
where Fred Shilmover of InsightSquared leads the discussion.
9pm: Co-Hosting AngelHack Hackathon Grand Prize Awards Ceremony (more
info - use discount code "WebInno" to register as a participant).
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ACT Lecture | Bruce Yonemoto - Re-representations and Simulations
Monday, March 05, 2012
7:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building E15-001
Speaker: Bruce Yonemoto, Professor of Studio Art in Video,
Experimental Media, Film Theory, University of California, Irvine
Part of the ACT Spring 2012 Monday Nights Lecture Series: Experiments
in Thinking, Action and Form
In conversation with Stephen Prina, Professor of Visual and
Environmental Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge
Bruce Yonemoto works within the overlapping intersections of art and
commerce, and the gallery world and cinema screen. Yonemoto juxtaposes
cultural material from different international communities, such as
those of the Japanese Americans, Nipo-Brasiliero, Peruvian Quechua and
Hollywood communities. The photographic series North South East West
focuses on the erased history of American Civil War soldiers of Asian
descent. Yonemoto's collaboration with Dr. Juli Carson deals with the
discovery of the real and poetic convergence between two distinct
phenomena in Argentina: the site of one of the few growing glaciers in
the world and one of the last regions where Lacanian psychoanalysis is
practiced. Most recently, Yonemoto's work was exhibited at the ICC in
Tokyo, the Kemper Museum in Kansas City, and the St. Louis Museum of
Art.
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): Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and
Planning, MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
For more information, contact:
Laura Anca Chichisan
617-253-5229
act at mit.edu, clauraa at mit.edu
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"From the Math Department to the Art Department: Larry Gonick on Being
an Overeducated Cartoonist"
WHEN Mon., Mar. 5, 2012, 8 – 9 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Science Center Hall C
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Humanities, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Statistics Department
SPEAKER(S) Larry Gonick, author of "The Cartoon History of the
Universe," numerous cartoon guides, and the new "Cartoon Guide to
Calculus"
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Tuesday, March 6
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NESEA's BuildingEnergy 12
March 6-8, 2012
Boston Seaport World Trade Center
As a special offer to Energy (and Other) Events readers, the promo
code BE12NOW reduces the day pass for all activities, normally $150,
by $20
http://www.nesea.org/be12/
Free trade show passes for Thursday at http://bit.ly/BE12TradeShowGuest
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MRCBG Seminar. "The Necessary Framework for Economic Reforms — A
Comparative Analysis"
WHEN Tue., Mar. 6, 2012, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
WHERE Bell Hall, 5th Floor, Belfer Building, Harvard Kennedy School,
70 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Humanities, Lecture, Social
Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government
SPEAKER(S) Francesco Giavazzi, professor of economics, Bocconi
University, Milan and visiting professor of economics, MIT
NOTE Please RSVP to mrcbg at ksg.harvard.edu
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Behind the Smart Grid, A Backbone of Regulations and Standards
WHEN Tue., Mar. 6, 2012, 12 – 1 p.m.
WHERE Wasserstein 2012, Harvard Law School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Environmental Sciences, Information
Technology, Law, Science, Sustainability
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Environmental Law Society
SPEAKER(S) Joel Eisen, energy lawyer professor
NOTE The Smart Grid can be a profound transformation of the current
electricity system. However, how is it put together? Like the
Internet, where familiar standardized protocols such as TCP/IP enabled
revolutionary growth, the same is also possible in the Smart Grid.
There is a complex process under way to set these standards. Eisen,
writer of a leading energy law text Energy, Economics and the
Environment, is taking a key role in this effort. He has consulted for
numerous utilities, companies, and federal and state regulators on
these issues. Come and learn about this exciting new area of work.
Lunch (non-pizza) will be served!
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Super Tuesday
Tuesday, March 6
12 p.m.
Harvard, Taubman 275, 5 Eliot Street, Cambridge
Melinda Henneberger, political reporter and blogger, The Washington Post
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Enterprise Resilience: Turning Large Scale Disruptions into
Competitive Advantage
WHEN Tue., Mar. 6, 2012, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Bowie-Vernon Room (K262), CGIS Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge
St.
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Sponsored by the Program on U.S.-Japan
Relations; co-sponsored by the Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of
Japanese Studies
SPEAKER(S) Yossi Sheffi, Elisha Gray II Professor of Engineering
Systems, and director, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Moderator: Andrew Gordon, Lee and Juliet Lee Folger Fund Professor of
History, and director, Edwin O. Reischauer Institute of Japanese
Studies, Harvard University
COST Free
CONTACT INFO xtian at wcfia.harvard.edu
LINK http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/us-japan/schedule/schedule.htm
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Question Asking: The One Most Essential Skill for Learning and Democracy
WHEN Tue., Mar. 6, 2012, 4 – 6 p.m.
WHERE Gutman Library, 13 Appian Way (Harvard Graduate School of
Education), Gutman Conference Center (Library basement)
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Education, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Civic and Moral Education Initiative
SPEAKER(S) Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, The Right Question
Institute; Amy Shine Jones, teacher, Haverhill High School
COST Free
CONTACT INFO Akw158 at mail.harvard.edu
NOTE Food provided.
Followed by reception.
A participatory workshop and discussion about the fundamental
importance of the skill of question-asking for both learning and
democracy. Rothstein and Santana will talk about lessons from the
innovative skill building work of the Right Question Institute in low
and moderate income communities around the country and beyond.
Participants will also be introduced through an active learning
process to the Question Formulation Technique™ which is featured in
Rothstein and Santana’s new book, Make Just One Change: Teach Students
to Ask Their Own Questions (Harvard Education Press: 2011). Amy Shine
Jones will offer a teacher's perspective along with others from the
area who are using the Right Question Strategy in their classrooms.
