[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events

George Mokray gmoke at world.std.com
Sun May 20 12:25:40 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

---------------------------------------------------------
************************************************

Playing Games with the Energy Future of the Navy - online game on  
alternative fuels for the US Navy begins on May 21
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/19/1092958/-Playing-Games-with-the-Energy-Future-of-the-Navy

---------------------------------------------------------
************************************************

-------------------
Monday, May 21
-------------------

Did Democracy Promotion Cause the Arab Spring?
WHEN  Mon., May 21, 2012, 12:15 – 2 p.m.
WHERE  Malkin Penthouse, 4th Floor Littauer Building, Harvard Kennedy  
School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION  Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR  International Security Program
SPEAKER(S)  Heidi Lane, research fellow, International Security Program
CONTACT INFO  susan_lynch at harvard.edu
LINK  http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5813/did_democracy_promotion_cause_the_arab_spring.html

--------------------------

Farm Incubators 101: A webinar from the New Entry Sustainable Farming  
Project National Technical Assistance Initiative
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:  https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/826136479

This webinar will cover: (a) the basic framework of our new National  
Farm Incubator Technical Assistance Initiative and how it can help you  
achieve the programmatic goals of your farm incubator project; (b) the  
reasons for starting a farm incubator and common strategies for  
meeting diverse farmer training and support goals; (c) presentations  
on how veteran incubator projects (New Entry, as well as our project  
partners ALBA, the Intervale Center, the New Farmer Develop Project,  
and the Big River Farms Training Program) operate successful and  
diverse programs; and (d) ample time for Q&A at the end so you can get  
your individual questions about the National TA project and farm  
incubators in general answered. We hope you will join us!

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer
Space is limited.

-----------------------------

"Colony Collapse Disorder."
6p.
Follow the Honey, 1132 Mass Avenue, Cambridge

Chensheng Lu

--------------------
Tuesday, May 22
--------------------

2012 GoGreen Awards
Tuesday, May 22
8:00 am to 9:30 am
MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

The annual presentation of awards to businesses and organizations for  
their sustainability initiatives.  A light breakfast will be served.

RSVP to 617-349-4604 or randers at cambridgema.gov

---------------------------

Semantic Maps for Mobile Robots - Perception, Representation,  
Reasoning and Actions
Tuesday, May 22 2012
10:00AM to 11:00AM  Refreshments: 9:45AM
MIT, Building 32-G449 Patil/Kiva, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge

Speaker: Andrzej Pronobis, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
Robots have finally escaped from industrial workplaces and are making  
their way into our homes, offices and public spaces. In order to  
realize the dream of robot assistants performing tasks together with  
humans, we need to provide them with the capability of understanding  
complex, unstructured environments and express their knowledge in  
terms of human concepts. In this talk we present our work on endowing  
robot systems with the ability to acquire and exploit the semantics  
and structure that is present in man made environments. This provides  
the means for more efficient task execution and also plays a central  
role in enabling intuitive HRI and knowledge transfer between humans  
and robots. The latter opens up for making use of the vast amount of  
human spatial knowledge encoded in human readable form. More  
specifically, in this talk we present our work on a framework for  
large-scale, probabilistic semantic mapping, which exploits multiple,  
heterogenous sources of semantic information, including place  
appearance and geometry, objects, topology of space and human asserted  
knowledge. Furthermore, we show how semantic knowledge can be utilized  
for solving real-world problems, on the example of large-scale object  
search task, leading to improved performance and more intuitive and  
human-like behavior.

Bio:
Andrzej Pronobis obtained his PhD in Computer Vision and Robotics from  
the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2011.  
His research is focused on spatial understanding for mobile robots and  
exploiting semantic spatial knowledge for efficient robot behavior.  
Dr. Pronobis is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Centre for  
Autonomous Systems in Stockholm as well as a head of research at  
OculusAI Technologies, a company providing advanced computer vision  
and AI solutions for the e commerce market. Dr. Pronobis is an author  
of over 30 publications in robotics journals and conferences,  
organized several international events including workshops and  
contests, and has been involved in several EU research initiatives.

