[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Mon Jun 11 13:01:20 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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Ecological Design for Geoengineering http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/06/1097724/-Ecological-Design-for-Geoengineering
Ray Bradbury and Me http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/06/07/1098398/-Ray-Bradbury-and-Me
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Tuesday, June 12
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The Extreme Vulnerability of Network of Networks
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
2 p.m.
BU, 8 Saint Mary’s St., Room 339, Boston
Refreshments will be served outside Room 339 at 1:45 p.m.
Shlomo Havlin
Bar-Ilan University
Network research and percolation theory have been focused on the
properties of a single isolated network that does not interact or
depend on other networks. In reality, many real-networks interact with
other networks. Shlomo Havlin will present a framework for studying
percolation of interacting networks. In interdependent networks,
when nodes in one network fail, they cause dependent nodes in other
networks to fail also. This may happen recursively and can lead to a
cascade of failures. In fact, a failure of a very small fraction of
nodes in one network may lead to the complete and sudden fragmentation
of a system of many interdependent networks. Havlin will
present exact analytical solutions for the critical threshold and
giant component of a network of n interdependent networks. For n=1, he
and his research team obtain the classical known result for a single
isolated network of second order percolation transition. For n>1
cascading failures occur and the transition becomes a first order.
Their results for a network of n interdependent networks suggest that
the classical percolation theory extensively studied in physics and
mathematics in the past 50 years is only a limiting case of n=1 of a
more general case of network of networks. As Havlin will show, this
general theory has many novel features that are not present in
classical percolation theory. For example, while a failure of a
fraction of nodes in a single network can lead only to small damage to
the system, in interacting networks, it can lead to a sudden
(discontinuous) collapse due to cascading failures. He will show that
reducing the coupling between the networks leads to a change from a
discontinuous percolation transition to a smooth transition at a
critical coupling. He will also show that interdependent networks
embedded in space are even more vulnerable compared to random networks.
For more information: www.bu.edu/ece/calendar
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Energy Solutions Open House at Next Step Living.
Tuesday, June 12
5:00-8:00 PM
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3620204128?utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_term=eventname_text
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Thursday, June 14
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Citizens clean energy lobby day at the State House.
Thursday, June 14
9:30 AM-1:00 PM
No experience lobbying your elected officials is required!
For more information, please e-mail lord.ma at husky.neu.edu
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New England Games SIG Event: Can Games Save Education
Thursday, June 14, 2012
6:00p–9:00p
Microsoft NERD Center, 11th Floor One Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Speaker: Robert Johnson, President, Becker College Dave McCool, CEO,
Muzzy Lane Mike Connell, CEO, Native Brain Moderator: John Dyer,
Latitude News
Education is at a cross roads. Students have access to unprecedented
resources and interact with content and other students around the
globe faster than they can turn to page 236 in their text books.
Games dominate interactive time with young learners and have proven
their ability to engage, entertain, teach and impact. Can games really
impact education as we know it today? Our panel takes a focused look
at the state of education and the reality of changing education in a
21st century way.
Web site: http://www.mitforumcambridge.org/events/new-england-games-sig-event-can-games-save-education/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
For more information, contact: Amy Goggins
617-253-3937
entforumcambridge at mit.edu
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Boston Gardeners Council Speaker Series: Your Garden as an Agent for
Food Access in Boston
Thursday, June 14
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Boston Natural Areas Network, 62 Summer Street, 2nd Floor, Downtown
Crossing
A panel featuring insight from food pantry employees, community
gardeners, healthcare workers and food policy advocates on how,
together, we can increase access to fresh produce throughout the city.
For more information contact Karen Chaffee at karen at bostonnatural.org
or 617-542-7696. Registration required.
