[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Events - December 9, 2012
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Dec 9 12:21:35 PST 2012
Energy (and Other) Events is a weekly mailing list published most Sundays covering events around the Cambridge, MA and greater Boston area that catch the editor's eye.
Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.
If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events email gmoke at world.std.com
---------------------------------------------------------
************************************************
---------------------------
Monday, December 10
---------------------------
Live Webcast: Big Weather and Coastal Cities
WHEN Mon., Dec. 10, 2012, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
WHERE www.forumhsph.org
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Ethics, Health Sciences, Law, Lecture, Science, Social Sciences, Sustainability
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Forum at Harvard School of Public Health
SPEAKER(S) Richard Serino, deputy administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and alumnus, National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, Harvard Schools of Public Health and Government; Paul Biddinger, director, Emergency Preparedness and Response Exercise Program, Harvard School of Public Health, and chief, Division of Emergency Preparedness, Massachusetts General Hospital; Jerold Kayden, professor of urban planning and design, Harvard Graduate School of Design; Daniel Schrag, professor of environmental science and engineering, Harvard University, and director of the Harvard University Center for the Environment. Moderated by Tom Zeller Jr., senior writer, The Huffington Post
NOTE Email questions for the expert participants any time before or during the live webcast totheforum at hsph.harvard.edu.
LINK www.forumhsph.org
-------------------------------------
Korea's Growth Strategy in the Time of Standstill: Convergence and Innovation Based on Manufacturing
WHEN Mon., Dec. 10, 2012, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Center Library, Littauer-369 at HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
SPEAKER(S) Sukwoo Hong, Minister of Knowledge Economy of Korea
CONTACT INFO karin_vander_schaaf at harvard.edu
LINK http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5937/koreas_growth_strategy_in_the_time_of_standstill.html
------------------------------------
Visual Computing in Connectomics
December 10, 2012
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Harvard, Northwest Building 243, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Hanspeter Pfister (SEAS)
Our modern ability to acquire and generate huge amounts of data can potentially enable rapid progress in science and engineering, but we may not live up that promise if our ability to create data outstrips our ability to make sense of that data. Visual computing tools are essential to gain insights into data by combining computational and statistical analysis with the power of the human perceptual and cognitive system and enabling data exploration through interactive visualizations. In this talk I will present our work on visual computing in Connectomics, a new field in neuroscience that aims to apply biology and computer science to the grand challenge of determining the detailed neural circuitry of the brain. I will give an overview of the computational challenges and describe visual computing approaches that we developed to discover and analyze the brain's neural network. The key to our methods is to keep the user in the loop, either for providing input to our fully-automatic reconstruction methods, or for validation and corrections of the reconstructed neural structures. The main challenges we face are how to analyze petabytes of image data in an efficient and scalable way, how to automatically reconstruct very large and dense neural circuits from nanoscale-resolution electron micrographs, and how to analyze the brain's neural network once we have discovered it.
-------------------------------------
Energy Lecture Series - Nuclear Fusion: How it works and its prospects for commercialization
Monday, December 10, 2012
12:00p–1:00p
MIT, Building 2-135, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
By popular reputation, fusion energy is either the clean-energy savior of the human race, or a mirage that is perpetually 30 years in the future. This talk will explain the basics of how magnetic and inertial fusion energy works, and the history of its development around the world. The prospects for future development and commercialization will be discussed, with a focus on some exciting work being done at MIT on an accelerated path to a demonstration reactor. No knowledge of nuclear physics or engineering is required to understand this talk.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact:
MIT Energy Club
jdewitte at mit.edu
------------------------------------
"Carbon Taxes and Deficit Reductions"
Monday, December 10, 2012
12:15pm - 1:45pm
Bell Hall, 5th Floor, Belfer Building, HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Jared Carbone, Associate Professor, University of Calgary
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/cepr/events.html
Contact Name: Louisa Lund
louisa_lund at harvard.edu
---------------------------------------
"Science & Cooking Fair."
