[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Aug 19 11:41:48 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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Convivial City http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/08/17/1121434/-Convivial-City
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Monday, August 20
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Identifying Architectural Modularity in the Smart Grid
Monday, August 20, 2012
12:00p–1:00p
Webinar, register at http://v.gd/sdm_rogers
Speaker: Brad Rogers, MIT LGO '09; Managing Consultant at Navigant
One significant challenge facing a broader deployment of modern grid
technologies is integrating with legacy systems while driving toward
elegant, interoperable solutions in future grid integration efforts.
This challenge is compounded by the de facto approach of customizing
point-to-point integration solutions, resulting in an "accidental
architecture" of the existing grid.
The Design Structure Matrix methodology is applied to two publically
available architecture models to demonstrate how this approach can
help define smart grid architectures and to help identify
architectural groupings that can lead to better modularization of
smart grid systems and standardization efforts. The analysis concludes
that initial smart grid architectural efforts can be improved upon by
identifying areas of modularity and organizing around them.
Web site: http://v.gd/sdm_rogers
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): SDM activities - sponsored by GSC
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Intelligence and Neurons: can we begin to build a bridge?
Monday, August 20, 2012
2:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 46-5165, McGovern Institute 5th Floor Reading Room, 43
Vassar Street, Cambridge
MIT I^2 presents a mini-workshop "Intelligence and Neurons: can we
begin to build a bridge?"
We plan to discuss whether it is feasible and useful to work on (low-
level) neural correlates of high-level intelligent abilities, such as
social intelligence, language, theory of mind. A panel with optimistic
and pessimistic views will argue about what can be achieved in the
next 5-10 years and *how*.
We hope to get interesting ideas and perspective from the audience.
Panel:
Matthew Wilson, BCS Dept., MIT
Gabriel Kreiman, Harvard U., Children's Medical Boston
Nancy Kanwisher, BCS Dept., MIT
Joshua Tenenbaum, BCS Dept., CSAIL, MIT
Moderator: Tomaso Poggio, BCS Dept., MIBR, CSAIL, MIT
Alternate location 45-3189 (in case of overwhelming attendance)
Web site: http://isquared.mit.edu/
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free - Open to public
Sponsor(s): MIT Intelligence Initiative, McGovern Institute for Brain
Research, Brain and Cognitive Sciences
For more information, contact: Kathleen D. Sullivan
kdsulliv at mit.edu
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Tuesday, August 21
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GreenPort Forum: NEIGHBORHOOd SOLAR PANEL TOUR IN CAMBRIDGEPORT
Please join us for a local house tour of both solar thermal and
photovoltaic panels. Learn about pros and cons of different
approaches, installation issues and procedures, and paybacks.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2012
(Rain or Shine)
Tour Locations and Approximate Times:
6:30 -- 26 Glenwood Avenue
7:00 -- 116 Henry Street
7:30 -- 21 Acorn Street
8:00 -- 15-17 Whitney Avenue
GreenPort envisions and encourages a just and sustainable
Cambridgeport neighborhood
For more information, contact Steve Wineman at swineman at gis.net
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Boston New Technology Meetup
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
6:30 PM
Brightcove Office, 4th Floor, 290 Congress St, Boston
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/events/74979712/
Come learn about 7 innovative and exciting technology products and
network with the Boston/Cambridge startup community! Each presenter
gets 5 minutes for product demonstration and 5 minutes for Q&A. Please
follow @BostonNewTech and use the #BNT20 hashtag in social media
posts: details here.
Products & Presenters:
1. Trendslide / @Trendslide - Personalized business intelligence when
and where you need it! (Jeffrey Vocell / @JVocell)
2. SociableNow / @SociableNow - URL's let people contact you directly
via voice and capture analytics! (James Jones / @outcast)
3. Handybook / @HandybookHQ - Lets you schedule household services
like cleaners and handymen in 2 minutes! (Oisin Hanrahan /
@OisinHanrahan)
4. Mapocosm / Map Explorer - Mobile app with innovative features for
exploring and sharing custom maps! (David Asher / @AsherDavid)
5. ShopDAQ - Comparison shopping browser extension finds the best
prices while you shop online! (Lenny Grover / @LennyGrover)
6. PowerInbox / @PowerInbox - Makes email interactive! Purchase items,
play games and more within an email! (Dileep Thazhmon)
7. ADC2 Technologies - Superior video compression/decompression
technology! (Dr. Angel DeCegama)
Agenda:
6:00 - Setup time for presenters
6:30 to 7:30 - Networking hour (we're still seeking a sponsor for
dinner)
7:30 - Presentations, Q&A
9:00 - (Optional) Gather at a nearby bar for drinks and more networking
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"Do It Yourself Medical Technology."
