[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Mar 11 18:05:50 PDT 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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Monday, March 12
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NIMBY-ism and Wind Power — a New Look at an Old Problem
Monday, March 12, 2012
12:30pm - 1:45pm
Tufts University, Goddard 310 (Crowe Room), The Fletcher School, 160
Packard Avenue, Medford
Maria Petrova, Postdoctoral Fellow, CIERP
Open to the public. Convened by the Energy, Climate, and Innovation
Program of the Center for International Environment and Resource
Policy at Fletcher.
The acronym NIMBY, known to stand for “not-in-my-back-yard,” is
generally used for describing resistance to siting projects close to
one’s area of residence while exhibiting acceptance of similar
projects elsewhere. As wind energy continues to be recognized as a
successful technology for mitigating climate change, the siting of
wind turbines is a growing challenge that policy makers, facility
planners and wind developers face. Social science researchers have
been examining NIMBY attitudes for the last three decades from a
variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives because of the
complexity of the issues and the multifaceted nature of this
phenomenon. This presentation will review the state of knowledge and
answer this particular question: Is the conventional wisdom that NIMBY-
ism is so pervasive that no new energy facilities can be constructed
in the U.S. correct?
Maria Petrova’s research involves analyzing U.S. climate and renewable
energy policy from a socio-economic and policy perspective. More
specifically, she summarizes and reviews U.S. public perceptions of
renewable energy technologies (RETs), the impact of social networks on
public opinion, and conceptualizing renewable energy values. Dr.
Petrova came to CIERP from Oregon State University, where she
completed her PhD in Environmental Science in 2010. Her doctoral
dissertation focused on public acceptability of wave energy technology
in Oregon. Her main interests are in public opinion and acceptability
of RETs, as well as the policies that need to be in place to advance
RET development and deployment. She is also interested in comparative
RET policy studies, mainly between the U.S. and countries in the EU.
Contact: Miranda Fasulo
Miranda.Fasulo at tufts.edu
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BUILDING TECHNOLOGY SPRING LECTURE SERIES: On Commissioning Low Energy
Buildings
Monday, March 12
12:30p–2:00p
MIT, Building 7-431, Long Lounge (AVT), 77 Massachusetts Avenue,
Cambridge
Speaker: Stephen Kemp, Principal, Enermodal Engineering
Building Technology Spring Lecture Series
The use of energy modeling to design buildings for low energy
consumption has started to penetrate the mainstream--albeit driven by
energy code and voluntary energy labeling systems (e.g. LEED). This
presentation will review how the use of energy modeling can be a part
of the commissioning of low energy building. It will include a review
of what the traditional building commissioning is (often no
commissioning at all) and into what commissioning should encompass in
a world where low energy buildings are required to address energy
security and climate change.
The lecture will also explore the experiences of a private firm in the
commissioning of low energy buildings, in particular combining
Commissioning with monitored data and the results of our energy
modeling. The goal is to have the building realize the operating
energy of the idealized-but calibrated-energy model. Trials,
tribulations and anecdotes will be liberally shared.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Department of Architecture, Building Technology Program
For more information, contact:
Alexandra Golledge
253-0463
agoll18 at mit.edu
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Borders, Geography, and Oligopoly: Evidence from the Wind Turbine
Industry
Monday, March 12, 2012
2:30p–4:00p
MIT, Building E62-650, 100 Main Street, Cambridge
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
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MIT China Forum lecture: The Chinese Century? Business and Higher
Education in the 21st Century
Monday, March 12, 2012
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building E15, Bartos Theater, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge
Lecture given by William Kirby, T.M. Chang Professor of China Studies;
Spangler Family Professor of Business Administration; Director,
Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies; Chairman, Harvard China Fund,
Harvard University
Open to: the general public
Cost: n/a
Tickets: n/a
Sponsor(s): School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences,
Information Center, MIT China Forum
For more information, contact:
Institute Events
617-253-4795
info-events at mit.edu
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Legatum Lecture ~ Standing on the Sun: The Emerging Economies Drive
the Evolution of Capitalism
Monday, March 12, 201
5:30p–6:30p
MIT, Building E62-262, 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
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ACT Lecture | Taru Elfving - Archipelago Logic: Towards Sustainable
Futures
Monday, March 12, 2012
7:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building E15-001, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge
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
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Tuesday, March 13
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America's Transportation Future Meets Politics and the Federal Budget:
An MIT Professor's Experience Inside the Obama White House
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
12:00p–1:00p
MIT, Building 32-141, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Prof. Xavier de Souza Briggs
Transportation at MIT Speaker Series
Obama White House
Beyond the specific questions transportation experts and advocates
have about maximizing economic benefits, expanding consumer options,
and curbing carbon emissions, America's transportation choices, at the
federal level on down, reflect major challenges at the intersection of
planning, financing (who pays, what can we afford), politics, and
capacity -- for everything from improved project selection to system
management and oversight. How should we interpret President Obama's
priorities and approach on these fronts, along with those of the
Congress? What major opportunities and challenges will the next
president and Congress face, and what outcomes are most likely?