Monday, December 10, 2012
2:30 - 4:30pm
Harvard Science Center, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
--------------------------------------
"The Arab Uprisings as History"
Monday, December 10, 2012
3:00p–4:30p
MIT, Building E25-111, 45 Carleton Street, Cambridge
Speaker: James L. Gelvin, UCLA
What can we make of the Arab uprisings of 2010-11? Why did they occur, and why have their paths diverged? In his talk, James L. Gelvin will examine both the transnational factors that made regimes throughout the Arab world vulnerable to popular anger, as well as the distinct histories, capabilities, and structures of the various Arab states that have delimited the realm of the possible for each uprising.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, History Office, Committee on Race and Diversity, Center for Bilingual/Bicultural Studies
For more information, contact: Margo Collett
253-4965
history-info at mit.edu
----------------------------------
The Economic Stimulus Payments of 2008 and the Aggregate Demand for Consumption
Monday, December 10, 2012
4:00p–5:30p
MIT, Building E51-151, PLEASE NOTE CHANGE IN DATE AND TIME, 2 Ames Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Jonathan Parker (NW)
Joint Macroeconomics and Public Finance Workshop
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Macroeconomics Seminar
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa at mit.edu
--------------------------------
Geoengineering: Science & Governance
WHEN Mon., Dec. 10, 2012, 5 p.m.
WHERE Northwest Labs – B101, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard University Center for the Environment
SPEAKER(S) Edward A. Parson, professor of law, UCLA
CONTACT INFO Lisa Matthews, matthew at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE “International Governance of Climate Engineering” with Edward A. Parson
Professor of Law, UCLA
Parson writes in the area of environmental governance and policy, with particular focus on international environmental issues, such as ozone depletion and climate change. He is a leading expert on climate change law and policy, and his book Protecting the Ozone Layer: Science and Strategy won the 2004 Harold and Margaret Sprout Award from the International Studies Association. His research has been highly influential in the drafting of the Montreal Protocol, the first international treaty to address the need to protect and reverse the damage to the ozone layer.
This seminar series, held jointly by the Harvard University Center for the Environment (HUCE) and MIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, will explore the science, technology, governance and ethics of solar geoengineering. In bringing together international experts, participants will learn some of the greatest challenges and hear opinions on how this technology could and should be managed.
LINK http://environment.harvard.edu/events/2012-12-10/geoengineering-science-governance-lecture
---------------------------------
OrigaMIT Holiday Study Break
Monday, December 10, 2012
6:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building W20-201
There'll be lots of delicious cookies from Flour Bakery and hot cocoa! Come fold paper and decorate our large origami tree! The tree will be exhibited in Stata from December 11 - January 18.
Origami paper and instructions will be provided. Folders of all levels are welcome.
Web site: http://origamit.scripts.mit.edu
Open to: the general public
Cost: FREE
Sponsor(s): Origamit
For more information, contact: OrigaMIT
origami-info at mit.edu
Editorial Comment: MIT's Origami Club meets most Sundays during the school year and does great work with folded paper.
-------------------------------------
Brainstorming and Barn Raising
Monday, December 10, 2012
7:00 PM To 9:00 PM
29 Elm Street (left door), Somerville (near Porter Square)
Requesting a $5 voluntary contribution for this event. Appetizers and Beverages are provided
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/green-business-allies/events/93213812/
Have an idea or problem that you would love to get feedback or help with? Love helping others succeed? Here's the chance to have dedicated time for a small group to focus on your project or idea and pay it forward at the same time. Everyone will have approximately 15-20 minutes. (If it’s a large group we will break up into smaller groups)
Here are some ideas about how you might use the time:
Brainstorm new marketing ideas or get feedback on your marketing materials
Get feedback about a rough idea or concept that you have
Practice your "pitch"
Ask for help with a problem or issue you are having
Have the group help define "next steps" for you
The possibilities are endless!
This is a free meetup. It will run from 7pm to 9pm. This event will include three meetup groups: Entrepreneur Allies, Nonprofit Connector (soon to be Nonprofit Allies) and Entrepreneurship for a Sustainable Planet (soon to be Green Business Allies).
----------------------------
Tuesday, December 11
----------------------------
D-Lab Open Hours
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
12:00p–2:00p
MIT, Building N51-3rd floor
A selection of D-Lab staff members, instructors and students will be available to give tours and answer questions. Please note our new location in N51, above the MIT Museum.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
This event occurs on Tuesdays through December 18, 2012.
Sponsor(s): D-Lab
For more information, contact: Nancy Adams
6173246197
nadamsx at mit.edu
---------------------------------------
Power in Our Hands
December 11
12:30pm ET
Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 23 Everett St, 2nd Floor, Cambridge
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2012/12/odewale#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast at 12:30pm ET and archived at the site soon after
Oluwaseun Odewale, Berkman Center Fellow
Armed with little more than a modest smartphone (mostly even ordinary phones) and an Internet subscription that will permit only a fair access to the mobile GPRS/EDGE, Nigerian young people went into the 2011 elections with a new wave of enthusiasm and interest.