Tuesday, August 21
7p.
Tavern in the Square, Porter Square, Cambridge
Jose Gomez-Marquez, Little Devices Group http://littledevices.org/
Science by the Pint https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/science-by-the-pint/
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Data Visualization MeetUp - Gabriel Florit: Instant Feedback
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
7:00 PM
Bocoup Loft, 355 Congress St., Boston
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/bostondatavis/events/76659832/
Description:
Most creative processes exhibit instant feedback. A painter's brush
stroke immediately colors the canvas. A guitarist's fingerpicking
immediately creates sound. An opera singer's vocal chords immediately
fill the room with her voice. Coding, also a creative process, often
lacks this immediate feedback, replacing it instead with the familiar
write-compile-load cycle. In this talk, Gabriel Florit will present
various browser-based tools that try to add instant feedback to the
creation of web graphics. Examples presented will be written in html/
css/javascript/d3.
Thank you PayPal Data Science for Sponsoring this meetup! Pizza & Beer
will be available.
About Gabriel:
Gabriel Florit makes data visualizations for the Boston Globe.
Previously, he wrote software to keep track of trains, fell 200 feet
off a mountain and got lost in Alaska for two years.
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Green tech Entrepreneur Forum & Brainstorming.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
7:00 PM To 10:00 PM
Eastern Bank, 647 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-Clean-Tech-and-Energy/events/73500372/
The Agenda is:
We will introduce ourselves and tell about our interest, expertise or
work (1st hr)
You can give a ~3 to 5 minute elevator speach about your startup if
you would like. (We will divide the 1st hour by # of people.)
What stage is your ideas or startup? What is your goal?
Tell what personnel or additional expertise, funding, etc. you are
seeking,
Discussion and Brainstorming on (2nd hr)
ideas for viable moneymaking startups,
methods of collaboration, networking, forming teams & partnerships etc.
marketing, media, social media, ideas that have worked well for
publicity
Agencies, websites, companies that assist startups
Boston Greenfest & Gov't opportunities.
What would ou like to see in future meetups?
This bank is near the center of Central Sq., where Prospect and Mass
Ave cross, - there is a Starbucks on the Northeast corner of the
intersection. Next to Starbucks is a Flower shop, and next to that is
Eastern Bank. You can see the conference room thru the window, so
just wave to us and we will let you in.
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Wednesday, August 22
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Biz2Bands: A Music and Innovation Showcase
Wed, 08/22/2012
7:00pm - Thu, 08/23/2012 - 12:00am
Storyville 90 Exeter Street Boston, MA 02116
RSVP at http://biz2bands.eventbrite.com/
Biz2Bands is a unique hybrid event that showcases the enterprising
spirit of the local music community and blends it with the
entrepreneurial minds behind great start-up companies. It all comes
together in a hip, sexy, comfortable environment that fosters
creativity and positive interaction: a concert, a networking event,
and a creative business showcase all rolled into one.
The event will start at 7PM with the start-up showcase and open
networking. Music will start at 8PM.
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Midsummer Night's Feast: Potluck for Urban Gardening Enthusiasts
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
6:30 PM To 8:30 PM
Somewhere in Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Urban-Homesteaders-League/events/76883702/
Join us on Wednesday, August 22nd for a summer potluck feast!
Our goal is to unite food, farming, and gardening enthusiasts under
one roof to build community and share tips on urban gardening and
homesteading ideas.
This will mark the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s third
potluck in the Metro Boston area.
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Thursday, August 21
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*A Service Rooted in the Sikh Tradition* A Demonstration of
Solidarity and Support
Thursday August 23
6:00 pm
Trinity Church, 206 Clarendon St Boston
Guru Ka Langar* meal to follow
Offered by the Gurdwara Sahib in Milford, Guru Ram Das Ashram and
Gurdwara in Millis, Gurudwara Guru Nanak Darbar in Medford, and the
Sikh Sangat Society of Boston in Everett
Hosted by the Islamic Council of New England, the Jewish Community
Relations
Council of Greater Boston and the Massachusetts Council of Churches
*The langar, an integral part of Sikh religious practice, demonstrates
a commitment to sharing and equality, and is much more than just a meal.