The Speaker:
Xav Briggs is an author, commentator, educator, and scholar, as well
as an experienced manager and policy adviser. He is Associate
Professor of Sociology and Urban Planning at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) and heads the Housing, Community and
Economic Development Group in the Department of Urban Studies +
Planning. Briggs spent January 2009 to August 2011 on public service
leave from the MIT faculty, appointed by President Obama to serve as
Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the White
House. There, he oversaw a wide array of policy, budget, and
management issues for roughly half the cabinet agencies.
Web site: http://transportation.mit.edu/news/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Transportation Club
For more information, contact:
Vig Krishnamurthy
info-transportclub at mit.edu
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The Growth and Decay of Shared Knowledge
Tuesday, April 3
12:30 pm
Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, second floor, Cambridge
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2012/03/tenen#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 pm ET and archived on our
site shortly after at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast
Dennis Tenen, fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society
Knowledge grows, but it also contracts as outmoded facts and theories
are replaced with new ones. This talk will discuss our intuitions
about knowledge domains and the methods by which such intuitions could
be modeled empirically. Along the way, Dennis will unpack the
"information as organism" metaphor, construct taxonomies of
epistemological lifeforms, and consider evolutionary pressures on
knowledge systems. The talk will conclude with a conversation about
the health of the academic publishing industry, and about the
challenges of doing comparative work between new and old media.
About Dennis
Dennis Tenen is a literary scholar and a recovering software engineer.
He is a fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, working
with metaLab and the Cooperation Group. His research concerns the
poetics of human-computer interaction, the study of co-authorship and
editorial practice, the formation of cultural capital, and
experimental criticism.
He is joining the faculty of the English Department at Columbia
University as an Assistant Professor of Digital Humanities and New
Media in the fall.
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Clean Energy Day at the Massachusetts State House
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
1pm - 6 pm
Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston
The New England Clean Energy Council, in partnership with Senator Ben
Downing, Co-chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications,
Utilities and Energy, is hosting its inaugural Clean Energy Day on
March 13th at the Massachusetts State House from 1:00pm-6:00pm.
We need your help to demonstrate the strength of the clean energy
industry to the legislature. Join us for this unique opportunity to
highlight your business, represent innovative energy technologies,
connect with industry colleagues, and meet with your representatives
and other important energy policy makers during a critical time of
year for energy policy.
Clean Energy Day will showcase the broad range of clean energy
businesses across the Commonwealth, and the job growth the industry is
providing to our local economy. A short speaking program at 1:30pm
will feature key Legislative and Administrative leaders, a clean
energy business expo, and will conclude with a networking reception
from 5:00pm - 6:00pm.