-------------------------------

D-Lab Open Hours
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
12:00p–2:00p
MIT, Building E34, 2nd floor, 42 Hayward Street
Come chat with D-Lab staff or tour around the lab to learn about our  
work. D-Lab focuses on international development, appropriate  
technologies and sustainable solutions for low-income communities,  
mostly in developing countries. There are currently 16 academic  
offerings that make up the suite of D-Lab classes, falling into the  
broad categories of Development, Design and Dissemination.

Web site: http://d-lab.mit.edu/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): D-Lab
For more information, contact:  d-lab-innovators at mit.edu

--------------------------------

A Public Right to Hear and Press Freedom in an Age of Networked  
Journalism
Tuesday, May 22, 12:30 pm
Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, second floor, Cambridge
RSVP at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2012/05/ananny#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 pm ET at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast 
  and archived there shortly after.

Mike Ananny, Berkman Center Fellow

What does a public right to hear mean in networked environments and  
why does it matter?  In this talk I’ll describe how a public right to  
hear has historically and implicitly underpinned the U.S. press’s  
claims to freedom and, more fundamentally, what we want democracy to  
be.  I’ll trace how this right appears in contemporary news  
production, show how three networked press organizations have used  
Application Programming Interfaces to both depend upon and distance  
themselves from readers, and describe how my research program joins  
questions of free speech with media infrastructure design.  I will  
argue that a contemporary public right to hear partly depends upon how  
the press’s technologies and practices mediate among networked actors  
who construct and contest what Bowker and Star (1999) call “boundary  
infrastructures.” It is by studying these technosocial, journalistic  
systems—powerful yet often invisible systems that I call “newsware”— 
that we might understand how a public right to hear emerges from  
networked, institutionally situated communication cultures like the  
online press.

About Mike
Mike Ananny is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Microsoft Research New  
England, a Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society,  
and, starting August 2012, will be an Assistant Professor at the  
University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication  
and Journalism. He researchers social uses of digital technologies,  
concentrating on how technological, institutional and normative forces  
both shape and reflect networked journalism and press freedom.  He  
earned his PhD from Stanford University (Communication), his Masters  
from MIT (Media Laboratory) and his Bachelors from the University of  
Toronto (Computer Science & Human Biology).  He was also a founding  
member of the research staff at Media Lab Europe as part of the  
Everyday Learning group.  He has held fellowships and scholarships  
with Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, the Trudeau  
Foundation, LEGO Corporation, Interval Research Corporation, and has  
worked or consulted with LEGO, Mattel and Nortel Networks, helping to  
translate research concepts and prototypes into new product lines and  
services.

-------------------------------

The Spread of Behavior in Social Networks
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
4:00pm until 5:30pm
BU School of Management, 595 Commonwealth Avenue (#302), Boston

Speaker(s): Damon Centola, PhD
Abstract:  In public health and health product adoption, advertising  
campaigns frequently rely on "word of mouth" through social networks  
in order to promote information diffusion about a new product or  
behavior. Recent advances in network theory have shown how specific  
topological features of social networks can amplify the diffusion of  
both disease and information - suggesting that important advances in  
network epidemiology may also be useful for structuring new product  
campaigns. However, recent theoretical work also shows that the  
dynamics of behavioral diffusion in peer-to-peer networks can respond  
very differently to the topological properties of networks. For  
behaviors that are particularly costly, difficult, or unfamiliar,  
these differences may be more pronounced. My findings show that many  
of the campaigns of greatest interest to firms and public health  
officials may not benefit from network strategies aimed at the rapid  
diffusion of information. I present findings from a series of novel  
experiments designed to study the dynamics of behavioral diffusion in  
large social networks. The results show a striking effect of network  
topology on the diffusion of health behavior, contrary to the  
expectations of classical network theory.

Paper:  Centola, D. The Spread of Behavior in an Online Social Network  
Experiment. Science, 3 September 2010: 329 (5996), 1194-1197.
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/329/5996/1194.full

Professor Centola is a faculty member in the Behavioral and Policy  
Sciences research group at the MIT Sloan School of Management. His  
research addresses theoretical and empirical problems in the diffusion  
of collective behavior. His core sociological interest is how  
individual actions aggregate to produce (often unexpected) collective  
outcomes. This includes the mobilization of social movements, the self- 
organization of ethnic communities and cultural enclaves, the spread  
of health behaviors (such as vaccination, dieting, and condom use),  
and the coordination of collective beliefs (such as religious  
extremism and social sanctioning practices). Before coming to MIT,  
Professor Centola was a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholar in  
Health Policy Research at Harvard University, and had been a visiting  
scholar at the Brookings Institution, the Santa Fe Institute, the  
Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy, and the  
Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies.