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The Political Economy of Sovereign Default and Market Reaccess
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
4:15p–5:45p
MIT, Building E52-244
Speaker: Guido Sandleris (UTDT)
Web site: http://econ-www.mit.edu/files/7626
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Macroeconomics/International Seminar
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa at mit.edu
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Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism
WHEN Tue., Mar. 6, 2012, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE JFK Jr. Forum, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Award Ceremonies, Social Sciences, Special
Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Joan Shorenstein Center
SPEAKER(S) Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief, Guardian News and Media
COST Free and open to the public
LINK http://www.shorensteincenter.org
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Remember Fukushima
Tuesday, March 6
6:00pm until 9:00pm
Friends Meeting At Cambridge, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge
One year after the Nuclear disaster at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi
Nuclear Facility the situation is far from under control. Dangerous
levels of radioactivity are still being found hundreds of miles from
the site of the accident. More than 80,000 people have been forced to
leave their homes with little hope of returning. In addition to the
incalculable health costs, the decades-long process of clean-up and
decontamination of almost 1,000 square miles of land may cost as much
as 250 billion dollars with limited prospects for success.
Meet participants in a nineteen-day walk from Seabrook Nuclear Power
Plant in NH to Plymouth Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth, MA on the
anniversary of the catastrophe at Fukushima, Japan and ending in
Vernon, VT at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. The group will stop
on the night of March 6th for this event at the Cambridge Friends
Meeting House near Harvard Square. There will be a discussion on the
dangers of nuclear power and current issues regarding the Plymouth and
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plants.
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Jamaica Plain Seed Swap potluck
Tuesday, March 6th
6:30pm at Nate Smith House
155 Lamartine Street, Jamaica Plain
As we move into Spring, and prepare our gardens, it is a good time to
share seeds and learn how to start seedlings. You do not have to bring
seeds, but that makes it more fun, we will have plastic bags to
facilitate sharing.
For a $5 donation, Andree will provide plastic trays and soil for seed
starts, so if you want to go home with some seedlings please RSVP and
so she knows approximately how many to get.
Bring your own plate, cup, fork, if you can. There is a sink for
washing dishes.
Invite your friends — and forward widely to folks in JP.
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The Secret Talks That Led to the Fall of Apartheid
WHEN Tue., Mar. 6, 2012, 7:30 – 9 p.m.
WHERE Langdell North, Harvard Law School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Ethics, Law, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Program on Negotiation, Harvard Negotiation
& Mediation Clinical Program
SPEAKER(S) Michael Young, specialist in conflict resolution and
strategic evaluation, chairman, Michael Young Associates Ltd.
CONTACT INFO mhamlen at law.harvard.edu
NOTE In the 1980s, Michael Young was head of communications for
Consolidated Gold Fields, a British mining company with significant
assets in South Africa. At the request of African National Congress
(ANC) President Oliver Tambo, Young initiated a series of covert
negotiations between representatives of the exiled ANC and powerful
Afrikaner elite between 1986 and 1990, which led to the end of the
apartheid system and the release of Nelson Mandela.
Refreshments will be provided.
LINK http://www.pon.harvard.edu
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Wednesday, March 7
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NESEA's BuildingEnergy 12
March 6-8, 2012
Boston Seaport World Trade Center
As a special offer to Energy (and Other) Events readers, the promo
code BE12NOW reduces the day pass for all activities, normally $150,
by $20
http://www.nesea.org/be12/
Free trade show passes for Thursday at http://bit.ly/BE12TradeShowGuest
----------------------------
Goldsmith Seminar. "The Present and Future of Investigative Reporting"
WHEN Wed., Mar. 7, 2012, 9 – 10:30 a.m.
WHERE Fifth Floor, Taubman Building, Harvard Kennedy School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Joan Shorenstein Center
SPEAKER(S) Panel discussion with the Goldsmith Award finalists for
investigative reporting
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Panel discussion with reporters from:
ABC News 20/20
The Associated Press
Center for Public Integrity and NPR
KHOU-TV (CBS News)
New York Times
ProPublica
Bloomberg News
LINK http://www.shorensteincenter.org
--------------------------------
Lighting Up Tightly Confined Photon Modes in Plasmonic Nanostructures
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
11:00a–12:00p
MIT, Building 36-428
Speaker: Prof. Nicholas Fang, M.I.T.
Optics & Quantum Electronics Seminar Series
Web site: http://www.rle.mit.edu/oqe/seminar/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Optics & Quantum Electronics Seminar Series
For more information, contact:
Donna Gale
253-8529
dgale at mit.edu
------------------------
Climate change comes to Thoreau's Concord: Impacts on plants, birds,
and butterflies
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
11:00am - 12:00pm
BioLabs Main Lecture Hall, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
Richard Primack, Boston University
All are welcome to attend.
http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/news_events/seminars.html
-----------------------------
Du Bois Institute Colloquium Series: Calypso Blues: Black Music,
Diaspora and the Search for Community
WHEN Wed., Mar. 7, 2012, 12 p.m.
WHERE Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Lecture, Music
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and
African American Research
SPEAKER(S) Joshua Guild, assistant professor of history and African
American studies, Princeton University
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO dbievent at fas.harvard.edu
617.495.8508
NOTE A question-and-answer session will follow the lecture.
Please feel free to bring a lunch.