Please join us in the Undercroft beneath the Sanctuary to continue our
time together as all are fed a traditional vegetarian Indian meal by
the local Sikh community.
In solidarity and support, join us to pray for those killed at Sikh
temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin and peace among all people. Musicians
from the four Sikh Gurdwaras in Massachusetts will share shabads
(songs) from the Gurmat Sangeet (Sikh Sacred Music) Tradition. All are
welcome to listen and learn about this religious community. Christian,
Jewish and Muslim Leaders
will speak in support of religious liberty for all. All are invited to
stay for the Guru Ka Langar (meal) to follow.
In solidarity with the Sikh community, you are invited to cover your
head when entering the Sanctuary as you feel comfortable. If you would
like to participate, scarves will be provided at the entrance to the
Sanctuary. In several Eastern traditions, including Sikhism, it is
customary to cover one's head while entering a holy space as a mark of
respect.
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SOMERVILLE CONFERENCE ON THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
Thursday, August 23, 2012
7 to 9 pm
Artisan's Asylum, 10 Tyler Street, Somerville
Uncover What's Next for the Creative Economy
CreativeNEXT is a series of 21 state-wide events held bythe
Massachusetts Creative Economy Council, an advisory Council to the
Legislature and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic
Development, and a variety of local partners. The MA Creative Economy
Council is tasked to develop a statewide strategy for the enhancement,
encouragement, and growth of the creative economy in Massachusetts.
Working with the Creative Economy Industry Director this listening
tour will help to guide the future priorities of the Council. The
greater Boston event, co-hosted by the Artisan's Asylum and Union
Square Main Streets, will take place on Thursday, August 23, 2012 from
7 to 9 pm at the Artisan's Asylum, 10 Tyler Street, Somerville. Join
colleagues in a discussion on furthering the visionary growth of your
business and other creative industries across the state. Who should
attend? Businesses, Organizations, and Individuals working in:
Marketing: Advertising and marketing agencies and professionals
Architecture: Architecture firms and architects Visual Arts + Craft:
Museums, galleries, theatres and curators, artists, + artisans Design:
Industrial, interior, graphic, web, fashion firms and designers Film +
Media: Film, TV, animation, and radio businesses and talent Video
Game: Companies, programmers, and individuals producing games Music +
Performance: Venues, producers, and performers Publishing: Content
creation, editors, writers and distributors What's on the agenda? You
are! We want to hear from you, about you, as we explore future
opportunities for like-minded businesses within the creative
landscape. Through a round table discussion we hope to gain valuable
insights concerning the growth and sustainability of your business
within the state of Massachusetts.
For more information and to register your space: http://creativenextgreaterboston.eventbrite.com
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National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance
SUSTAINABLE VISION VENTURE LAB
8/23/2012 - 8/27/2012
9:00 am - 8:00 pm
Microsoft New England R&D Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
02142
Audience: Faculty and students from New England and throughout the
country working to commercialize ventures for the developing world
Description: Sustainable Vision VentureLab is an intensive, five-day,
highly experiential and immersive workshop designed to enhance the
success of base of the pyramid ventures. Students from Boston
University, Northeastern, MIT (including Legatum fellows) Harvard and
Tufts will meet and work with students from other programs around the
country to develop strong, sustainable business models that create
products or services for the benefit of people living in poverty.
$100 per team
Register at https://secure.nciia.org/WebObjects/NciiaApplyForGrants.woa/wa/EV/instantRegistration?i=1000319
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Saturday, August 25
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Fruit Trees: New Orchard Maintenance
Saturday, August 25
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
Nightingale Community Garden, 512 Park Street, Dorchester
So you have planted some new fruit trees. What do you do now to ensure
fruitful trees for future seasons? This informative program will
illustrate the training, pest control, pruning, soil building and
fertilization techniques required to grow healthy trees and delicious
fruit. Co-sponsored by Boston Tree Party.
Program is FREE but registration is required by calling 617-542-7696
or info at bostonnatural.org
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Save the Silver Maple Forest nature hike
Saturday, August 25
4pm
meet at Alewife Station on the Red Line (passenger pick-up area),
Cambridge
The Silver Maple Forest, an urban forest adjacent to Alewife
Reservation in Cambridge, is slated to be cut down to make way for
housing development.