This was the fourth consecutive elections since the reemergence of democratic governance in 1999. And until then [2011], none of the previous elections received positive review in the aspect of credibility – or freeness, or fairness. Now, with the appointment of a new leadership and growing influence of technology in fostering more accountable processes, Nigerians optimistically anticipated a marked improvement in the April 2011 elections over past discredited experiences.
It is even more significant that more attention were paid to the 2011 elections as it portended to be the most expensive electoral experience for Nigerians. A leadership change had recently been effected in a tensed political climate and the elections management body (EMB) had set a plan for the costliest elections ever.
In light of the renewed hope and confidence, and the desire to get things right, several civil society organizations established election monitoring platforms via SMS, twitter, websites, blogs, facebook, telephone lines etc. One particular organization recruited volunteers and got itself embedded within the INEC systems to promote a “two-way communication between INEC and its stakeholders”.
What evolved was a media-tracking centre established to assess the robust blend of traditional and new media during the election period. It was an interesting trend to see how social media, for the first time, was adopted and, quite interestingly, adapted, to ensure credibility of the electoral process.
During this presentation, I intend to showcase the Nigeria experience, highlight what worked and what didn’t; specific instances of how social media interventions prevented rigging; how the elections has helped the growth of use of social media, the patterns of usage during and after the elections; and, how traditional media has adjusted to social media practice.
I hope the audience will share their experiences and proffer recommendations to revamp the innovation for a more institutionalized adaptation in promoting good governance in Nigeria, as I continue to explore this in my present research work.
About Oluwaseun
Odewale is male, Nigerian with degrees in Chemistry (Medicinal Chemistry) and Chemical Engineering Technology. Born, some 32 years ago in Lagos Island, Lagos, South West Nigeria, he also holds professional training diplomas in Community Local Participation (UNICEF); International Elections Observation Missions (KAIPTC/ECOWAS); Mentoring Young Leaders under the Kwame Nkrumah emerging leaders training series, and; the African Contingency Operations and Training Assistance (ACOTA) (ECOWAS) among others.
This young chemist has garnered a combination of nine years local and international work experiences in social and development work, spanning especially the West African sub-region. He has worked variously with regional institutions like the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF), the West African Bar Association (WABA) and recently, the Economic Community of West African States as Programme Officer (Youth), Programme Officer (Governance and Human Rights) and Research Assistant (Disaster Risks Reduction) respectively. His research experiences spanning the academic and development sectors cover both the natural and social sciences. In the development sector his focus areas include human rights, governance and political processes, regional integration and human security (security sector governance and architecture). He has five years of field experiences in Elections Observations and Monitoring in twelve member states of ECOWAS and other parts of Africa, UNOWA youth employment mapping in West Africa and inclusion of young people in processes for attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs) under the United Nations Millennium Campaign African office situated in Nairobi.
----------------------------------
"Social Resilience in the Neoliberal Era"
WHEN Tue., Dec. 11, 2012, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Bowie-Vernon Conference Room (K262), CGIS Knafel Building, 1737 Cambridge Street
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
SPEAKER(S) PETER HALL, Krupp Foundation Professor of European Studies, Harvard University; MICHELE LAMONT, Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies, and Robert I Goldman Professor of European Studies, Harvard University
CONTACT INFO Shinju Fujihira, sfujihira at wcfia.harvard.edu
----------------------------------
The Arab Uprisings: An Analytical Framework
WHEN Tue., Dec. 11, 2012, 1 – 3 p.m.
WHERE Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Room 102, 38 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR CMES Middle East Forum
SPEAKER(S) James L. Gelvin, professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, UCLA; author, "The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know" (2012)
CONTACT INFO elizabethflanagan at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE This talk is part of a CMES series on change in the Middle East, "Focus on: Arab Transformation"
LINK http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/node/3302
-------------------------------
Hormonally Active Pollutants: What Are They, What Can They Do, and How Do We Know They're Out There?
Tuesday, Dec 11, 2012
5:00 pm
Sheerr Room, Fay House, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge
Joan Ruderman, Senior advisor to the Science Program, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, and president and director, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole
Over the past few decades, an increasing number of chemicals that were designed for one purpose have now been found to have the surprising, additional ability to mimic hormones like estrogen. Examples of such chemicals, often called environmental estrogens, include certain pesticides, plasticizers, detergents, and compounds added to personal care products. There is growing concern that everyday exposures to these chemicals, and to others yet to be discovered, are contributing to increases in reproductive abnormalities, infertility, and estrogen-dependent cancers in both males and females. Previously identified environmental estrogens show little structural similarity to estrogen, making it impossible to predict simply on the basis of structure alone which other chemicals may also be estrogenic. Transgenic zebrafish embryos can play a unique role in screening chemicals that mimic estrogen.