Open to General Public
Admission is free
Contact  B.U. Health Policy Institute
buhpi at bu.edu
617-353-4520

----------------------------

Boston Green Drinks - May Happy Hour
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (ET)
Kingston Station, 25 Kingston Street, Boston
RSVP at http://may12bgd-es2.eventbrite.com/?srnk=222

Join the conversation with sustainability professionals and  
hobbyists.  Enjoy a Drink at Kingston station and build your  
connection with our green community!
Keep sending feedback to Lyn at bostongreendrinks.com for ideas about  
speakers or content for the future and mark your calendar for drinks  
on the last Tuesday of every month.

Boston Green Drinks  builds a community of sustainably-minded  
Bostonians, provides a forum for exchange of sustainability career  
resources, and serves as a central point of information about emerging  
green issues.  We support the exchange of ideas and resources about  
sustainable energy, environment, food, health, education.

-----------------------
Wednesday, May 23
-----------------------

Guest Lecturer John Briscoe: "Water in a Changing World"
WHEN  Wed., May 23, 2012, 7 – 9 p.m.
WHERE  Waterworks Museum, 2450 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02467
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION  Environmental Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR  Waterworks Museum
SPEAKER(S)  John Briscoe, professor of the practice of environmental  
health, HSPH, and Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of  
Environmental Engineering, SEAS
COST  Free
CONTACT INFO  Lauren Kaufmann: 617.277.0065
NOTE  John Briscoe has devoted his career to issues relating to water,  
other natural resources, and economic development. Briscoe has  
launched the Harvard Water Security Initiative, which focuses on major  
challenges facing countries around the world, including the obstacles  
in providing people with safe drinking water.
LINK  www.waterworksmuseum.org

---------------------
Thursday, May 24
---------------------

Sustainable Regional Food Systems Research Group Webinar
Thursday, May 24
9:00 a.m. EDT
http://www.cigionline.org/webcast

On Thursday, May 24 at 9:00 a.m. EDT, we will be sharing our work on  
community food projects and hubs from over 170 interviews and 20 case  
studies in Ontario, Canada.  These innovative projects cover a range  
of urban and rural examples. Researchers from Guelph, Carleton,  
Lakehead, Ryerson, York, Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier universities have  
been working with community partners including Just Food Ottawa,  
FoodShare, Local Food Plus, the Food Security Research Network, Food  
Down the Road, and Meal Exchange to develop a better understanding of  
community based food projects and hubs across the province.

To dial-in open your web browser to www.cigionline.org/webcast.  We  
begin at 9:00 EDT (Toronto/New York time) so it is best if you can log  
in 15mins before the event to work out any technical issue you may  
have.  In case you have any problems, you can contact  Natasha Scott, nscott at cigionline.org 
  or call 1-519-885-2444, ext.7425

9-9:15 Project overview
9:15- 10:30 SSHRC Participatory Action Research projects: FoodShare,  
Local Food Plus, Just Food, Northern Regional Online Food Hub, Meal  
Exchange
10:30-10:45 Break
10:45 - 11:45  Regional case studies
11:45 - noon - wrap up morning

------------------
Friday, May 25
------------------

The Age of Limits:  Conversations on the Collapse of The Global  
Industrial Model
Friday May 25th thru Monday May 28th, 2012
Four Quarters Interfaith Sanctuary, 190 Walker Lane Artemas PA

Dedicated to the pioneering work of Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers &  
Dennis Meadows and their epochal 1972 report "The Limits to Growth."
http://ageoflimits.org/

Editorial Comment:  This is a way outside my geographic limits and is  
a conference that costs money but one of the subscribers suggested it  
and the subject and speakers are worthy of attention.