This walk will introduce people to the Reservation and Silver Maple
Forest so they can understand the importance of this urban wilderness
and join activists and concerned citizens working to preserve it.
In this walk we will learn to identify some of the wild plant foods
and medicines found here.
Leading the walk is Jules Kobek, co-founder of DIO (Do-It-Ourselves)
Skillshare and knowledgeable forager.
call 617-492-2340 for more info about walk
Heavy rain cancels (call if not sure)
Be prepared for rough ground and possibly mud, mosquitos, and ticks (I
strongly recommend wearing long pants tucked into socks and long
sleeves)
for more info about the Silver Maple Forest, check-out these websites:
Coalition to Preserve the Belmont Uplands: http://www.belmontcoalition.org
Friends of Alewife Reservation: http://friendsofalewifereservation.org/homepage.htm
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Tuesday, August 28
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Micro-Finance OPEN HOUSE - Volunteering Opportunity with Social
Enterprise
Tuesday, August 28
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EST)
Stata Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 32 Vassar Street,
Cambridge
MONTHLY OPEN HOUSE
Philanthropist.org invites you to join us for our Monthly open house
to learn about how to get involved with our new micro-finance and
micro-philanthropy startup venture. We are currently looking to add
members to our team. This is a great opportunity to get in on the
ground floor of a promising new social enterprise. Please BRING YOUR
RESUME! Also submit your resume and desired role in advance via: http://philanthropist.org/volunteer
The ideal candidates are energetic problem-solvers, networkers,
big-picture thinkers, and experts at execution.
Current opportunities allow qualified candidates to demonstrate deep
involvement without the risk. At the moment, we only need ONE NIGHT
PER WEEK of your time as we lock down our strategy, develop processes,
and perform the basic "blocking and tackling" required to get a
venture off the ground. The team currently meets weekly on Tuesday
nights from 6-10pm.
Open House Agenda:
6:00-6:30 Networking/Introductions
6:30-7:00 Video Presentation
7:00-7:30 Group Interviews
7:30-8:00+ One-on-One Interviews
There is no Cost to attend, but please be on time as we cannot accept
late arrivals.
Learn more:
give at philanthropist.org
http://www.youtube.com/user/philanthropistorg
http://www.facebook.com/philanthropist.org
For those looking for entrepreneurial adventure, consider joining us
on our next inspiring Micro-Finance Profiling Field Trip in January.
View Pictures from the last trip in September:
http://picasaweb.google.com/philanthropist.org/MicroFinanceFieldStudyDominicanRepublic
***Did you know? In the Dominican Republic (alone) the Market for
Micro-Finance Loans is over $28 Million? The Average Loan is $361 USD
with over 50,000 clients having small loans. Over 70% are women, and
payback rates exceed 97% (better than traditional banking). Please
see the few examples on Youtube, and research Micro-Finance prior to
Arrival so you are fluent in terminology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro-finance
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Minute to Pitch it
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT)
1 Marina Park Drive Boston
Minute to Pitch It
Join MassChallenge for an evening of speed pitching!
Be wow'd by pitches from the teams working to change the world.
Finalists have one minute to pitch their companies to a crowd of
supporters and startup enthusiasts!
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions?
events at masschallenge.org
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Upcoming
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Tour of International Markets
Sat, September 1st
2pm-3:30pm
Union Square, Somerville
As part of our ArtsUnion project, the Somerville Arts Council gives
tours of Union Square international food markets. Join us and learn
where to find ingredients like Nepalese timur (a fragrant spice used
in pickles), squid ink pasta and Haitian akasan (a cornmeal drink).
Beyond discovering the culinary exotica available in Union Square,
we’ll learn about the history of these stores and how their clientele
represents the cultural community of Somerville. Each tour visits
three markets and we’ll point out others along the way. Featured
markets include: Casa de Carne, Well Foods Plus Halal Market, La
Internacional, Little India, New Bombay Market, Pao de Acucar &
Brazilian Buffet and the Reliable Market. Without leaving Union
Square, we’ll visit Brazil, Korea, India, Nepal, Guatemala and Haiti!