LINK http://dubois.fas.harvard.edu
--------------------------------------
Poverty, Growth and the Demand for Energy
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
2:30p–4:00p
MIT, Building E51-376
Speaker: Catherine Wolfram (Berkeley)
Web site: http://econ-www.mit.edu/files/7591
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT/Harvard Development and Environmental Economics Workshop
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa at mit.edu
-----------------------------
Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy: "The Political Economy
of Deforestation in the Tropics"
WHEN Wed., Mar. 7, 2012, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Kennedy School, Littauer-382
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Sustainability
SPEAKER(S) Benjamin Olken
LINK http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k82245&pageid=icb.page443881
------------------------------
"Inside Job" Film Screening with an Introduction by Professor Lawrence
Lessig
WHEN Wed., Mar. 7, 2012, 5 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Austin Hall, 100 North, Harvard Law School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Ethics, Film, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
SPEAKER(S) Lawrence Lessig, Harvard
COST Free and open to the public, please reserve a seat at
insidejob.eventbrite.com
TICKET WEB LINK insidejob.eventbrite.com
TICKET INFO Please reserve a seat at: insidejob.eventbrite.com
CONTACT INFO ethics at harvard.edu, 617.495.1336, www.ethics.harvard.edu
NOTE Come watch a free screening of the documentary film "Inside
Job." Lawrence Lessig will introduce the film, which is being screened
in advance of a public lecture to be given the following day (March 8)
by the film's director, Charles Ferguson.
LINK http://ethics.harvard.edu/news-and-events/lectures-and-events/detail/240
----------------------------
Future of Energy. “Bringing Back America: How Reviving Our
Manufacturing Sector Is the Big Issue in the 2012 Election”
WHEN Wed., Mar. 7, 2012, 5 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Science Center D, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard University Center for the Environment
SPEAKER(S) Carl Pope, former chairman, The Sierra Club
CONTACT INFO Lisa Matthews: matthew at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE Why advanced, green-tech and clean energy technologies are the
key to the America that most of us want, and what the federal
government needs to do.
LINK http://environment.harvard.edu/events/2012-03-07/future-energy-carl-pope
----------------------
Thursday, March 8
----------------------
NESEA's BuildingEnergy 12
March 6-8, 2012
Boston Seaport World Trade Center
As a special offer to Energy (and Other) Events readers, the promo
code BE12NOW reduces the day pass for all activities, normally $150,
by $20
http://www.nesea.org/be12/
Free trade show passes for today at http://bit.ly/BE12TradeShowGuest
----------------------------
“Ending Violence Against Women: Pathways to Power, Resilience &
Leadership”
Thursday, March 8
7:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Simmons College, 300 The Fenway, Boston
Panelists include Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley, Purnima Mane,
CEO and President Pathfinder International, Audrey Porter, Assistant
Program Director and Coordinator of Survivor Services, My Life, My
Choice, and moderator Ann Fleck-Henderson, Simmons College Professor
of Social Work, Emerita
RSVP by Monday, March 5 to http://iwd2012.eventbrite.com
---------------------------
Regulatory Uncertainty and Corporate Responses to Environmental
Protection in China
Thursday, March 8, 2012
3:30pm
Harvard, Pierce Hall 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge
A Harvard China Project seminar featuring Christopher Marquis,
Associate Professor of Business Administration and Marvin Bower
Fellow, Harvard Business School
China's rapid industrialization and economic development in the past
three decades has been accompanied by extreme environmental
degradation. However, as development has progressed, there has been
increasing awareness among the Government, business community and
general public of the importance of environmental protection. The
Chinese Central Government in particular has been paying increasing
attention to these issues as environmental security is seen to be
essential for China to continue its future growth trend. The 11th and
recent 12th Five-Year Plans focus on energy efficiency and the
enhancement of environmental protection are prominent examples of this
recent commitment. While this change in governmental policy and action
has been widely supported by the general public and global business
community, it has created extreme uncertainties regarding the priority
and goals among key business actors, both Chinese firms and
multinationals. The talk will focus on questions of how have, and
should, businesses operating in China respond to these changes?
Sponsored by the China Project, Harvard School of Engineering and
Applied Sciences
http://chinaproject.harvard.edu/seminar%20folder/seminar/Marquis120308
Contact Name: Chris Nielsen
nielsen2 at fas.harvard.edu
---------------------------------------
Microbial Facebook: Probing Bacterial Social Networks
WHEN Thu., Mar. 8, 2012, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
WHERE HUCE (Harvard Center for the Environment) at 24 Oxford St, 3rd
Floor, Room 310
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Microbial Sciences Initiative (MSI)
SPEAKER(S) Marvin Whiteley (University of Texas at Austin)
CONTACT INFO alenco at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE MSI Monthly Thursday Seminar. Please join us for a wine and
cheese reception at 5:30, followed by the seminar at 6 p.m.
LINK http://www.msi.harvard.edu/events/thursdays.html
-----------------------------
2012 FARM SHARE FAIR!
Thursday March 8th
5:30-8PM
The Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street, Union Square, Somerville
Come meet the folks who grow your foods! We're bringing more than 20
local farms to the city to help folks sign up for local, fresh, weekly
farm shares.
A farm share (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. We'll offer special
kids activities, delicious/responsible pizza for sale, and farm share
options for low-income households.
FREE ADMISSION
Presented by theMOVE | more info @ http://www.farmsharefair.org
Sponsored by Rafiki Bistro + Craigie on Main + Stone Hearth Pizza
Co-sponsored by Somerville Climate Action + NOFA/Mass + Groundwork
Somerville + Somerville Community Health Agenda + Union Square Main
Streets
PRIZES: You can support theMOVE's great work and get in on the amazing
prizes we're offering in our raffle, to some of Boston's most
distinguished restaurants, bybuying online presale (attendance not
required): Dinner for 2 at Henrietta's Table, $100 at Hungry Mother,
$50 at Rendezvous, $50 at Upstairs on the Square
---------------------------
New Directions in EcoPlanning Annual Lecture A Great Green Cloud: The
Rise and Fall of the City Elms
WHEN Thu., Mar. 8, 2012, 6 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford St.
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Education, Environmental Sciences, Lecture,
Science, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Museum of Natural History
SPEAKER(S) Thomas J. Campanella, associate professor of urban
planning and design, University of North Carolina
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Decades before Olmsted park, Yankee villagers planted elm trees
on their streets and commons to forge a union of rus and urbe, i.e.
the rustic and the urban. The trees brought about “a kind of
compromise between town and country,” observed Charles Dickens, as if
each had met the other halfway and shaken hands upon it. The result
was that lost masterpiece of American urbanism, “Elm Street.”