-------------------------------

Radcliffe Day Panel: “From Front Lines to High Courts: The Law and  
Social Change”
WHEN  Fri., May 25, 2012, 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
WHERE  Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION  Ethics, Law, Social Sciences, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR  Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
SPEAKER(S)  Martha L. Minow, Ed.M. ’76, dean and Jeremiah Smith, Jr.  
Professor of Law, Harvard Law School

Panelists:
Jennifer Gordon ’87, JD ’92
Professor of Law, Fordham University School of Law

Linda Greenhouse ’68
Senior Research Scholar in Law, the Knight Distinguished Journalist-in- 
Residence, and Joseph Goldstein Lecturer in Law, Yale Law School
Former Supreme Court reporter, the New York Times

Renée M. Landers ’77
Professor of Law, Suffolk University Law School

Kathleen M. Sullivan JD ’81
Partner, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP
Stanley Morrison Professor of Law and Former Dean, Stanford Law School
COST  Free
CONTACT INFO  617.496.0516, events at radcliffe.edu
NOTE  On Radcliffe Day, alumnae/i, fellows, and friends of Radcliffe  
gather to celebrate past, present, and future. This year’s Radcliffe  
Day is dedicated to exploring the law and social change. At the  
morning panel, moderated by Harvard Law School Dean Martha L. Minow,  
the focus will be on recognizing significant accomplishments,  
discussing major court cases, and considering the possibilities and  
limits of the law in making social change.
LINK  www.radcliffe.harvard.edu

---------------------------

Opening Reception: Art, Culture, Technology, Salvation, Army
Friday, May 25, 2012
7:00p–8:30p
The Thrift Store, 328 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
Exhibition and event series by graduate students in the MIT Program in  
Art, Culture and Technology

Yae Jin Shin / Tomashi Jackson / Sofia Rebeca Berinstein / Sei Rhee /  
Scott Berzofsky / Narda Alvarado / Micah Silver / Matthew Everett  
Lawson / Giacomo Castagnola / Elizabeth Anne Watkins / Carson Salter /  
Anne Callahan

For an up-to-date schedule of events, visit mit.edu/qwe/www
Web site: mit.edu/qwe/www

Open to: the general public

Cost: Free and open to the public

Sponsor(s): MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology

For more information, contact:  Laura Anca Chichisan
617-253-5229
act at mit.edu

--------------------
Tuesday, May 29
--------------------

Making large volunteer-driven projects sustainable. Lessons learned  
from Drupal
Tuesday, May 29, 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/2012/05/buytaert#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 pm ET at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast 
  and archived there shortly after.

Dries Buytaert, original creator and project lead of Drupal
In this talk, Dries shares his experiences on how he grew the Drupal  
community from just one person to over 800,000 members over the past  
10 years. Today, the Drupal community is one of the largest and most  
active Open Source projects in the world, powering 1 out of 50  
websites in the world.  The concept of major projects growing out of a  
volunteer, community-based model is not new to the world.   Volunteer  
networks and communities exist in many shapes and sizes.  Throughout  
history there are examples of pure volunteer organizations that were  
instrumental in the founding and formation of many projects. For  
example, the first trade routes were ancient trackways which citizens  
later developed on their own into roads suited for wheeled vehicles in  
order to improve commerce. Transportation was improved for all  
citizens, driven by the commercial interest of some. Today, we  
certainly appreciate that our governments maintain the roads. However,  
we still see road signs stating that a particular section of a highway  
is kept clean and trim by volunteers -- at least in some countries.  
When new ground needs to be broken, it's often volunteer communities  
that do it. But a full-time, paid infrastructure can be necessary for  
the preservation and protection of what communities begin.  In this  
presentation, Dries wants to brainstorm about how large communities  
evolve and how to sustain them over time.
Some questions to think about ahead of the presentation:

Do you know examples of large organizations that have grown out of  
volunteer communities?

Why do some communities keep growing while other communities come to a  
halt?

Is the commercialization of a volunteer-driven community part of a  
community's natural life-cycle?

Is it inevitable that over time the operation and/or leadership of  
volunteer communities are transferred to paid personnel?