Space is very limited, RSVP today at
http://cedayatmastatehouse.eventbrite.com/?utm_source=Clean+Energy+Day+Announcement+-+Full+List&utm_campaign=CE+Day&utm_medium=email
Contact Name: Scott Szycher
sszycher at cleanenergycouncil.org
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User-Controllable Privacy: An Oxymoron?
Tuesday, March 13 2012
1:30PM to 2:30PM
Refreshments: 1:15PM
MIT, Building 32-D463 (Star), 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Norman Sadeh, Carnegie Mellon University
Abstract: Increasingly users are expected to evaluate and configure a
variety of privacy policies (e.g. browser settings, mobile app
permissions, or social networking accounts). In practice, research
shows that users often have great difficulty evaluating and
configuring such policies. As part of this presentation, I will
provide an overview of research aimed at empowering users to better
control their privacy in the context of a family of location sharing
applications we have deployed over the years. This includes
technologies to analyze people’s privacy preferences and help design
interfaces that are capable of effectively capturing their desired
policies. This research helps explain why, with the possible exception
of Foursquare, applications in this space have failed to gain traction
and what it will likely take to go beyond the mundane scenarios
captured by Foursquare. Part of this talk will be devoted to user-
oriented machine learning techniques intended to reduce user-burden
and help users converge towards policies they feel more comfortable
with. Beyond location sharing, this talk will also discuss our longer-
term goal of developing personalized privacy assistants (or “agents”)
capable of engaging in dialogues with users to help them semi-
automatically evaluate privacy policies and configure privacy settings.
Bio: Norman Sadeh is a Professor in the School of Computer Science
at Carnegie Mellon University. His current research interests include
Mobile and Pervasive Computing, Web Security and Privacy, Artificial
Intelligence, Machine Learning and Human Computer Interaction. He is
also interested in the broader social and policy issues associated
with the emergence of social and pervasive computing.
Norman is co-Founder and co-Director of the School of Computer
Science’s PhD Program in Computation, Organizations and Society. He
also Founder and Director of the School’s Mobile Commerce Lab. He has
been on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon since 1991 and is also well-
known for his earlier work in scheduling, constraint satisfaction and
constrained optimization, supply chain management, automated trading,
and the Semantic Web. In the late nineties, he served as Chief
Scientist of the European Union’s $800M e-Work and e-Commerce program,
which at the time included all pan-European research in cyber security
and online privacy. He is also co-founder of Wombat Security
Technologies. Among other awards and honors, Norman was co-recipient
of IBM’s 2005 Privacy Faculty award and of the first Google Focused
Research Award in Privacy.
Norman received his PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon
University, an MSc, also in computer science, from the University of
Southern California, and a BS/MSc in Electrical Engineering and
Applied Physics from Brussels Free University.
Contact: Marisol Diaz, 617.324.8430, marisol at csail.mit.edu
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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.
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Minding the Gap: A Conversation about Economic Inequality
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
7:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building 6-120, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Join David Autor, Associate Chair of the MIT Department of Economics,
and his colleagues Frank Levy, Daniel Rose Professor of Urban
Economics, Arjun Jayadev, Assistant Professor of Economics, UMASS, and
Nobel Laureate, Peter Diamond, MIT Department of Economics, for a
candid exploration of the complexities of the increasing wealth gap in
the U.S. In light of, what they all agree is a serious problem, David
will invite these distinguished scholars to think together about where
we go from here, and why.
Web site: web.mit.edu/tac
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT
For more information, contact:
Patricia-Maria Weinmann
617-253-0108
weinmann at mit.edu
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Wednesday, March 14
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China Urban Development Discussion Series: Challenges of Urban Energy
Planning in China
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
5:30p–7:00p
MIT, Building 9-354, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Stephen Hammer, Lecturer in Energy Planning, MIT
Department of Urban Studies and Planning; Discussant: Prof. Karen R.
Polenske, Peter de Florez Professor of Regional Political Economy, MIT
Department of Urban Studies and Planning.