Campanella will explore elm culture in the U.S., and how our love
affair with this giant nearly brought it to the edge of disappearance.
Reception to follow, free and open to the public.
Free parking available in the 52 Oxford Street garage. Supported by a
gift from Michael Dyett ’68, M.R.P. ’72 and Heidi Richardson.
--------------------------------------
Noam Chomsky on Arab Spring
Thursday, March 08, 2012
6:00p–7:30p
MIT, Building 26-100
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Amnesty International
For more information, contact:
Yiping Xing
mitai-exec at mit.edu
-------------------------------------
Past Climate and Sea-Level Changes: Looking Back to Our Future
Thursday, March 8
7 pm
NE Aquarium, Harborside Learning Lab, 1 Central Wharf, Boston
Stephen Pekar, Ph.D, Queens College, City University of New York
Carbon dioxide levels are predicted to rise during this century to
levels not seen in over 25 million years. Recently, the Integrated
Ocean Drilling Program traveled to Antarctica to recover sedimentary
cores that go back to that period. Cores from this time interval are
rare, and they can show us what an Earth with elevated CO2 looks like.
Dr. Pekar will provide an overview of Antarctic climate changes when
CO2 levels were similar to what is predicted for this century and also
provide some of the early results from IODP Wilkes Land Expedition.
Register at http://support.neaq.org/site/Calendar?id=103701&view=Detail
-------------------------------
Working Group on Co-operation
Thursday, March 8
7:30 - 9:30 PM in Newton Lower Falls (email rwayneclark at igc.org for
address)
William Coughlan, author of several books on Co-ops – including Small
Groups: the Process of Change and Co-operative Internet Learning – and
other subjects, will be joining us for a wonderful and wide-ranging
discussion. We will have his books available for sale then, and I
have copies of his two books available now, if you want to read them
before he arrives.
Editorial Comment: This is a weekly meeting for those interested in
cooperatives in this international year of cooperatives.
-------------------
Friday, March 9
-------------------
"Designing Deception in the Magician Craft"
Friday, March 09, 2012
12:30p–2:00p
MIT, Building 7-431
Speaker: Graham Jones - Assistant Professor of Anthropology, MIT
Design and Computation Lecture Series, Department of Architecture
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Architecture, Computation Group Events
For more information, contact:
Daniela Stoudenkova
danielas at mit.edu
--------------------------
Histories of Now: Art, Digital Media + Contemporary Social Movements
Symposium
March 9, 2012
1-7 pm
Alfond Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Attendees must obtain free tickets from a kiosk/ticket desk at an MFA
entrance to gain admittance.*
1 pm Welcome, overview, logistics
1:15-2:30 pm. The Contested Present*
It is widely acknowledged that we are in a moment of global social
transformation. This is a moment in which experiences of the world and
modes of representing that world are changing. From actual physical
libraries in places of protest and mobile citizen journalism to
architecturally-scaled imaging projections and remote-controlled
quadcopter drones, participants and allies of social movements are
finding new ways to gather, relay and interpret information about the
transformations underway. Often, these strategies are produced under
urgent and temporary conditions with no centralized message or medium.
There are multiple and contested experiences and representations. What
currents of meaning are flowing through global audio-visual circuits?
What cultural visions are embodied through emergent social protest
movements? How do contemporary art and digital media makers work
variously to negate, sharpen, or resolve contradictions?
2:45-4 pm. Condense/Disperse*
In February 2011, protesters dispersed word across their networks in
Cairo and beyond?by friend, family, neighborhood and through globally-
connected electronic media to take the uprising to the president's
door. On the 11th, people made their way in twos and threes to the
Heliopolis Palace, condensing by the thousands at the palace, an
instance of a pattern of condensation and dispersal through which
recent protest movements have expressed themselves in space and in
network
effects. What are people condensing around, in digital and non-digital
spaces? How are these condensations being evoked? What are the forms
of dispersal, strategic or reactive? How are individual artists and
mediamakers negotiating these movements? What new condensations and
dispersals do artists and mediamakers initiate? How does the work of
artists and digital media makers reflect, produce or problematize the
claims of contemporary social movements in Cairo, Boston, and in
between?
4:15-5:30 pm. Future Tellings*
Social movements both attract and produce storytellers: ordinary
people, bloggers, tweeters, Occupy librarians, independent filmmakers
and witness-participants, all breaking into storytelling in their own
distinctive ways. What kinds of storytelling practices are emerging
from movements to critique the present and project equitable futures?
What are their new forms and routes of exchange? How do they embody
new theories of justice and provoke visions of thriving, connected
communities and societies? To what extent do they help justice,
community, and global awareness to take root? How do stories travel
from place to place, and what new forms does connected global culture
take as a result?
5:30 pm Closing comments *
*5:45-7 pm**Reception at "Histories of Now:* Six Artists from
Cairo" (SMFA's Grossman Gallery) In conjunction with the "Histories of
Now: Six Artists from Cairo" exhibition at the School of the Museum of
Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA), co-organized by metaLAB(at)Harvard.
----------------------------
DUSP GIS Symposium: Future Directions in Geocomputation,
Georepresentation and Geovisualization in Urban Studies and Planning
Friday, March 09, 2012
1:00p–3:00p
MIT, Building 9-354
Addressing Complexity in the Urban Design and Planning Process
Mei-Po Kwan
Abstract: Cities around the world are undergoing significant
transformation as the social, political and geographic processes
underlying these changes become more complex. In turn, explaining
urban change has also become more challenging given a) recent advances
in geospatial technologies (such as GPS, GIS and remote sensing); b)
the availability of new GIS-based analytical tools; and c) the
burgeoning amounts of heretofore unavailable geographic data of urban
areas. Taken together, these developments offer new opportunities for
the analysis and theoretical understanding of cities and the people
who live in them. My presentation explores recent developments in GIS,
and discusses how these developments are likely to transform the
fields of urban studies and planning.