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Bill McKibben Live at The Paramount, with WBUR's On Point
Thursday, June 14, 2012
7:00 PM
Paramount Mainstage & Black Box Theatre at the Paramount Center, 559
Washington Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/TransitionBoston/events/16240826/?a=mc1_grp&rv=mc1&_af_eid=16240826&_af=event
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Solar Financing and Sustainable Economics: Understanding Your Solar
Financing Options including Purchasing, Leasing and Power Purchase
Agreements
Thursday, June 14th, 2012
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; Presentation begins at 7:30 p.m
First Parish in Cambridge Unitarian Universalist; 3 Church Street,
Harvard Square
The pace of change in the solar industry, including technology
innovation, regulation and finance, is accelerating. With solar
installers advertizing on AM sports radio, claims of "no money down!",
and the cost of solar panels continuing its long, downward trend,
thoughts of installing solar electric systems are entering the
mainstream mind. In this month's BASEA Forum, we seek to take stock of
the current state of the solar evolution.
Brad Bradshaw, solar project developer for Mercury Solar Systems and
co-founder of the New England Clean Energy Council, will compare the
three major financing options now available for solar projects:
outright purchase, lease-to-own and power purchase agreements (PPAs).
In addition, Mr. Bradshaw will discuss the critical economic
incentives which are making solar economically practical, including
Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SREC's) and Net Metering.
A vital debate is currently taking place in the Massachusetts state
legislature regarding Senate Bill 2214, to extend the Green
Communities Act. This pending legislation puts in place mechanisms to
extend additional investments in solar energy, increasing the net
metering caps. Mr. Bradshaw will discuss our topic and these
developments within the greater context of Sustainable Economics,
which focuses on how true value is created within an economy.
Brad Bradshaw is a senior executive with significant experience in
clean energy, gained through his work with Honeywell's Energy Services
Division, Arthur D. Little's Advanced Energy Group, and as CEO of Hy9
Corporation (hydrogen systems for backup power). He founded and led
the Massachusetts Hydrogen Coalition, co-founded the New England Clean
Energy Council and, for five years, co-hosted the annual Conference on
Clean Energy.
Mr. Bradshaw has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, an
MBA from Babson College and is currently engaged in developing large
solar projects for Mercury Solar Systems.
Please Join Us! And remember, your donations and membership support
BASEA.
The Boston Area Solar Energy Association, www.BASEA.org; a chapter of
NESEA
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The Discipline of Entrepreneurial Thinking: How Revolutionary
Strategies can be Created
WHEN Thu., June 14, 2012, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
WHERE RCC conference room, 26 Trowbridge Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Real Colegio Complutense
SPEAKER(S) Enrique Cortés Alonso, IE Business School & UCM
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO rcc_info at harvard.edu
LINK http://realcolegiocomplutense.harvard.edu
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Friday, June 15
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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
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Title: Development of New Materials Powered by Organic Synthesis
Friday, June 15, 2012
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 6-120, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Shigeru Yamago, Kyoto University
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Chemistry Department
For more information, contact: Chemistry Department
617-253-1879
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Common Boston dParty
Friday, June 15, 2012
6:30 PM to 11:00
Boston Society of Architects (BSA), 290 Congress Street, 2nd Floor,
Pearl Room, Boston
Join Boston’s architecture, design and nonprofit community at the BSA
for this year’s launch of Common Boston festival week at the dParty.
In the spirit of our theme, “Off the Grid,” you will be exposed to
sustainable-living ideas that are already at your disposal in Boston.
Learn about bike sharing, urban gardening, community-supported
agriculture and bike-powered machines; see a bee-and-honey-production
presentation; listen to good music; and taste beverages grown from a
city garden plot, all under a canopy of a suspended bicycle display,
curated by BSA Space curators, over,under. In addition, there will be
an art installation by Mary Hale, honey-infused beverages concocted by
the local apiarist at the Intercontinental Hotel, and a raffle with
the possibility to win a sustainable opportunity. Admission is free
with a new or working flashing bicycle light that will be donated to
Boston Cyclist Union, or $10 at the door.