China Urban Development Discussion Series
In January 2012, China's urban population surpassed that of rural
areas for the first time in the country's history. Rapid urbanization
trends greatly exacerbate China's energy challenges. After a decades-
long boom of economic growth, China has now become the world's largest
energy consumer. With an ambition to upgrade its economic structure
and to respond to energy depletion and natural environment
deterioration, China's central government has started initiating
stricter requirements and restrictions on provincial and local
governments in order to achieve energy conservation and emission
reduction. In the 12th five-year plan, China has mandated a 16%
decrease of energy consumption per unit of GDP by 2015 from its 2010
level. Delivering this change will not be easy, however, for a variety
of institutional, market, and behavioral reasons.
Please join us in the lecture for more perspectives and insights on
this topic.
Please RSVP at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5Y5F8YQ. Complimentary
dinner will be served at 5:10 pm; talk starts at 5:30 pm and ends by 7
pm.
Web site: http://dusp.mit.edu/cud/cud_series.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Graduate Student Life Grants, Department of Urban Studies
and Planning, Graduate Student Council
For more information, contact:
Yunke Xiang
yunkex at mit.edu
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Thursday, March 15
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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
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Fighting and Helping? Domestic Politics and NGO-Military Relationships
in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies
WHEN Thu., Mar. 15, 2012, 12:15 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Center Library, Littauer-369, Harvard Kennedy School, 79
JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR International Security Program
SPEAKER(S) Chiara Ruffa, research fellow, International Security
Program
CONTACT INFO susan_lynch at harvard.edu
LINK http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5733/fighting_and_helping_domestic_politics_and_ngomilitary_relationships_in_complex_humanitarian_emergencies.html
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Scaling Up Social Innovations in Developing Countries: Challenges,
Lessons and Strategies
WHEN Thu., Mar. 15, 2012, 4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
WHERE Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA
02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Center on the Developing Child
SPEAKER(S) Richard Kohl
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Drawing on examples from his work in public health, early
childhood development, and rural anti-poverty programs in India,
Nigeria, Mexico, Southeast Asia, Richard Kohl will present an
intellectual framework, tasks, tools, and practical guidelines on how
to think about scaling up in international development.
LINK http://developingchild.harvard.edu/news/
---------------------------------------
The Future of the Post Office
Thursday, March 15, 2012
5:00p–7:00p
MIT, Building E14-633, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: V.A. Shiva Ayyudurai, MIT; Richard R. John, Columbia
University; Kent B. Smith, U.S. Postal Service; David C. Williams,
USPS Inspector General
The American postal service has an impressive history, but an
uncertain future. Older than the Constitution, it was a wellspring of
American democracy and a catalyst for the creation of a nationwide
market for information and goods. Today, however, its once
indispensable role in fostering civic discourse and facilitating
personal communications has been challenged by the Internet and mobile
telephony. How is the post office coping? What are its prospects in
the digital age?
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Communications Forum
For more information, contact:
Brad Seawell
617-253-3521
seawell at mit.edu
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Friday, March 16
--------------------
Harvard Freecycle
Friday, March 16, 2012
11am - 2 pm
Holyoke Arcade Information Center, Holyoke Center, Harvard Square,
Cambridge
Harvard Recycling and Campus Services will host a Freecycle on Friday
March 16 from 11-2PM at the Hoyoke Arcade Information Center in
Holyoke Center.
Drop of unused or lightly used items or stop by to pick up a treasure
for your home, office or dorm.
-----------------------------------
MIT Energy Conference
Friday, March 16, 2012
11:00a–8:00p
On Campus, Boston Park Plaza Castle
Speaker: Mark Vachon, Ernest Moniz, and many more
The MIT Energy Conference Friday Workshops take place on campus - see
the website for timing and location information. For the first time
ever, we will be hosting a fireside chat with Mark Vachon, VP
ecomagination, GE and Professor Ernest Moniz, Director of the MIT
Energy Initiative. This will be followed by the Energy Showcase, which
will take place from 5-8 PM at the Boston Park Plaza Castle (near
Arlington T stop). Note that Friday's events are free and open to the
public while Saturday is a ticketed event at the Westin Copley Place.