Beyond the Buildings: Using GIS to see the Human City
Amy Hillier
Amy Hillier will discuss ways to use GIS that illuminate past and
present patterns of racial and income disparities in cities. She will
present examples from her work on historical mortgage redlining,
W.E.B. Du Bois' classic 1899 book, The Philadelphia Negro, access to
supermarkets and exposure to outdoor advertising as well as examples
from her students.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Urban Studies and Planning
For more information, contact:
Ezra Glenn
617-253-2024
eglenn at mit.edu
---------------------
Digital Archive of Japan’s 2011 Disasters
WHEN Fri., Mar. 9, 2012, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Case Study Room (S020), Japan Friends of Harvard
Concourse, CGIS South Bldg., 1730 Cambridge St.
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences,
Humanities, Lecture, Science, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Reischauer Institute Japan Forum Special Series
on Post-Disaster Japan presentation co-sponsored by the Weatherhead
Center Program on U.S.-Japan Relations
SPEAKER(S) Andrew Gordon, Lee and Juliet Folger Fund Professor of
History, and director, Reischauer Institute, Harvard University
COST Free and open to the public
LINK http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/programs/forum.html
--------------------------
The Veritas Forum @ MIT - Will Technology Save the World?
Friday, March 09, 2012
6:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building W-16, Kresge
Speaker: Rosalind Picard, Jose Gomez-Marquez, Susan Silbey, George
Barbastathis, Ian Hutchinson
"However far modern science and technics have fallen short of their
inherent possibilities, they have taught mankind at least one lesson:
Nothing is impossible."
Lewis Mumford, Technics and Civilization, 1934. (Columbia)
"Why does this magnificent applied science which saves work and makes
life easier bring us so little happiness? The simple answer runs:
Because we have not yet learned to make sensible use of it."
Albert Einstein, in an address at Caltech, 1931. (Harper)
"Technology shapes society and society shapes technology."
Robert S. White, Environmental Science and Technology, 1990. (S&S)
Two atheist and two Christian MIT professors weigh in on the question,
"Will Technology Save the World?" Come to The Veritas Forum to hear
their reactions, thoughts, and conversations on this memorable night.
Web site: http://veritas.org/MIT
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Asian Baptist Student Koinonia, Asian Christian
Fellowship, Baptist Student Fellowship, Graduate Christian Fellowship,
Campus Crusade for Christ, Cross Products, MIT Gospel Choir, MIT
Intervarsity, Tech Catholic Community, Victory Campus Ministries,
Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, Large Event Fund (LEF),
Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values, Innovations in
International Health @ MIT, The Veritas Forum
For more information, contact:
Diana Jue
dmjue at mit.edu
-----------------------
Saturday, March 10
-----------------------
The Massachusetts Pirate Party will be hosting our first conference -
*Politics: share, remix, reboot*.
It will be all day on March 10th at the Democracy Center in Cambridge.
More details and registration at: http://www.masspirates.org/blog/conference/
So far we have the following talks:
*David House*, a researcher at MIT who helped set up the Bradley
Manning Support Network, will be giving a talk entitled: *Going toe-to-
toe with the state: navigating the challenges of a digital activist*.
*Shauna Gordon-McKeon*, organizer for the Boston Sunlight Foundation,
will talk about some of the programming projects transparency
activists are using to open up government data.
Writer and publisher *Cecilia Tan*, and *Shane Bugbee* will be on the
*Tales from the Net: Making a living at being creative* panel.
*Michael Anderson* will give a talk called *Fight Ridiculous With
Ridiculous: The Guerrilla Tactics of Fair Use*.
Also, *Conor Sherman* will give a talk called *Stranger Danger: Don't
Click that Link Even If They Offer Puppies and Candy*.
Finally, we will have a number of talks by Pirate Party members,
including:
Exploring Kopimism* by *Lauren Pespisa*
Patents Upending* by *Erik Zoltan*
Fair Use for Activists* by *Chris Walsh*
How to Run for Office* by *James O'Keefe*
We will also have time for open discussion of where the Pirate Party
should go and what issues we should focus on.
We will be showing open or public domain films in the evening.
We hope you can join us on March 10th.
------------------------------------
Alewife Wildlife Walk Series
Saturday, Mar. 10, 9 – 11am
Sunday, Apr. 15, 1 – 3pm
Sponsored by The Friends of Alewife Reservation
Spring Migration, bringing songbirds and more through the coastal
Northeast, will be in full swing for the best bird viewing
opportunities of the year so bring your field glasses and guide books
to join expert tracker naturalist David Brown in search of wildlife
signs in this small but vital river floodplain forest in Belmont,
Cambridge and connecting Arlington woodlands as we visit the precious
local resource used to rest and refuel for the flight
Dress warmly and wear sturdy boots; terrain is rugged. Please note
that this is an adult activity, but interested children are welcome
with their parents. Little ones may need to be carried. Wetness
requires boots. There is no cost; a donation is requested.
Meet at: The Alewife Reservation parking lot, Acorn Park Drive, off
Rt. 2 Cambridge.