The Institute is hosting a new cross-disciplinary speaker series by Harvard faculty on topics related to water. These will be relatively informal presentations, followed by discussion with attendees, on topics that approach water from multi-disciplinary perspectives. The collegial events are intended to present, and potentially to link, faculty interests, in order to learn more about research currently underway and to foster connections across Harvard schools.
The talks will focus on both national and international topics. They may include issues of water policy, treatment and management, technology, water and migration, water and religion, urban planning, hydrology, water and business, art and water, environmental law, public health and disease, water and conflict, land-use, economic growth, history, etc. The speaker series is designed to be multidisciplinary rather than solely scientific and to complement other offerings throughout the University.
--------------------------------
Challenges and Advantages of Green Building in the Asia Pacific Region: The JLL Perspective
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
5:30p–6:45p
MIT, Building 9-354
Speaker: Parket White, Head of Energy and Sustainability Services, Greater China, Jones Lang LaSalle
Parker White leads Jones Lang LaSalle???s Energy and Sustainability Services (ESS) business in the Greater China region, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau; incorporating the firm???s regional energy engineering and environmental consulting capabilities. Parker is responsible for providing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainability advice for single assets and portfolios of new construction and existing buildings. Since 2006, Parker has worked with many of the largest investors and corporate occupiers in Greater China, identifying over US$50 million in energy savings, consulting on over 20MW of rooftop solar power installations, and advising on over 350,000 m2 of green certification projects.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Urban Studies and Planning, EPP, Center for Real Estate, MIT Sloan Academic
For more information, contact: Tricia Nesti
617-253-8308
tnesti at mit.edu
-------------------------------------
StreetTalk: 10 in 1
LivableStreets Alliance
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EST)
70 Pacific Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4795873587/es2/
Join us for our second annual StreetTalk 10 in 1! The event will include 10 seven minutes of presentations with a social break in the middle to chat, ask questions, network, and discuss presentations. Hear the latest in transportation innovation from both home and abroad. See list of last year's talks here>>
Want to present your research, photos, maps and/or business? Find out all the RFP details here>>
Save the date and more details coming soon!
Interested in getting involved in the event? Email kara at livablestreets.info for more information.
----------------------------------------
“New Biology and Convergence of Life Sciences and Engineering”
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Harvard, Science Center A, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, Institute Professor at MIT and a world leader of research in molecular biology and biochemistry.
With Panelists:
Walter Gilbert, Harvard Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Everett Mendelsohn, Harvard Department of the History of Science
Fiona Murray, MIT Sloan School of Management
Moderated by:
Sheila Jasanoff, Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Harvard Kennedy School
Revolutionary advances over the past half century produced the sequence of the human genome and remarkable advances in the understanding of disease. Perhaps more important, the technology of DNA sequencing has revealed the information of all life forms. This advance can be considered the second revolution in life sciences, the first being the discovery of the structure of DNA. The third revolution will come from the convergence of life sciences with engineering, and computation and physical sciences. Convergence will help mankind meet some of the major challenges of the coming century, i.e. food for nine billion people, better protection of the environment, sustainable energy sources and better quality of healthcare.
Sharp’s talk will be followed by comments from a distinguished interdisciplinary panel: Walter Gilbert, Harvard Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; Everett Mendelsohn, Harvard Department of the History of Science; and Fiona Murray, MIT Sloan School of Management.
A world leader of research in molecular biology and biochemistry, Dr. Phillip A. Sharp is Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Much of Dr. Sharp's scientific work has been conducted at MIT's Center for Cancer Research (now the Koch Institute), which he joined in 1974 and directed from 1985 to 1991. He subsequently led the Department of Biology from 1991 to 1999 before assuming the directorship of the McGovern Institute from 2000-2004. His research interests have centered on the molecular biology of gene expression relevant to cancer and the mechanisms of RNA splicing. His landmark achievement was the discovery of RNA splicing in 1977. This work provided one of the first indications of the startling phenomenon of “discontinuous genes” in mammalian cells. The discovery that genes contain nonsense segments that are edited out by cells in the course of utilizing genetic information is important in understanding the genetic causes of cancer and other diseases. This discovery, which fundamentally changed scientists' understanding of the structure of genes, earned Dr. Sharp the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His lab has now turned its attention to understanding how RNA molecules act as switches to turn genes on and off (RNA interference). These newly discovered processes have revolutionized cell biology and could potentially generate a new class of therapeutics.