RSVP at http://dparty-es2.eventbrite.com/?srnk=33
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Saturday, June 16
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Design for Coders: SND + H/H visual workshop
Saturday, June 16, 2012
1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
MIT Media Lab, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge
We'll be in E14-240, one of the large conference rooms on the 2nd floor
RSVP at http://meetupbos.hackshackers.com/events/67125132/?fromms=1&a=ea1_grp&rv=ea1&_af_eid=67125132&__domain=meetupbos.hackshackers.com&_af=event
Interface design is every bit as rewarding as programming: Inch by
inch, you're crafting a story that people will use and, hopefully,
love. Executing a well-designed interface is both exhilarating and
satisfying, offering the reader a clear path, immersing them in a
story. Learning to create effective, beautiful layouts is a learned
skill, akin to learning a new programming language or framework.
What we'll do:
This workshop is geared toward our beloved journo-hackers who keep
getting asked to create sophisticated, usable visual, designs as well
as all of the interaction and software powering the experience. We
will talk about UI patterns, how to use typography and color create a
visual identity.
Workshop attendees will leave with some great getting-started resources.
Why the weird time?:
A Saturday, in June, at 1 p.m.? Really?! This time and location has
been chosen to coordinate with the OpenNews Hack event, a 24-hour hack
day as a lead-in to the 2012 MIT-Knight Civic Media Conference. While
the conference is invite-only, the hack day is open to talented
developers who want to spend their weekend working with others to
build amazing things. Following the conference theme of the "the Story
and the Algorithm," this hack day will be focused on new ways that
data lets us tell compelling stories.
The design workshop attendees should come prepared with a project idea
for discussion, sketching and brainstorming, even if they are not
participating in the aforementioned event.
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Knight-Mozilla-MIT "Story & Algorithm" Hack Day
Saturday, June 16, 2012 at 3:00 PM - Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 4:00 PM
(ET)
MIT Media Lab, 5th Floor, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Come and hack with an all-star cast of developers, entrepreneurs,
journalists, and media thinkers at the MIT Center for Civic Media.
The Knight-Mozilla OpenNews project is sponsoring at 24-hour hack day
as a lead-in to the 2012 MIT-Knight Civic Media Conference. While the
conference is invite-only, the hack day is open to talented developers
who want to spend their weekend working with others to build amazing
things.
Following the conference theme of the "the Story and the Algorithm,"
this hack day will be focused on new ways that data lets us tell
compelling stories.
Sign up and hack with us!
Sign up at http://opennews-mit-es2.eventbrite.com/?srnk=338
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Monday, June 18
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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."
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Social Innovation in the Public Sector
Monday, June 18, 2012
6:00 PM
MIT, Stata Center, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
More information at https://boston.tie.org/
Public awareness of the significant value of social innovation is
growing rapidly in the United States. Governments at the local, state
and federal level have promoted policies to encourage social
innovation, public/private partnerships and entrepreneurship in a wide
variety of ways. What is happening in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts to cultivate and strengthen social innovation? Come
network and interact with our panel of government-oriented social
enterprise champions who represent the fields of finance, community
development and technology.
Panelists include:
Steve Goldberg, General Counsel, SocialFinance, Inc.
Following 30 years in government, law, and business, Steve Goldberg
began consulting on growth, management, and scalability for numerous
nonprofits. Steve is the author of Billions of Drops in Millions of
Buckets: Why Philanthropy Doesn’t Advance Social Progress (Wiley,
2009), a former lead consultant for “Charity Navigator 2.0,” and
one of 50 expert reviewers selected nationally for the first Social
Innovation Fund. Steve currently leads Social Finance’s government
relations and partnership efforts.
Nigel Jacob, City of Boston, Co-Founder, Urban Mechanics
With an extensive background in collaborative, citizen-facing
technology projects, Nigel Jacob co-founded the Office of New Urban
Mechanics - a civic innovation incubator within Boston’s City Hall.
Nigel also serves as Mayor Menino's advisor on emerging technologies.
In both of these roles, Nigel works to develop new models of
innovation for cities in the 21st century. Prior to joining the City
of Boston in 2006, Nigel worked for and launched a series of
technology start-ups in the Boston area. Nigel is also a fellow at
the Center for the Advancement Public Action at Bennington College.