For additional information visit HYPERLINK "http://www.friendsofalewifereservation.org
" \t "_blank" www.friendsofalewifereservation.org or call 617 415 1884
Sign up at HYPERLINK "mailto:info at friendsofalewifereservation.org" info at friendsofalewifereservation.org
Brown, an expert naturalist, has been giving walks for years at the
Alewife Reservation and has published a professional assessment of the
area "Biodiversity of the Alewife Reservation Area", available from FAR.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS IN YOUR STATE PARKS VISIT http://mass.gov/dcr
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION
-----------------------------
Feeding Boston, Changing the World: International Women’s Day 2012
Mar 10, 2012
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Ballroom, Curry Student Center, Northeastern University, Boston
This International Women’s Day, Boston’s Oxfam Action Corps invites
you to honor women who work the land, feed their families, and plow
the way forward to more sustainable agricultural economies here and
abroad. Worldwide, millions of women engage in small scale farming
and are leaders in the fight against hunger, yet they face
discrimination in access to resources like land and credit. Here in
Boston, women are innovators in building a better food system that
provides healthy and sustainable choices. Come together with Oxfam
America, the GROW campaign, and our Host Committee organizations to
celebrate women’s achievements here and worldwide in changing the way
we grow, eat, and share food so that everyone has enough to eat, always.
Panelists:
Anna Oloshuro Kalaita, Masaai farmer from Tanzania
Ashley Stanley,Founder, Lovin’ Spoonfuls Inc., Boston
Molly Anderson, College of the Atlantic, Partridge Chair in Food &
Sustainable Agriculture Systems
Melanie Hardy, Farm Manager, Land’s Sake Farm, Weston
Keely Curliss, Youth Intern, The Food Project, Boston
Moderator: Jennifer Hashley, Director, New Entry Sustainable Farming
Project, Tufts University
Host Committee:
Boston Oxfam Action Corps, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, Massachusetts Climate
Action Network, Oxfam America, Science Club for Girls, Slow Food
Boston, United Nations Association of Greater Boston
Co-Sponsors:
2012 Boston GreenFest, Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women,
Foundation for a Green Future, GreenDorchester/the Dorchester
Community Food Co-op, Massachusetts Climate Action Network, Microloan
Foundation, MIT Fighting World Hunger, Northeastern University’s
Women’s Law Caucus, Science Club for Girls, Slow Food Boston, Small
Planet Institute, United Nations Association of Greater Boston,
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Zonta Club
International
This event is made possible by a generous grant from the Curtis
International Council Fund of the Boston Foundation.
Register at http://bostoniwd2012-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=26
----------------------
Monday, March 12
----------------------
Borders, Geography, and Oligopoly: Evidence from the Wind Turbine
Industry
Monday, March 12, 2012
2:30p–4:00p
MIT, Building E62-650
Speaker: Paul Grieco (Penn State)
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): IO Workshop (Sponsored by Analysis Group)
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa at mit.edu
-----------------------
Legatum Lecture ~ Standing on the Sun: The Emerging Economies Drive
the Evolution of Capitalism
Monday, March 12, 201
5:30p–6:30p
MIT, BuildingE62-262, Sloan School, 100 Main Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Christopher Meyer
For half a century the US has sat at the center of the global economic
system, and Western-style capitalism has dominated. Now, it's no
secret that the center of gravity is shifting. The advanced economies
that in 2000 consumed 75% of the world's output will, by 2050, consume
just 32%. Meanwhile, the emerging economies of the world--Brazil,
India, China, and others--will surge forward. As these fast-growing,
low-income economies mature, will they adopt the practices of the old
guard? Or will they make their own way, and create the next prevailing
version of capitalism? What new opportunities will that create for
firms around the world?
Copernicus saw the true shape of the solar system by realizing he was
not at it's center, in effect, by standing on the sun. Chris Meyer
will be at MIT to discuss today's deeply held assumptions about
capitalism, and the world of other possibilities in emerging economies.
Web site: http://legatum.mit.edu/content/1174
Open to: the general public
Cost: 0
Sponsor(s): Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship
For more information, contact:
Agnes Hunsicker
617-324-2768
legatum at mit.edu
----------------------------
ACT Lecture | Taru Elfving - Archipelago Logic: Towards Sustainable
Futures
Monday, March 12, 2012
7:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building E15-001
Speaker: Taru Elfving, Artistic Director, Contemporary Art Archipelago
(CAA), Finland
ACT Spring 2012 Monday Nights Lecture Series:
Experiments in Thinking, Action and Form
In conversation with:
Renee Green, Associate Professor, MIT Program in Art, Culture and
Technology
Gediminas Urbonas, Associate Professor, MIT Program in Art, Culture
and Technology
Nomeda Urbonas, ACT Fellow, MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
Taru Elfving, curator and director of Contemporary Art Archipelago
(CAA), calls into play the curatorial notion of the "dysfunctional"
exhibition and its role within the larger concept of sustainability.
CAA, a trans-disciplinary, cross-cultural exhibition spread across the
isles of the Turku Archipelago (Baltic Sea), included over 23
international artists who researched the area's environment and ways
of life, and worked with the local community and institutions. Elfving
will elaborate on the modes of collaboration between artists and
curators, the ecological system as a potential generator of thinking
and cultural production, and as a site of pilgrimage, as well as the
potential of contemporary art as a force in cross-disciplinary
research and action. Her presentation will be followed by a
conversation with CAA artists Renee Green, and Gediminas & Nomeda
Urbonas.
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): Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and
Planning, MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology
For more information, contact:
Laura Anca Chichisan
617-253-5229
act at mit.edu, clauraa at mit.edu
-----------------------
Tuesday, March 13
-----------------------
Awakening the Arab Spring - Lecture and Demonstration
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
5:30 PM to 6:30 PM (ET)
Killian Hall, 160 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
This event is free and open to the public but tickets must be reserved
online by visiting:
http://awakening-arab-spring.eventbrite.com
Professor Philip Khoury, Ford International Professor and Associate
Provost at MIT
Jamshied Sharifi, MIT Visiting Artist and Composer-In-Residence
Obaidah Abuhashem '12, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and
President of the MIT Arab Students’ Organization
Emily Jackson ‘13, Chemical Engineering, President of the MIT Wind
Ensemble
MIT Ford International Professor of History and Associate Provost
Philip Khoury will discuss the Arab Spring, a revolutionary wave of
demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab World that began in
December 2010. Professor Khoury is joined by MIT Visiting Artist and
Composer-In-Residence, Jamshied Sharifi, who will discuss Awakening,
his new composition inspired by the events of the Arab Spring. The
piece, which uses Arabic maqam as source material, was commissioned by
and for the MIT Wind Ensemble.