A native of Kentucky, Dr. Sharp earned a B.A. degree from Union College, KY in 1966, and a PhD in chemistry from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1969. He did his postdoctoral training at the California Institute of Technology, where he studied the molecular biology of plasmids from bacteria in Professor Norman Davidson's laboratory. Prior to joining MIT, he was Senior Scientist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In 1978 Dr. Sharp co-founded Biogen (now Biogen Idec) and in 2002 he co-founded Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, an early-stage therapeutics company.
This event is organized by the Program on Science, Technology, and Society, at the Harvard Kennedy School and co-sponsored by the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Graduate School of Design, and the Harvard University Center for the Environment. For more information on Science, Technology, and Society events at Harvard University, please visit:www.ksg.harvard.edu/sts/. This lecture and discussion is free and open to the public.
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/sts/
Contact Name: Lisa Matthews
matthew at fas.harvard.edu
617-495-8883
------------------------------------
Panel Discussion - Programming and the Kinect Device in Artwork Creation
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
7:30 PM To 10:00 PM
Massachusetts College of Art and Design, 621 Huntington Avenue, Boston
The main buiding (Tower) on the corner of Huntington and Tetlow - Tower Building - Trustee's Room 11th floor
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Collusion-by-Collision-Collective/events/92025962/
This panel will discuss the exciting world of volumetric computing using the Microsoft Kinect to create dynamic multimedia art pieces. The discussion will describe how artists write scripts and adapt software to enable the use of the Kinect as an input device that controls an art piece. The device allows for the direct interaction with a computer through physical motion. It reads and tracks body movements, and is the bridge between the physical reality in which you exist and the virtual world created by the software.
Microsoft’s Kinect was released in fall 2010 to become the fastest-selling electronic device ever. For the first time, there is an inexpensive, three-dimensional sensor enabling direct interaction between human and computer, between the physical world and the virtual. The Kinect has been enthusiastically adopted by a growing culture of enthusiasts, who put it to work in creating technology-based art projects, three-dimensional scanners, adaptive devices for sight-impaired individuals, and new ways of interacting with PCs.
The panel will include Collision Collective members and affiliated artists:
Rob Gonsalves - CC Artist discussing his piece from Collision 18: "Jitterbot - A Dialog in Dance"
John Slepian - CC artist discussing his newest body of work, "Update"
Jim Susinno and Mark Stock - JIm worked collaboratively with Mark who is a CC Artist - they will be discussing Jim's piece from Collision 18: "Swarm"
Please meet us at 7:30 on Tuesday 12/11
-------------------------------
Wednesday, December 12
-------------------------------
"'Anti-politcs' and Resistance in Serbia: Spoiled Ballots, Protest Votes and the Internet in the 2012 Elections"
WHEN Wed., Dec. 12, 2012, 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
WHERE Cabot Room, Busch Hall, Center for European Studies, 27 Kirkland Street
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
SPEAKER(S) JELENA OBRADOVIC-WOCHNIK, Visiting Scholar, CES
CONTACT INFO Art Goldhammer, art.goldhammer at gmail.com
LINK https://ces.fas.harvard.edu/#/studygroups/vs_seminar
Editorial Comment: Not sure if this is Gyorgy Konrad's _Antipolitics_ but my notes to his thought-provoking book are here:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/10/01/153415/-Antipolitics
There's also Jose Saramago's novel _Seeing_ which is all about a blank ballot election and what ensues:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/06/30/223533/-Seeing-the-Blank-Ballot-Election
--------------------------------------
OCEANS & ICE CAPS: What the Poles Tell Us About Our Future
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building 54-915
Speaker: Dr. Jean-Louis Etienne, Polar Explorer and Physician
EAPS Department Lecture Series talk
Web site: http://eapsweb.mit.edu/events/lectures
Open to: the general public
Cost: $0.00
Tickets: N/A
Sponsor(s): Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS), MIT-France Program
For more information, contact: Jacqui Taylor
617-253-2127
jtaylor at mit.edu
-----------------------------------
Energy Lecture Series: "Solar's Strategic Value" by Bruce Sohn
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
5:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 4-237
Speaker: Bruce Sohn, Former President of First Solar
This dialogue is an opportunity to discuss the state of solar energy in the context of today's technical, commercial, political and socio-economic challenges. The talk will cover the importance of solar as a part of an integrated, global energy strategy.