About Dries
Dries Buytaert is the original creator and project lead for the Drupal  
open source web publishing and collaboration platform. Buytaert serves  
as president of the Drupal Association, a non-profit organization  
formed to help Drupal flourish. He is also co-founder and chief  
technology officer of Acquia, a venture-backed software company that  
offers products and services for Drupal. Dries is also a co-founder of  
Mollom, a web service that helps you identify content quality and,  
more importantly, helps you stop website spam. A native of Belgium,  
Buytaert holds a PhD in computer science and engineering from Ghent  
University and a Licentiate Computer Science (MsC) from the University  
of Antwerp. In 2008, Buytaert was elected Young Entrepreneurs of Tech  
by BusinessWeek as well as MIT TR 35 Young Innovator.

***********

-------------

Upcoming

-------------
***********

Cape Wind Public Hearing
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Department of Public Utilities, One South Station, 5th Floor, Boston

Help Cape Wind pass their last hurdle by attending a public hearing on  
the matter. They need support to point out that wind turbines will  
keep energy bills less volatile than fossil fuels:

Please arrive EARLY as speakers will called in the order in which they  
signed up. If you can come, please RSVP torsvpcapewind at gmail.com

-----------------------------

Data Therapy: Creative Ways to tell your Story with Data
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
6:00 PM
MIT Media Lab, E14-525, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge

Got data? Tired of using the same old bar charts to tell your story?
You need some Data Therapy!
Join MIT Media Lab researcher Rahul Bhargava for a workshop on making  
creative and compelling presentations of data.
We will cover: a process for picking appropriate data presentation  
techniques; real-world examples of various creative techniques; online  
tools to help you while designing your presentation; "group therapy"  
time to brainstorm about your specific needs.

RSVP at http://meetupbos.hackshackers.com/events/63236472/?a=ea1_grp&eventId=63236472&action=detail&rv=ea1&rv=ea1

-------------------------------

Altitude, Air Pollution, and Energy Technologies among Nomads on the  
Himalayan Plateau
Thursday, May 31
3:30pm
Pierce Hall 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge

A Harvard China Project seminar with Catlin Powers, Doctoral  
Candidate, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of  
Public Health; Executive Vice President and COO, One Earth Designs.

http://chinaproject.harvard.edu/seminar%20folder/seminar/Powers120531
Contact Name: Chris Nielsen nielsen2 at fas.harvard.edu

-------------------------------

Co-op Power Boston Metro East Energy Efficiency Crew Launch Party
Saturday, June 2
2pm
on the Lawn at Second Church in Dorchester, corner of Washington St &  
Talbot Ave, Codman Square, Dorchester

A celebration with music, food, tour of “green” home, and prizes. The  
Crew provides insulation, weatherization, air sealing to homes in the  
Greater Boston area. Co-op Power is a consumer-owned co-operative that  
uses its capital and market power to build good green jobs and  
community-based green businesses for the benefit of the community at- 
large.

RSVP and questions toolive at cooppower.coop or 617-282-8881.

--------------------------------

Resilience Circle Webinar: Small Group Organizing 101

Want to start a Resilience Circle or small group for your community?  
Join this conversation for tips, tools, and inspiration!

Tuesday, June 5
3pm EDT / 12pm PDT
Register at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/821608694

-------------------------------

ANCIENT ANDEAN WISDOM FOR OUR TIMES

A talk by Don Alberto Taxo
Master teacher from Ecauador

CAMBRIDGE COHOUSING, 175 RICHDALE AVE., CAMBRIDGE
WEDNESDAY 6 JUNE 2012, 7.30 P.M.

Refreshments will be served

Don Alberto is a teacher and healer of the Andean Quechua peoples.  He  
speaks of the need for head and heart to unite, and to bring  
technology and wisdom together in healing our earth. He brings simple,  
ancient practices that open the doors of perception to our connection  
with all life, through gratitude and enjoyment.

NOTE: there are other opportunities to meet Don Alberto:
EVENING TALK, FRIDAY JUNE 8, 7.30 P.M., NEW VIEW COHOUSING, ACTON MASS.
PRIVATE HEALING CLEANSINGS, BY APPOINTMENT

For more intormation:
Events in Eastern Mass.--to make reservations etc.: Dori Smith,  dsmith at newview.org 
    978-835-5568
Don Alberto’s work:   www.ushai.com

----------------------------

NEW ENGLAND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FORUM (NEEJF)  ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE  
SUMMIT
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

All community activists and residents, environmental justice  
advocates, lawyers, policymakers and others interested in public  
health and the environment in low income communities and communities  
of color are invited to attend.