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM The Future of Baseload Power Generation
MIT Campus, 6-120
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM Building the Bridge to a Solar Powered Future
MIT Campus, 32-123 (Stata Center)
12:30 PM - 3:30 PM Alternative Strategies for Technology
Commercialization (registration starts at noon)
MIT Campus, Building 50 (Walker Memorial, Morss Hall)
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM The Future of Transportation Fuels: Challenges &
Opportunities
MIT Campus, E14 (Media Lab, 6th floor)
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Friday Fireside Chat with Mark Vachon (GE, VP
ecomagination)
MIT Campus, 32-123 (Stata Center) (Overflow in 26-100)
Friday Night Energy Showcase
Free and open to the public! No registration necessary.
Free transportation from the MIT Campus.
Date: Friday, March 16th, 2012
Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Boston Park Plaza Castle
What is the Friday Night Energy Showcase?
The Friday Night Energy Showcase is a free event open to the public
designed to exhibit the latest research and technologies in the energy
space. With more than 100 presenters and 1500 attendees, the Friday
Night Energy Showcase is the most widely attended event of the MIT
Energy Conference. Energy professionals, students, researchers and the
general public will be able to explore the innovations that will shape
the industry in the near future.
Along with posters from academic institutions and start-ups, the
Showcase will also feature interactive demos and prototypes, giving
attendees a unique opportunity to mingle with prominent energy
researchers and innovators within a hands-on atmosphere. The casual
setting is designed to foster dialogue amongst energy-conscious
community members and experienced professionals.
New this year: technology pitches!
This year, a select group of our presenters will give 3-minute pitches
describing their work. We encourage you to listen to them and follow
up at their booth to have a deeper conversation!
Who will be presenting?
We have a very exciting lineup of startups and researchers confirmed
for the event, who will be joining our sponsors in presenting their
work. The list below is just a sample of our presenters; please check
back for periodical updates!
Come see our ARPA-E Corner!
This year, the MIT Energy Conference Showcase will be hosting
representatives from ARPA-E. They will be surrounded by researchers
from MIT research projects that have recieved support from ARPA-E. The
projects that will be represented are:
Prof. Grossman’s Hybrid Nanostructures for High Energy Density Solar
Thermal Fuels
Prof. Sadoway’s Liquid Metal Battery
Prof. Sinskey’s Engineering Ralstonia eutropha for Production of
Isobutanol (IBT) Motor Fuel from CO2, H, O2
Prof. Stephanopoulos’ Bioprocess and microbe Engineering for Total
Carbon Utilization in Biofuel Production
Web site: http://mitenergyconference.com/
Open to: the general public
Cost: $50-$400
Tickets: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=9covq4hab&oeidk=a07e5ii1y6a27e432fd
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club, MIT Energy Conference
For more information, contact:
MIT Energy Club
MIT_Energy_Conference at mit.edu
----------------------------
Taking charge of carbon capture: electrochemical strategies for
greenhouse gas abatement
Friday, March 16, 2012
3:00p–4:15p
MIT, Building 66-110, 25 Ames Street, Cambridge
Speaker: T. Alan Hatton, Chemical Engineering, MIT
Chemical Engineering Department Seminar Series
See speakers, talk titles, and dates at http://web.mit.edu/cheme/news/seminar.html
Anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) in the Earth'??s atmosphere has
been cited as a primary cause of global climate change and threatens
global public health and welfare. Carbon Capture and Sequestration
(CCS) is an effective and important part of CO2 emission abatement
strategies, with the major CCS efforts to date focusing on the removal
of CO2 directly from large-scale carbon emitters and storing it in
secure geologic reservoirs. Electrochemically mediated separations
offer a nearly isothermal alternative to the thermal-swing separation
strategies typically used for CO2 capture. The driving force in these
systems is supplied by changes in electrochemical potential to
modulate the redox state of an active species and thereby mediate the
complexation of the sorbents with CO2. These potential swings can be
controlled precisely to reduce energy losses. We will discuss the
operational concepts of three different strategies that exploit the
isothermal electrochemical switching of separation conditions. The
underlying physicochemical thermodynamic and transport behavior of
these systems will be discussed, and an overall assessment of their
potential for use in large-scale applications given.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/cheme/news/seminar.htm.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering Department
For more information, contact:
Melanie Miller
617-253-6500
melmils at mit.edu
----------------------
Monday, March 19
----------------------
Webinar: Addressing the Crisis in Employment and Consumer Demand -- A
Systems Approach
Monday, March 19, 2012
12:00p–1:00p
Location: Virtual -- see url below for registration link.