Bruce Sohn graduated from MIT (Course III) and has lectured periodically at MIT and other prestigious institutions. He was a senior executive at Intel and Fluidic Energy and was previously President of First Solar during the formative and growth years. During his tenure, First Solar became the largest photovoltaic module manufacturer, project developer and builder of utility-scale power plants in the world. Today, Mr. Sohn heads a consulting firm focused on addressing the strategic and management challenges facing high tech, clean tech and energy products industries. His clients include Fortune 500 companies as well as government offices at the federal and regional levels. He also sits on the board of Phononic Devices, a start-up company developing next generation thermoelectric devices.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact: MIT Energy Club
energyclub at mit.edu
--------------------------------------
East Meets West lecture #7 - Acupuncture & Face Diagnosis Demo
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
5:30p–6:30p
MIT, Building 56-154
Speaker: Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai
Lecture #7 in the series will discuss acupuncture from traditional and Western medical perspectives. There will also be a demonstration on how to diagnose diseases by reading the face, using audience volunteers. Refreshments will be served.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Traditional Medicine Society
For more information, contact: Jane Han
317-258-2186
tms-exec at mit.edu
----------------------------------------
Art and Design Circle
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
5:30p–7:00p
MIT, Building N51, MIT Museum
A new, monthly art and design forum, The Art and Design Circle brings together MIT and broader communities for casual, brief presentations that stimulate dialogue and community at the intersection of art, science and technology.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum
For more information, contact: Josie Patterson
617-253-5927
museuminfo at mit.edu
--------------------------------------
Illicit Drugs and Security: Building a 21st Century Policy to Address Domestic and Global Drug Challenges
WHEN Wed., Dec. 12, 2012, 6 p.m.
WHERE Haarvard, Bell Hall, Belfer Building 5th floor, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
(Corner of Eliot and JFK Street)
Harvard Kennedy School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Law, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management, HKS
SPEAKER(S) Gil Kerlikowske, director, U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy; Victor Ivanov, director, Russian Federal Drug Enforcement Service
NOTE Established as one of the Presidential Commission’s initial groups in 2009, the Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG) is jointly led by R. Gil Kerlikowske and Victor Ivanov. Since July 2009, Directors Kerlikowske and Ivanov have held six plenary sessions that brought together a wide constellation of government partners. The United States and Russia have pursued three primary areas of cooperation through the Counternarcotics Working Group: supply reduction, demand reduction including treatment for substance use disorders, and legal frameworks for counternarcotics efforts.
Directors Kerlikowske and Ivanov will discuss smarter, balanced policies to address the challenges of drug use and its consequences.
----------------------------------------
Mass Innovation Nights #MIN45
December 12, 2012
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Boston Globe offices, Morrissey Boulevard, Dorchester
RSVP at http://mass.innovationnights.com/events/december-12-2012-mass-innovation-nights-min45
Welcome to Mass Innovation Nights #45 scheduled for Wednesday December 12, 2012 -- it's our year-end super holiday party! A big thank you and shout-out to the team at The Boston Globe's Hive for hosting and sponsoring our December event, and to Carbonite for sponsoring. We'll also be enjoying a very special 21+ after-party, on-site, in the Media Lab, with the team from RadioBDC immediately afterward.
-----------------------------
Thursday, December 13
-----------------------------
Coming To See Privilege Systems: A Surprising Journey
WHEN Thu., Dec. 13, 2012, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
WHERE Radcliffe Gym, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Lecture, Social Sciences, Special Events, Wellness/Work Life, Working at Harvard
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR FAS Dean's Office, FAS Human Resources
SPEAKER(S) Peggy McIntosh, associate director of the Centers for Women, Wellesley College
COST Free; open to faculty and staff
NOTE This seminar will focus on the various dimensions of privilege and how we handle privilege, which can be the deciding factor between inclusion and exclusion.
LINK http://www.hr.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k69588&tabgroupid=icb.tabgroup107981
----------------------------------
Breadlines, Sweet Charity and Beyond
Dec 13, 2012
12:00 pm
webinar
Register at https://cfccanada.webex.com/mw0307l/mywebex/default.do?siteurl=cfccanada
a conversation with Jan Poppendieck and Nick Saul
--------------------------------
"Secrets of the Human Genome"
WHEN Thu., Dec. 13, 2012, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Medical School, Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Amphitheater Ground Floor, Boston
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR MD-PhD Program, Harvard Medical School
SPEAKER(S) Eric S. Lander, director, The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, professor, Department of Biology, MIT, professor, Department of Systems Biology, HMS
COST Free
CONTACT INFO 617.432.0991
LINK http://www.hms.harvard.edu/md_phd/events/leaders.html
----------------------------------
A New Class of Industrial Robot
Thursday, December 13, 2012
4:15p–5:30p
MIT, Building 34-101
Speaker: Rodney Brooks, Chairman & CTO, Rethink Robotics, Inc.