Individuals may register for the event online by visiting the online  
registration page: http://newenglandejsummit.eventbrite.com/.  There  
is no cost to attend the event. Food, childcare, and great company are  
included. The deadline to register is May 18, 2012. Travel  
scholarships are available for individuals and groups that need  
assistance to attend.

For the first time in New England, residents of low income communities  
and communities of color, together with community organizers,  
attorneys, public health and environmental professionals and  
government officials will assemble for a one- day summit on  
environmental justice.  At the Summit attendees will share ideas,  
learn from one another and plan future work to address environmental  
and public health issues that especially affect low income communities  
and communities of color. NEEJF is a collaboration of Alternatives for  
Community and Environment, Connecticut Coalition for   Environmental  
Justice and Rhode Island Legal Services.

For more information, please contact Steve Fischbach: neejforum at gmail.com 
  or 401-274-2652 ext.182

-------------------------

Greenup Medford
Saturday, June 9
Noon until 4 pm
At Whole Foods

Join Whole Foods Market in Medford for a fun and festive time for all  
ages. We'll have local artists selling handmade art designed with  
recycled materials and local green organizations here to show how you  
can make a difference. There will be a raffle and lots of great samples!

--------------------------

The New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable Presents:  The  
Impact of Natural Gas on the Future of Electricity Markets and Clean  
Energy Strategies in New England
June 15, 2012
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston

Panel I: How Will Natural Gas Impact New England's Electricity Markets  
and Reliability?
Over the past two decades, New England's electricity generation has  
increasingly come to rely on natural gas. With the development of the  
Marcellus Shale in nearby New York and Pennsylvania, natural gas could  
be both plentiful and relatively inexpensive for years to come. Our  
first panel at the June 15th Roundtable will explore the potential  
impacts of natural gas on New England's electricity markets and  
reliability, exploring a wide range of questions and issues including:
What are "realistic" natural gas supply and price expectations?
What infrastructure is needed to deliver more gas to New England, and  
can we count on it?
What will be the likely impacts of more gas on electricity  generation  
mix and electricity prices?
Should we be concerned about electric reliability from increasing  
reliance on natural gas-fired generation especially on cold days (FERC  
seems to be), and what should we do about it?

To help enlighten us on theses issues, we have assembled a tremendous  
panel of experts who carefully follow the gas and electricity markets  
from different vantage points. Susan Tierney, Managing Principal at  
Analysis Group, will share both her expertise on electricity markets,  
as well as her recent experience serving on U.S. Secretary of Energy's  
Advisory Board (including its Shale Gas Subcommittee). Richard Paglia,  
Vice President of Spectra Energy, will discuss Spectra's plans to  
build additional pipeline capacity in several different directions  
from Marcellus, and will also discuss a study that Spectra recently  
commissioned on New England's gas markets. Richard Levitan, President  
& Principal, at Levitan & Associates, Inc. will share his expectations  
for both the gas and electricity markets in New England, based on his  
extensive study of both markets and their interactive effects.  
Rounding out the panel isPeter Brandien, Vice-President for Systems  
Operation at ISO-New England, who will share the results of a recent  
study ISO commissioned on natural gas and the electricity markets, as  
well as the ISO's perspective on managing an increasingly gas-based  
electricity system.

Panel II: Revisiting Clean Energy Strategies in New England (in an era  
of potential cheap and plentiful natural gas?)
Following on the heels of the first panel, our second panel will  
reflect on whether or not (and, if so, how) New England should revisit  
and revise its clean energy strategies in light of the potential for  
plentiful and relatively inexpensive natural gas for the foreseeable  
future. Despite substantial reductions over the last decade in the  
cost of renewable energy resources, most notably in wind and solar,  
and given projections for further price reductions, (and in the face  
of diminished renewable energy tax credit support and low natural gas  
prices) most RPS-eligible renewables are still more expensive than  
conventional electricity sources. Some states are exploring opening up  
RPS eligibility to existing hydro and even energy efficiency  
resources, seeking less expensive ways to meet clean energy goals.  
Others argue that the long-term benefits of continuing to aggressively  
pursue our clean energy goals and targets with our existing strategies  
far outweigh any short-term price premiums. Meanwhile, Cape Wind may  
begin construction soon and Hydro-Quebec is ready to finance  
transmission to deliver substantial additional hydro resources into  
New England.