Also joining the panel is Obaidah Abuhashem, president of the MIT Arab
Students’ Association and a native of Gaza Strip in Palestine. Musical
excerpts of Awakening will be presented by MIT Wind Ensemble president
and flute player, Emily Jackson, ‘13.
Mr. Sharifi will be composer-in-residence at MIT March 12-17.
Sponsored by the MIT Visiting Artist Program and Music and Theater Arts.
Professor Philip S. Khoury was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and
educated at the Sidwell Friends School, Trinity College, and Harvard
University. He joined the MIT History Faculty in 1981 and is currently
the Ford International Professor of History. He served as Dean of the
School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences between 1991 and 2006,
became Kenan Sahin Dean in 2002, and Associate Provost in 2006.
Professor Khoury is a political and social historian of the Middle
East. Among his publications areUrban Notables and Arab Nationalism
(Cambridge University Press); Syria and the French Mandate(Princeton
University Press), which received the George Louis Beer Prize of the
American Historical Association; Tribes and State Formation in the
Middle East (University of California Press); The Modern Middle East:
A Reader (Palgrave/MacMillan); and Recovering Beirut: Urban Design and
Post-war Reconstruction (Brill).
Professor Khoury is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and
Sciences, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of
Science, and a past president of the Middle East Studies Association.
In 1985, he established the Emile Bustani Middle East Seminar at MIT,
a leading public forum for the examination of contemporary Middle
Eastern affairs. He is chairman of the American University of Beirut
Board of Trustees, chairman of the World Peace Foundation, and vice
chairman of the Trinity College Board of Trustees. He is also an
overseer of Koç University in Istanbul.
Jamshied Sharifi is a New York-based composer, producer, and
keyboardist.
He was born in Topeka, Kansas to an Iranian father and an American
mother. Sharifi graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology with a degree in humanities, and Summa Cum Laude from
Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Sharifi has composed the scores for the feature films Harriet The Spy,
Down To Earth, Clockstoppers, The Thomas Crown Affair,Muppets From
Space, Footsteps in Africa, 14 Women, and for many other films and
television shows. As a producer, he has made records for Mamak
Khadem, Yungchen Lhamo, Susan McKeown, and Mirabai Ceiba. As an
arranger, he has written for Ray Charles, Paula Cole, Dream Theater,
Cee Lo Green, Reba McEntire, Mis-teeq, Matthew Morrison, Sam Moore,
Smokey Robinson, and Jordin Sparks. His world-inspired debut CD, A
Prayer For The Soul Of Layla, was named ‘Best World Album’ by New Age
Voice magazine, and ‘Best Album of the Year’ by critic and radio host
John Diliberto. In 2009 he served as an arranger for the Inaugural
Concert for President Obama at the Lincoln Memorial.
Sharifi recently completed the score for the second season of On The
Road In America, an unscripted documentary about four young Arabs
traveling in the United States. The show is currently airing in many
Arab markets, and will come to the States later this year.
Obaidah Abuhashem, ’13, is an international student at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology from Gaza Strip, Palestine. He
is currently a senior majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science, and minoring in Economics. Obaidah’s interest in spreading
awareness about the Arab World at MIT led him to join the MIT Arab
Students’ Organization during his freshman year. He has served as vice
president and a president for the organization. Next year, he will be
pursuing his Masters of Engineering in Electrical engineering and
Computer Sciences at MIT.
Emily Jackson, ’13, is a Southern California native and a senior at
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology studying chemical-biological
engineering and minoring in music. As a flautist, she enjoys playing
in MIT’s Wind Ensemble and, occasionally, with the MIT Festival Jazz
Ensemble. She has served as the president of the MIT Wind Ensemble for
the past two years. As an Emerson Scholar, she studies flute with Sue-
Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin. Next year, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in
chemical engineering.
***********
-------------
Upcoming
-------------
***********
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
----------------------------
MIT Energy Conference
March 16 and 17
Every year, thought-leaders in energy descend on MIT for one primary
reason: to formulate powerful, productive ideas in the face of a
rapidly changing industry.
This year's MIT Energy Conference will explore the challenge, and
promise, of Insight and Innovation in Uncertain Times.
From the failure at Fukishima to the fall of Solyndra, the past year
has been witness to several destabilizing events across the known
energy landscape. However, despite the ambient sense of uncertainty
around the globe, a different spirit animates MIT, where the pace of
research discovery carries on, students and faculty of wide-ranging
discipline interact, and critical new concepts, collaborations, and
ventures emerge year after year.
http://mitenergyconference.com/
-----------------------------
MUSIC 2.0: TOOLS + TECH FOR MUSICIANS, MARKETERS, AND MANAGERS
3/19/2012
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Microsoft New England R&D Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
02142
Description: Boston + New England have an impressive number of
companies creating tools and technologies to help promote and fund
music projects. We also have a vibrant and diverse music community.
Music 2.0 keeps connecting the two for the benefit of both.
With 200+ attendees, at both the 2010 and 2011 events, they were
terrific evenings, pulling together many of the music, tech, and event
companies from Greater Boston.
For 2012, we are going to have more music-related companies present,
quick updates from some companies that presented in years past, and
more time to meet friends new and old (read: networking!) and a chance
for companies that are hiring to press the flesh with folks who are
job hunting.
Music 2.0 is a terrific event for:
Musicians of every genre (rock, hip hop, jazz, folk, classical,
electronic, opera, etc.)