Dertouzos Lecturer Series 2012/2013
The Dertouzos Lecturer Series has been a tradition since 1976, featuring some of the most influential thinkers in computer science, including Bill Gates, Steven Jobs, Donald Knuth, John McCarthy, and Mitchell Kapor. Formerly the Distinguished Lecturer Series, the series has been renamed in memory of Michael Dertouzos, Director for the Lab for Computer Science from 1974 to 2001.
Abstract: Rethink Robotics has been developing a new class of industrial robot for the last four years. They first announced the robot on September 18th, and shipping it to small US manufacturers in late 2012/early 2013. Its total cost of ownership is an order of magnitude cheaper than a conventional industrial robot, its integration time is under two hours, and it can easily be retrained to do new tasks by factory line workers, without they themselves requiring any special training on how to operate the robot. It is safe to work with collaboratively, and it has a very low barrier to entry for companies that have not previously had automation equipment. It is made in the USA, and our goal is for it to make American workers even more productive than they already are, so that US manufacturing of low cost goods can be competitive with other regions.
Bio: Rodney Brooks is the Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus) at MIT, and the Founder, Chairman and CTO of Rethink Robotics. Previously he was Director of MIT CSAIL until 2007, and Co-founder, sometimes Chairman, and CTO of iRobot from 1990 to 2008. He had 27 fabulous PhD students at Stanford and MIT, and has managed to have fun building robots for most of his life.
Web site:https://www.csail.mit.edu/events/eventcalendar/calendar.php?show=series&id=198
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): CSAIL
For more information, contact: Colleen Russell
617-253-0145
crussell at csail.mit.edu
------------------------------------
Nature Wars: Author Talk & Booksigning with Jim Sterba
WHEN Thu., Dec. 13, 2012, 6 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street entrance, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Museum of Natural History
SPEAKER(S) Jim Sterba
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO 617.496.0049, bluemagruder at hmnh.harvard.edu
NOTE Although Americans may spend most of their time indoors, we now live in closer proximity to wild animals now than anytime in our history. Journalist Jim Sterba traces our 400-year relationship to wild animals from the 19th-century “era of extermination”, to the conservation movement of last century, and up to today, the current age of "sprawl." Sterba argues our well-meaning efforts to protect animals enabled their populations to burgeon out of control, causing billions of dollars in damage, degrading ecosystems, and deepening disputes that have polarized communities.
LINK www.hmnh.harvard.edu
-------------------------------
Urban Films: Play Time
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Time: 6:00p–8:00p
Location: 3-133
"With every inch of its superwide frame crammed with hilarity and inventiveness, Playtime is a lasting testament to a modern age tiptoeing on the edge of oblivion." Directed by Jacques Tati.
Urban Planning Film Series
A mostly-weekly series showing documentary and feature films on topics related to cities, urbanism, design, community development, ecology, and other planning issues. Free.
Web site: http://www.urbanfilm.org
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Department of Urban Studies and Planning
For more information, contact: Ezra Glenn
617-253-2024
eglenn at mit.edu
----------------------------------
In the Holocene Exhibition Film Screening
Thursday, December 13, 2012
6:30p–8:00p
MIT, Building E15, Bartos Theatre
Film screening:
John Latham, Erth (25 minutes)
John Latham, Ants and Locusts (3 minutes)
Terry Fox, The Children's Tapes (30 min.)
Web site: http://listart.mit.edu
Open to: the general public
Cost: FREE
Sponsor(s): List Visual Arts Center
For more information, contact: Mark Linga
617-253-4680
mlinga at mit.edu
------------------------------------
You’d Better Belize It: Monitoring the Impact of a Marine Protected Area along the Belizean Barrier Reef
Thursday, December 13
7 pm
New England Aquarium, Harborside Learning lab, 1 Central Wharf, Boston
RSVP at http://support.neaq.org/site/Calendar?id=104030&view=Detail
Dr. Randi Rotjan and Peter Gawne,
Along the approximately 200-mile-long MesoAmerican Barrier Reef sits a tiny (0.74 acre) island at the southern end of the Southwater Caye Marine Reserve. The Belizean barrier reef is the longest in the Atlantic and is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. In 2010, parts of the reef were designated as “no-take” areas, while Dr. Randi Rotjan and Peter Gawne were in the field. While working on this tiny island, they opportunistically measured the state of the reef and established a baseline for what the reef was like prior to the installation and enforcement of the new no-take legislation. This effort has since blossomed into a full-scale monitoring program to compare sites outside and
inside of the Southwater Caye Marine Reserve.