To discuss these issues, we have put together a full-spectrum panel  
including a regulator, a utility executive, and representatives from  
the Clean Energy Council, CLF, and AIM.
Commissioner David Cash, Massachusetts Dept. of Public Utilities
James Robb, Senior VP Enterprise Planning, Northeast Utilities
Peter Rothstein, President, New England Clean Energy Council
Robert Rio, Sr. Vice President & Counsel, Associated Industries of MA
Jonathan Peress, VP & Director, Clean Energy & Climate Change, CLF

Free and open to the public with no advanced registration

-------------------------

Can Social Games Solve America’s Biggest Health Challenge?
Monday, June 18, 2012
3:30 PM to 5:00 PM (ET)
IBM Center for Social Business,1 Rogers Street, Cambridge
Register at http://shapeup-social-games.eventbrite.com/?ref=enivte&invite=MjA0ODE4OS9nbW9rZUB3b3JsZC5zdGQuY29tLzA%3D&utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=invitenew&utm_term=attend

Event Details
The IBM Center for Social Business welcomes Dr. Rajiv Kumar, literally  
a game changer in tackling healthcare issues. His company, ShapeUp,  
designs social games for companies to bring employees together so they  
can help each other be healthy. The theory is that peer support and  
accountability are the keys to wellness success.
Refreshments at 3:30. Talk starts at 3:45.

About the talk
Facing rapidly rising health care costs driven by unhealthy behaviors  
and a national obesity epidemic, self-insured employers have told  
their employees to “shape up.” But regular physical activity and  
healthy eating are easier said than done. Many years and millions of  
dollars have been wasted on employee wellness programs that get  
astonishingly low participation.

Social gaming is changing that. ShapeUp has developed an online  
behavior change solution for employee populations that uses social  
gaming, in the form of team-based competitions, to activate, motivate,  
and guide participants toward reaching their healthy goals. This  
approach generates extraordinary company-wide engagement rates and has  
been shown to produce clinically significant health outcomes.

This talk will describe how ShapeUp has used social games over the  
past 5 years to reach 2 million lives across 93 countries at companies  
like HP, Aetna, Raytheon, and Sprint. It will also explore how the  
latest advances in mobile apps, personal fitness devices, and real- 
time rewards are creating new ways to enhance the wellness experience.

Rajiv Kumar on how ShapeUp came to be
"During medical school, I realized that many of the worst health  
problems we face as a nation--diabetes, heart disease, cancer,  
hypertension, osteoarthritis, depression--are related to our  
collective unhealthy lifestyle. I also learned through my clinical  
encounters that the patients who succeeded in adopting and sustaining  
healthy behaviors were those who leveraged their trusted social  
network for support, motivation, and accountability.

By launching a community non-profit organization (Shape Up Rhode  
Island) and a for-profit company (ShapeUp), I've dedicated my life to  
helping people reverse and prevent obesity-related illnesses through  
group behavior change models.

Our goal is to build the largest online social application that  
connects people around the world to improve their health."


*************
----------------

Opportunity

---------------
*************

CEA Solar Hot Water Grants
Cambridge, through the Cambridge Energy Alliance initiative, is  
offering a limited number of grants to residents and businesses for  
solar hot water systems.  The grants will cover 50% of the remaining  
out of pocket costs of the system after other incentives, up to $2,000.

Applications will be accepted up to November 19, 2012 and are  
available on a first come, first serve basis until funding runs out.   
The Cambridge grant will complement other incentives including the  
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center solar thermal grants.  For more  
information, seehttp://cambridgeenergyalliance.org/resources/additional-resources/solar-hot-water-grant-program

-----------------------

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.

----------------------------------------------------

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.massclimateaction.net/calendar/events/index.php

http://www.mitenergyclub.org/calendar/mit_events_template

http://www.environment.harvard.edu/events/calendar/

http://green.harvard.edu/events

http://microsoftcambridge.com/Events/tabid/57/Default.aspx

http://boston.nerdnite.com/

http://www.meetup.com/

http://www.eventbrite.com/



More information about the Act-MA mailing list