Dates: Sat, September 1st, 2pm-3:30pm Thur, September 13th,
6pm-7:30pm Cost: free How to sign up: send an email toartsuniontour at gmail.com
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The Circus of the Possibilitarians
Sunday, September 2nd
3 pm
Cambridge Common, Cambridge
kicks off Harvard Square’s annual “Revival Month”
Bread & Puppet Theater: The Circus of the Possibilitarians . Held
outdoors on Sunday, September 2nd at 3 pm on the Cambridge Common,
near the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Garden St., Cambridge. Free
performance [pass-the-hat donations welcome], rain or shine. For
further details, call the Boston-area Bread & Puppet Theater
information line 617-286-6694 or log onto http://www.breadandpuppet.org.
Soon to begin celebrating its 50th anniversary, the award-winning
Bread & Puppet Theater, from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, presents
their The Circus of the Possibilitarians on the Cambridge Common, a
public space they used to frequent prior to the mid-1980’s. Last year
the theater finally returned to help launch Harvard Square’s inaugural
“Revival Month.” And now a return engagement is in order.
The Circus of the Possibilitarians is a satirical horse and butterfly
circus, addressing pertinent national and international issues in a
clownish fashion, features rotten ideas, a wild dancing horse, a
saxophone ballet, a solemn salute to the world's casualties and much
more! Not to mention The Dire Circumstance Jubilation Ensemble
providing a little bit of brass and a lot of noise. Please take note
that if some of the circus acts are politically puzzling to adults,
accompanying children can usually explain them. The audience is
welcome to examine all the masks and puppets after the performance,
and Cheap Art will be for sale. Examples of Bread & Puppet’s work can
be found at http://www.breadandpuppet.org.
Bread & Puppet’s outdoor Circus on the Common is serving as the kick
off to what is now Harvard Square’s annual “Revival Month,” an entire
month of “reincarnations” which will spill over into early October
with the return of the HONK! Parade: Reclaim the Streets for Horns,
Bikes, and Feet Parade on Oct. 7th, a Bread & Puppet-inspired
procession on Massachusetts Avenue leading into Harvard Square’s
Oktoberfest. For complete information on Harvard Square’s “Revival
Month” visit http://www.harvardsquare.com. For more information on
HONK! and the parade that runs from Davis Square to Harvard Square,
log onto www.honkfest.org.
Special thanks to the Cambridge Arts Council and the Harvard Square
Business Association for helping make this event possible; funded in
part by the Cambridge Arts Council.
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American Red Cross Workplace Safety Seminar
9/5/2012
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Microsoft New England R&D Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
02142
Description: The American Red Cross, the largest non-profit
organization in the world and world leader in emergency response, is
offering a Workplace Safety Seminar to business leaders in
Massachusetts to assist in identifying gaps in safety protocols and
save lives by having procedures in place for any anticipated emergency.
Key speakers and panel guests include:
American Red Cross Preparedness Health and Safety Services, offering
the latest resources from the Red Cross to help your company identify
gaps in safety procedures to be proactive in emergency preparedness;
OSHA, outlining safety requirements in various workplace environments;
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, presenting the plan that
keeps their employees safe and why they feel it is so important to be
a model of safety in the community; and
Cardiac Science, demonstrating the ease of operation of a state of the
art fully automatic AED.
This event will be a benefit to your business, offering you an
opportunity to find out not just what is required of you according to
state and federal mandate, but the gaps in your preparedness plans
that can help to protect and save the lives of your staff to keep your
business running smoothing when an emergency strikes.
Audience: COOs, Property and Office Managers, Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Directors and other business managers from Boston and
across Massachusetts.
Twitter: #redcross
Contact: tara.craft at redcross.org
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FUTURE ENERGY - INVESTOR FEEDBACK FORUM
9/10/2012
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Microsoft New England R&D Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA
02142
Description: Future Energy is a brand new conference where you can see
the most revolutionary energy technology of the future before it hits
mainstream. At each Future Energy event, 8 startups present to a panel
of energy and cleantech venture capital investors for feedback,
advice, and networking. The audience votes on the best presenters who
win prizes and media attention to help launch their business.
Applications to pitch can be submitted at http://ultralightstartups.com/future-energy/application-form/
The platinum sponsor for this event is the Shell International Game
Changer program.
Audience: Entrepreneurs, Investors, Media, all are welcome
Twitter: @crisdeluca
Register at http://futureenergyboston.eventbrite.com/
Editorial Comment: Early bird tickets are $10 and general admission
is $20. Not free but still relatively inexpensive access.