Speaker: Nicholas A. Ashford, PhD., JD Professor of Technology and
Policy Director, MIT Technology and Law Program
MIT System Design and Management Program Systems Thinking Webinar Series
This series features research conducted by SDM faculty, alumni,
students, and industry partners. The series is designed to disseminate
information on how to employ systems thinking to address engineering,
management, and socio-political components of complex challenges.
At present, national and global reforms are focused on improving the
financial system, which is not synonymous with reforming the economic
system or improving the economic status of individual citizens. The
session discusses the root causes of the crisis and offers specific
policies and initiatives that need to be considered to ensure
sustainable employment and livelihoods in the context of a well-
functioning and equitable economic system.
Web site:http://sdm.mit.edu/news/news_articles/webinar_031912/webinar-ashford-
employment-consumer-demand.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Tickets: See url above
Sponsor(s): Engineering Systems Division, MIT System Design and
Management (SDM) Program
For more information, contact:
Lois Slavin
617-253-0812
lslavin at mit.edu
---------------------
The 4th Amendment and the Modern Grid
Monday, March 19, 2012
12:00pm - 1:00pm
HUCE Seminar Room, 24 Oxford Street 3rd Floor, Cambridge
Environmental Law Society March "Energy Series"
Can police use your meter to find out what you're doing? Listen to
HLS’s own Sonia McNeil, JD ’12, discuss the complex legal issues that
come with a smarter, more intrusive electric grid. She recently
published on this topic for the Harvard Journal of Law and Technology.
Contact Name: Sachin Desai
sdesai at jd13.law.harvard.edu
----------------------
Israel & the Arab Spring: Risks and Opportunities
Monday, March 19, 2012
12:00p–1:30p
MIT, Building E40-496, Pye Conference Room, 1 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dr. Ehud Eiran
The historic changes in the Middle-East are bound to affect Israel's
strategic environment and its relationship with its neighbors, in
profound ways. These changes create new risks for the Jewish state,
but also provide it with new opportunities. The talk will explore
both, as well as some of the possible effects on the internal Israeli
arena.
Dr. Ehud Eiran is a post-doctoral fellow at the Department of
International Relations at the University of Haifa, Israel. Eiran held
research appointments at Harvard and Brandeis Universities and is a
former assistant to the Foreign Policy Advisor to Israel's Prime
Minister.
Introduction by Prof. Stephen Van Evera, Ford International Professor
in the MIT Political Science Department.