Chris Osgood, City of Boston, Co-Founder, Urban Mechanics
Chris Osgood co-founded the Office of New Urban Mechanics, bringing to
the office nearly ten years of experience in city government. Much of
his work during that time has focused on designing operations and
policy that help cities engage and respond to constituents. Before
joining the City, Chris earned his MBA from Harvard after serving for
5 years in the NYC Parks & Recreation Department as its Chief of Staff
and Senior Advisor.
Chris and Nigel have received a number of awards for their ground
breaking work in Boston, including being named Public Officials of the
year in 2011 by Governing Magazine and the Tribeca Disruptive
Innovation award for 2012.
Todd Fry, Executive Director for the Merrimack Valley Sandbox,
Deshpande Foundation
Todd Fry joined the Deshpande Foundation as Executive Director for the
Merrimack Valley Sandbox. Todd comes to the Foundation after a
distinguished career at the Boston Center for Community Justice, as a
teacher at Milton Academy, and social entrepreneur for 20 years in
Greater Boston. His career spans work with youth and adults in prep
school and in prison, in business and in Boston City Hall. Todd chairs
the USA Advisory Board for the Rwanda Youth Healing Center, a
grassroots NGO in Rwanda that helps young people with emotional
healing from the genocide and leadership development. Todd grew up in
Ohio, holds a bachelors degree in Communication Education from
Northwestern University, and lives in Roxbury today.
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Wednesday, June 20
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"Global Pitchfest 2012."
Wednesday, June 20
6 - 11:55p.
Masschallenge, One Marina Park Drive, 14th floor, Boston
The Global “PitchFest” is the traditional closing event for the
Venture Leaders program. It will take place on the June 20 at
theMassChallenge facilities, one of the epicenters of the Boston start-
up scene. The rules of the PitchFest could not be simpler: 20 Swiss
entrepreneurs competing with the new generation of MassChallenge
entrepreneurs. Who will have the best pitching abilities?
You will be the judge!
In 1 minute and 1 slide, the Swiss and Local entrepreneurs
representing a wide range of industries will convince you to vote for
their venture. By using our Text-Message-based polling system, you
will choose the 5 best pitches of the night. Our jury will pick a
final winner who will receive a special prize from our generous
sponsor: Mondaine, the Swiss Watch Maker.
Call for Startups!
Be part of the 2012 Global Pitchfest- pitch you own start-up!
Have you recently launched a start-up in Boston and want to train your
pitch, while getting more visibility for your business? Join our
lineup of presenters by contacting Marian Toader at marian at swissnexboston.org
Please note that - due to logistics constrains - we will accept a
limited amount of candidates. First come, first served!
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Upcoming
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“TOUR DE HIVES” BUZZING THROUGH TOWN
On Saturday, June 23rd bring your family and friends out to join
Boston’s own Tour de Hives crew as we pedal our way across the river
to explore the lives of bees and their keepers in 4 apiaries spread
across Somerville and Cambridge. We will start our day at 9:30am in
the ¼ acre permaculture garden at the GrowingCenter in Somerville,
where Kagen Weeks (of Hive at Your Home) will introduce us to one of
his “Weeks” hives (a variation of the traditional but uncommon
Warre beehive). Next, we’ll hop on our bikes and make our way over
to a private residence in Inman Square where (at ~11:15am) Noah of
BestBees will provide insight on his beekeeping style and honeybee
health. Our third stop brings us to the Dewolfe Boathouse on Boston
University’s campus at ~12:30pm, where the BU Beekeepers Club will
show us their hives and talk briefly about their educational approach
to beekeeping (focused on training new beekeepers rather than maximum
honey production) before we take a break for lunch, picnic-style along
the banks of the Charles River. We will then screen a short film at
BU titled Sister Bee, a lyrical documentary about 6 beekeepers who
encounter startling beauty and spiritual truth in honeybees. At ~3:15
we will make our way to the final stop – the Museum ofScience –
where we will check out the museum’s observation hive and get an up-
close view of the bees hard at work! The day will wrap up around
4:00pm.
Join us for a single site demo or spend the day touring by bike from
hive to hive as we gain insight into the lives of local honeybees and
their tenders. Don’t forget your helmet, water and picnic lunch if
you plan to be with us all day! Total mileage from start to finish is
just under 6 miles.