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Tour of International Markets
Thur, September 13th
6pm-7:30pm
Union Square, Somerville
As part of our ArtsUnion project, the Somerville Arts Council gives
tours of Union Square international food markets. Join us and learn
where to find ingredients like Nepalese timur (a fragrant spice used
in pickles), squid ink pasta and Haitian akasan (a cornmeal drink).
Beyond discovering the culinary exotica available in Union Square,
we’ll learn about the history of these stores and how their clientele
represents the cultural community of Somerville. Each tour visits
three markets and we’ll point out others along the way. Featured
markets include: Casa de Carne, Well Foods Plus Halal Market, La
Internacional, Little India, New Bombay Market, Pao de Acucar &
Brazilian Buffet and the Reliable Market. Without leaving Union
Square, we’ll visit Brazil, Korea, India, Nepal, Guatemala and Haiti!
Dates: Thur, September 13th, 6pm-7:30pm Cost: free How to sign up:
send an email to artsuniontour at gmail.com
----------------------------
New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable
Friday, September 21, 2012
9:00am - 12:30pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston
Better Aligning Capacity Markets with Policy/Planning Objectives
Perhaps no development in the history of electricity markets in New
England and throughout the US has been more controversial than the
emergence of capacity markets. With New England contemplating numerous
changes to its capacity market design (partially in response to a FERC
order, and partially due to the efforts of ISO and other stakeholders
to better align capacity markets with planning and policy objectives),
now is a perfect time for a dedicated Roundtable on capacity markets.
In our first panel we will explore evolving regional capacity markets
in three ISOs: New England, New York, and PJM. To share both the
lessons ISOs are learning and the improvements they are contemplating,
we are very pleased to have joining us President and CEO of the New
York ISO, Stephen Whitley; Vice President of Market Operations and
Demand Response at PJM, Stu Bresler; and Vice President of Market
Development at ISO New England, Robert Ethier. We have asked Johannes
Pfeifenberger, Principal at the Brattle Group, who has worked with
many ISOs in the U.S. and beyond, to lead off the panel with an
overview of the role of capacity markets and an "apples-to-apples"
comparison of the three ISOs' capacity market designs and performances
to date.
For our second panel we have invited a cross-section of leading
stakeholder group representatives to share their perspectives on how
to better align capacity markets in New England to ensure resource
adequacy, while also meeting other important regional policy/planning
objectives. Our illustrious panel will include:
Chairman Thomas Welch, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Commissioner Elizabeth Miller, VT Deptartment of Public Service
Peter Fuller, Director of Regulatory Affairs, NRG Energy
James Daly, VP Energy Supply, Northeast Utilities
We have also asked Bob Ethier to join this 2nd panel for the Q & A and
discussion among the panelists.
Contact Name: Susan Rivo
susan at raabassociates.org
---------------------------------
SOCIAL INTEL: GAINING INSIGHTS FROM AN OPEN SOURCE KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY
PLATFORM
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
6:00 PM To 9:00 PM
Microsoft N.E.R.D. Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Because social media is essentially 'real-time' information, it
provides an efficiency mechanism to reduce intelligence time to action
if it can be harvested effectively. Fusing social media with
traditional intelligence information provides additional context and
connections of entities and events, which increases quality, relevance
and predictability.
Learn how with IKANOW's open source platform, Infinit.e, your
organization can gain valuable intelligence by fusing social media
data with traditional enterprise data.
Presentation will be given by one of IKANOW's Intelligence Analysts
and food and drinks will be provided by IKANOW.
Register at http://www.meetup.com/Open-Analytics-Boston/events/67990392/
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Opportunity
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Where is the best yogurt on the planet made? Somerville, of course!
Join the Somerville Yogurt Making Cooperative and get a weekly quart
of the most thick, creamy, rich and tart yogurt in the world.
Membership in the coop costs $2.50 per quart. Members share the
responsibility for making yogurt in our kitchen located just outside
of Davis Sq. in FirstChurch. No previous yogurt making experience is
necessary.
For more information checkout.
https://sites.google.com/site/somervilleyogurtcoop/home
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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, see
http://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).
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Free solar electricity analysis for MA residents
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHhwM202dDYxdUZJVGFscnY1VGZ3aXc6MQ
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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.)
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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
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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.
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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/
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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
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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
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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/
http://www.greenhornconnect.com/events/calendar
http://harddatafactory.com/mobileapp.shtml
http://bostoneventsinsider.com/boston_events/
More information about the Act-MA
mailing list