Marketing folks from venues, arts organizations, etc.
Managers and agents
Investors
Members of the media
Promoters and presenters that work at venues, music organizations, etc.
Register at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2870380385
---------------------------------
GreenPort Forum: How Can We Prepare for Climate-Related Emergencies?
Tuesday, March 20
7:00pm
Cambridgeport Baptist Church, 459 Putnam Avenue, Cambridge
Extreme weather events have escalated in recent years – floods,
droughts, and storms. Progressive climate change, rising ocean
levels, and depletion of basic resources such as land and water make
future emergencies more and more likely. We need to find ways as a
community to prepare for these threats. Hear about practical steps we
can take, and share your ideas. Our panel will include:
Sam Lipson from the Cambridge Public Health Department [invited]
Helen Kobek, community activist and co-leader of Do-It-Ourselves
workshops
George Mokray, Cambridgeport resident and longtime solar activist
GreenPort envisions and encourages a just and sustainable
Cambridgeport neighborhood
For more information, contact Steve Wineman at swineman at gis.net
Editorial Comment: Your editor will be presenting on Solar IS Civil
Defense: http://solarray.blogspot.com/2008/05/solar-is-civil-defense-illustrated.html
-------------------------------
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University presents
Strategery: SNL’s Remarkable Influence Over Politics Through Satire
the Annual Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award presented
to James Downey
with moderator Bill Murray
Tuesday, March 27, 6:30-8:00 pm
C. Walsh Theater at Suffolk University, 55 Temple Street, Boston
preceded by a special First Amendment Award Reception, fundraiser held
from 4:00-5:30 pm at the
Offices of Prince Lobel Tye LLP (Boston, MA 02114) , MA. Wheelchair
accessible and conveniently located near the Park St. MBTA Station.
For more information, contact Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University:
617-557-2007, http://www.fordhallforum.org.
----------------------------
Babson's 6th Annual Energy, Environment and Entrepreneurship Conference
March 30th, 2012
This year’s theme is “Energy, Environment & Entrepreneurship:
Challenging Assumptions, Changing Perceptions.” We believe there are
some tough questions to be addressed and our panels are designed
around real challenges and exciting opportunities in energy,
alternative transportation, sustainable development, and several other
topics within the energy and environmental space.
We have two exciting key note speakers:
Mark Rodgers - Director of Communications, Cape Wind
T.I. (Tahmid) Mizan, Senior Technology Planning Advisor, ExxonMobil
Corporation
More information on our strong list of speakers and event details can
be found at http://babsonenergy.com/
Early bird ticket pricing ends on March 5
---------------------------------
Wild and Scenic Film Festival EcoFest
March 31st, 11 AM-4 PM
290 Congress Street, Boston
The national Wild and Scenic Film Festival tour is coming to Boston,
beginning with EcoFest, an afternoon of films and environmental
activities at Atlantic Wharf in Fort Point. The Wild and Scenic Film
Festival combines stellar filmmaking, beautiful cinematography and
first-rate storytelling. The event will include international short
films, puppet-making, a kids’ matinee at 11 AM, environmental
activities, an eco-marketplace, and a cinematic tribute to Kenyan
Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai. Be prepared to be inspired!
Admission to EcoFest is free. Admission to the films is $5, payable
online or at the door. More information about the program, including
tickets and the complete film lineup, is posted on the “e” inc.
website, http://www.e-action.us/, and on the Facebook page for the
event - https://www.facebook.com/events/244742755593954/.
This festival is a fundraiser for “e” inc., an environment science
learning and action center whose pairing of science education with
community action leads to environmental change in urban communities.
******************************************
The Finale: Locavore Tasting and Environmental Film Night
March 31st, 6-10 PM
290 Congress Street, Boston
A fundraising locavore tasting supper for “e” inc. will offer
delicious local food samples from Boston vendors such as Cabot
Creamery, Green Gal Catering, and Channel Café.
This will be followed by two films – With My Own Two Wheels and The
Work of 1000. “e” inc. will present The Children’s Planet Protector
Award to the two featured activists, Marion Stoddart, who led the
struggle to regain clean rivers, and David Branigan, who used the life-
changing value of bicycles to create opportunities in Ghana. After
the films, the activists and filmmakers will answer audience
questions. A silent auction and dessert will round out the evening.
Early bird admission discounts are available. Boston Globe subscribers
can receive a Globe-sponsored discounted admission. To reserve your
seats, please visit http://www.e-action.us/. More information about
the program is posted at http://www.e-action.us/ and on the Facebook
event page - https://www.facebook.com/events/244742755593954/.
“e” inc. is an environment science learning and action center whose
pairing of science education with community action leads to
environmental change in urban communities.
----------------------------------
It is with a sense of gratitude and deep joy that we announce the Art
and Soul program at Wellesley College will be hosting three of the 13
Indigenous Grandmothers this spring. The Grandmothers will give a
talk at Houghton Chapel on Thursday, April nineteenth at seven p.m.
The theme of their talk will be Planting Seeds for Seven Generations:
Making Change. The Grandmothers will share their cultural treasures
and life experience, in support of our community’s exploration of an
ethics of wholeness, which can bring about a sustainable future for
the generations to come.
Originating from all four corners of the world, these 13 wise women
elders and medicine women first came together in 2004 at a peace
gathering. They represent a global alliance of prayer, education and
healing for our Earth, all her inhabitants and the next seven
generations. We are honored to host, as representatives of this
Grandmothers’ Council, Grandmothers Rita and Beatrice Long- Visitor
Holy Dance of the Lakota tribe and Grandmother Mona Polacca of the
Hopi/ Havasupai/Tewa tribe. This event is open to all, as an offering
to our circles of community. For more information about this event,
contact Ji Hyang at 781.283.2793
*************
----------------
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/
********************************************
-----------------------------------------------------
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