Pre-registration (which guarantees you a Tour de Hives T-shirt and
VIBee access to the Museum of Science’s observation hive exhibit) is
available now at:http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/247983. The
suggested donation of $20 covers event costs; any proceeds will be
reinvested in education and outreach initiatives by the Boston
Beekeepers Community. No one will be denied Tour de Hives access/
enjoyment for lack of funds (FYI: Museum of Science access requires an
event T-shirt be purchased and worn, drop-ins welcome at all other
stops).
Further details, a link to a map of the route and other updates can be
found at: https://www.facebook.com/BostonBeekeepers#!/events/
297115667029162/Questions can be directed to: BostonTourDeHives at gmail.com
.
Hosted by: Boston Beekeepers Club
Sponsored by: Maxant Industries, the Beekeeper's Warehouse, the Museum
of Science, Boston University, and New England Bees
Contact: Boston Beekeepers Club (BostonTourDeHives at gmail.com)
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GreenPort Forum: Solar Hot Water is Hot
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
7:00pm
Cambridgeport Baptist Church, 459 Putnam Av, Cambridge (corner of
Magazine St. and Putnam Av)
Meghan Shaw, Cambridge Energy Alliance
Solar hot water systems are a great way to provide 50% to 75% of all
hot water for a household or business. Most solar hot water systems
will work with existing plumbing or water heating systems. If building
owners act before November 2012, the combined rebates from the
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and the City of Cambridge could mean
a net cost of less than half the full cost of the system. Come to talk
about how we can encourage and facilitate more solar installations in
Cambridgeport.
The Cambridge Energy Alliance is a City-staffed program that is also a
collaborative effort of people dedicated to taking action on climate
change. CEA relies on the expertise and energy of community
activists, businesses, and non-profits.
GreenPort envisions and encourages a just and sustainable
Cambridgeport neighborhood
For more information, contact Steve Morr-Wineman at swineman at gis.net
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SOCIAL MOVEMENTS & ELECTORAL POLITICS
A Roundtable Connecting #Occupy, Global Movements, the World Social
Forum, and Elections
Saturday, June 30, 2012, 6:00 p.m. at encuentro 5 (33 Harrison Ave, 5th
floor, Boston, MA 02111)
featuring: Sarah Francis, Jeff Juris, Suren Moodliar, Thomas
Ponniah, Monica Poole, and (chair) Heike Schotten
The Arab Spring signaled a global wave of social movements challenging
inequality, repression, austerity, war, & corporate power. Whatever
their strengths, these movements have all had to give serious
consideration to how they relate to electoral politics. This timely
conversation brings together a diverse group of thoughtful activists
and engaged scholars who have connections to the #Occupy movement, the
World Social Forum, solidarity movements and grassroots organizing.
NOTE: encuentro 5 is NOT yet wheelchair accessible, call 888-400-1225
to join the conversation via Skype or conference call. Visit website
for speaker bios, background information and selected articles.
Speaker bios and more information to follow; light refreshments
provided.
More details at http://www.encuentro5.org. See flyer here:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/1042836/flyer-2012-06-30.pdf
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Opportunity
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Boiler Rebate
If your boiler is from 1983 or earlier, Mass Save will give a $1,750
to $4,000 rebate to switch it out for a new efficient boiler that uses
the same fuel (i.e. if you have oil, you have to continue to use oil)
so long as it is installed by July 31, 2012.
Call Mass Save (866 527-7283) to sign up for a home energy assessment
or sign-up online at www.nextsteplivinginc.com/HEET and HEET will
receive a $10 contribution from Next Step Living for every completed
assessment.
This is a great way to reduce climate change emissions for the next 20
or so years the boiler lasts, while saving money.
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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
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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
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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/
********************************************
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Links to events at 60 colleges and universities at Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com
Thanks to
Fred Hapgood's Selected Lectures on Science and Engineering in the
Boston Area http://www.BostonScienceLectures.com
Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/
Arts and Cultural Events List http://aacel.blogspot.com/
http://www.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