Light refreshments will be served.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MISTI MIT-Israel Program, Center for International
Studies, Security Studies Program
------------------------------
"Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving
Human Health and Food Security"
Monday, March 19, 2012
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Bell Hall, 5th Floor, Belfer Building, HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Joel Schwartz, Harvard School of Public Health
Contact Name: Louisa Lund
louisa_lund at harvard.edu
-------------------------------
Finding a Drinking Water Supply for Rural Bangladesh that Reduces
Exposure to both Arsenic and Diarrheal Diseases
WHEN Mon., Mar. 19, 2012, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE HSPH Kresge Bldg, 677 Huntington Ave., Room 907 (Epidemiology
Library), Boston
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR HSPH Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Center
for Communicable Disease Dynamics Spring Seminar Series
SPEAKER(S) Michael Emch, professor, Department of Geography (adjunct,
Department of Epidemiology), fellow, Carolina Population Center,
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO Linda Coventry: lcoventr at hsph.harvard.edu
-------------------------------
How Science Can Contribute to Poverty Alleviation in Africa: Lessons
from the International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology
WHEN Mon., Mar. 19, 2012, 1 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard University Center for the Environment Seminar Room, 24
Oxford Street 3rd Floor, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard University Center for the Environment;
the Science Technology and Globalization Program; the Sustainability
Science Program; and the Center for International Development
SPEAKER(S) Christian Borgemeister, director general, International
Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology
CONTACT INFO Lisa Matthews: matthew at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE Christian Borgemeister spent time in a variety of developing
African and Asian countries, and for the past seven years, has
directed the International Centre of Insect Physiology & Ecology, an
independent pan-African research center headquartered in Nairobi,
Kenya. Its mission is to improve the livelihoods and environments of
people through the sustainable control of insect pests and disease
vectors.
LINK http://environment.harvard.edu/events/2012-03-19/huce-special-seminar
------------------------------
CDD Forum - Shrinking Cities
Monday, March 19, 2012
6:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building 10-485, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Jill Desimini
Jill Desimini is a landscape architect and an Assistant Professor of
Landscape Architecture at the Harvard University Graduate School of
Design. Her research focuses on landscape strategies for shrinking
cities in North America. The work attempts to re-frame the normative
dialogue surrounding population loss towards a productive outcome.
Prior to joining the GSD, she was a senior associate at Stoss
Landscape Urbanism. She holds MLA and MArch degrees from the
University of Pennsylvania.
The 2012 City Design and Development Forum public lecture series will
bring to MIT emerging and leading thinkers in disciplines influencing
the urbanism of shrinking cities, including: landscape, architecture,
planning, and photography.
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
***********
-------------
Upcoming
-------------
***********
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
-------------------------------
Currencies dis/Conference
Harvard University
March 23, 2012
12n-5p
Currencies are telling of our current time. Debt, labor,
commodification, ownership, and consumerism structure and characterize
contemporary life and academia. From the monetization and protection
of intellectual property to the debts that students accrue, from the
exploitation of adjunct labor to the re-productions of class lines,
this dis/Conference seeks critical engagement with what has currency
and what serves as currency in education and life today.
In contrast to traditional conference formats, this dis/Conference
seeks to facilitate open, horizontal education through substantive
knowledge sharing, inquiry, critique, and discussion. Together with
David Graeber, anarchist, and anthropologist - we will engage the
economies of academia by subverting its dominant forms of knowledge
production. In the process, we will participate in the purposeful
creation of an alternative model for scholarly engagement, beyond mere
discussion. Under this model, our primary resources will be ourselves.
Everyone - inside or outside of academia - is welcome.
We invite you to take an active role in shaping and leading this dis/
Conference.
Register at http://www.currenciesdisconference.info/
--------------------------------
Weatherization barnraising at
St. John /St. James Church
Saturday, March 24th, 9 am to 1 pm
149 Roxbury Street, Roxbury
This beautiful historic church's heating bill is over $30,000 per year
and there are only 50 people in the congregation.
Help the congregation lower these crippling bills. (HEET is also
advising the church in how to get rebated or free professional work to
lower the energy bills a lot further).
Sign up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGpieXVLWnczbTRIMDViWjVfdXVRblE6MQ
#gid=0
-------------------------------
Lecture and Meeting with Bill McKibben
Sunday, 25 March, 2012
03:00 PM - 06:00 PM
The Congregational Church of Weston, Weston
The Environmental Action Group of The Congregational Church of Weston,
UCC, will be hosting its annual Harnish Lecture, and we're pleased to
announce that we have secured a very exciting speaker, Bill McKibben.
He will be speaking at the Weston High School on 3/25/2012 at 3pm. As
one of the nation's leading environmental activists, Bill will be
sharing his thoughts about ways to shape the public debate about
climate change and to influence energy and environmental policy at all
levels of government.
Immediately following his lecture, we will be holding a "Forum" where
members of various environmental action groups from MetroWest will
have a chance to sit down with Bill and discuss ways we can all work
together to be most effective at influencing policy. We would like to
invite one to two delegates from your organization to participate in
this forum on your behalf. Please RSVP with the name(s) of these
delegates by March 9 to skuhrccw at comcast.net, to help us plan the most
meaningful event. We hope that this forum will generate new and
exciting strategies for working together to create a more sustainable
environment for our children and grandchildren. We look forward to
working together with you in this endeavor.
PS: Please find and 'like' us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/CCW-Environmental-Action-Group/325395654165705
for more information and updates as the date approaches.
Contact skuhrccw at comcast.net
----------------------------
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.
----------------------------
The Green Streets Initiative, Cambridge Energy Alliance & Cambridge
Local First cordially invite you to our
March Green Drinks Celebration
Join us on the Wednesday night before Walk/Ride Day for some
beverages, complimentary appetizers and green trivia at Area IV. We'll
be giving away fun prizes and picking your brain for all of your
environmental and local smarts.
While you're there, be sure to ask about and sign up for the Green
Streets Initiative Walk/Ride Day Corporate Challenge!
When: Wednesday, March 28, 6:30-8:30 PM
Where: Area IV, 500 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139
Who: The Green Streets Initiative, Cambridge Local First and more
RSVP at http://marchgreendrinks-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=35
-----------------------------
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 visithttp://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
---------------------------------
Saturday, April 21st
9-12noon
for our first 2012 cleanup of Magazine Beach, Cambridge. This will be
part of the much larger 13th Annual Earth Day Charles River Cleanup,
organized by the Charles River Watershed Association, Charles River
Conservancy, etc., etc.
If you would like an official Earth Day Cleanup t-shirt to wear that
day, please e-mail me your name, phone number and t-shirt size by this
Sunday, March 11th. Large youth shirts are available and adult shirts
in small, medium, large and extra large.
Looking forward to hearing from you. Shirts will be available, with
drinks and refreshments, at our table in front of the Riverside Boat
Club 4/21.
Cathie (Zusy)
Questions? Call 617-868-0489
-------------------------------
Weatherization barnraising at
The Friends Meeting House
Sunday, April 22nd from 1 to 5 pm
5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge
What a great way to celebrate Earth Day. You will be taught how to do
the work by experienced team leaders, while you learn how to lower
your own bills at home.
Sign up at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDRNLV9xOC00SVllOGdLd1dYdzMxU0E6MQ
#gid=0
*************
----------------
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).
---------------------
Free solar electricity analysis for MA residents
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhwM202dDYxdUZJVGFscnY1VGZ3aXc6MQ
-----------------------
HEET has partnered with NSTAR and Mass Save participating contractor
Next Step Living to deliver no-cost Home Energy Assessments to
Cambridge residents.
During the assessment, the energy specialist will:
Install efficient light bulbs (saving up to 7% of your electricity bill)
Install programmable thermostats (saving up to 10% of your heating bill)
Install water efficiency devices (saving up to 10% of your water bill)
Check the combustion safety of your heating and hot water equipment
Evaluate your home’s energy use to create an energy-efficiency roadmap
If you get electricity from NSTAR, National Grid or Western Mass
Electric, you already pay for these assessments through a surcharge on
your energy bills. You might as well use the service.
Please sign up at http://nextsteplivinginc.com/heet/?outreach=HEET or
call Next Step Living at 866-867-8729. A Next Step Living
Representative will call to schedule your assessment.
HEET will help answer any questions and ensure you get all the
services and rebates possible.
(The information collected will only be used to help you get a Home
Energy Assessment. We won’t keep the data or sell it.)
(If you have any questions or problems, please feel free to call
HEET’s Jason Taylor at 617 441 0614.)
*********
-----------
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