----------------------------------
Boston Area Solar Energy Association Forum: Divest!
Thursday, December 13th, 2012
First Parish in Cambridge Unitarian Universalist; 3 Church Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; Presentation begins at 7:30 p.m
It's news that's fit to print!
"To Stop Climate Change, Students Aim at College Portfolios" (NY Times, Dec. 4th article).
Across the nation, 100 universities strong and growing, the call is sounding to divest from fossil fuels. At our December Forum, local leaders of this movement, from BU, Brandeis, Harvard and Tufts will explain their demands and report on the response they are hearing from their schools' administrations. Inspiration and support are being given regionally by350.org, following their rousing "Do The Math" tour.
The campaigns are tracked at goFossilFree.org and target the top 200 coal, oil and gas companies, measured by their proven carbon reserves, which, according to the math, need to be largely left in the ground, otherwise a stable, livable future does not compute. Students are "doing the math", looking at their future, and concluding that "it is unconscionable to pay for our education with investments that will condemn the planet to climate disaster". Pressure on the power of the purse played a role in making apartheid in South Africa a thing of the past. Can the call for Fossil Fuel Divestment see similar success?
A panel including Daniel Goulden from Brandeis, Dan Jubelirer from Tufts, Chloe Maxmin from Harvard, Shea Riester from 350.org, and Ben Thompson from BU will make their case for their Fossil Fuel Divestment campaigns.
How does it all add up? Come to the BASEA Forum and get schooled.
Please Join Us! And remember, your donations and membership support BASEA.
The Boston Area Solar Energy Association, www.BASEA.org; a chapter of NESEA.
--------------------------
Friday, December 14
-------------------------
Goosing the Gray Lady: Data + journalism + graphics at The New York Times
Friday, December 14 2012
1:00PM to 2:00PM
Refreshments: 12:45PM
MIT, Building 32-G449, Patil/Kiva, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Aron Pilhofer, The New York Times
ABSTRACT The New York Times has earned a reputation for being one of the true innovators in data journalism and data visualization. That didn't happen by accident: Unlike so many news organizations, The Times has invested heavily in digital, particularly in the newsroom. I'll talk about how we got where we are today, show examples of some of the best work we have done (and maybe some of the projects that didn't go so well), and talk about where I think The Times -- and the industry -- is heading.
BIO Aron Pilhofer is the founding editor of Interactive News at The New York Times. His newsroom team combines journalism, social media and technology. A co-founder of DocumentCloud, the project aims to improve journalism by making document sharing and searching online easier. In 2009 Aron founded Hacks and Hackers, with the aim of bringing journalists and technologists together. Over the length of his career, he has spent time as a reporter, editor and trainer. He joined The New York Times in 2005.
Contact: Juho Kim, juhokim at mit.edu
Relevant URL: http://groups.csail.mit.edu/uid/seminar.shtml
--------------------------------------
Second Fridays at the MIT Museum: Safe Skies and Little Black Boxes
Friday, December 14, 2012
5:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building, MIT Museum
Featured Program: Safe Skies and Little Black Boxes
If you have ever flown in an airplane, then you have benefited from more than forty years of work at MIT Lincoln Laboratory to make flying as safe as possible.?? Explore new technologies and meet the team behind the MIT Museum's newest Sampling MIT exhibit. Program will consist of presentations by Lincoln Laboratory engineers and demonstrations and building challenges from MIT's Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Presentations begin at 6:00 p.m., activities 5:30 - 7:30
Second Fridays
Jump-start your weekend at the MIT Museum during our monthly free evening.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/calendar.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum
For more information, contact: Josie Patterson
617-253-5927
museuminfo at mit.edu
-----------------------------------
Rising profits, Sinking planet: Socialist solutions to the climate crisis
December 15
6pm
Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St, JP (Stonybrook T Stop)
Featuring Chris Williams, author of Ecology and Socialism (Haymarket Books, 2010)
*Book signing following forum*
A public forum co-sponsored by the Boston International Socialist Organization and Haymarket Books
Hurricane Sandy is just one of the latest disasters that has exposed the realities of the climate crisis we continue to face around the world.Just over the past few years we have witnessed the BP oil spill, the nuclear disaster in Fukushima and many other incidents of environmental catastrophe that are ultimately results of a society based on profit and not human need. The social crisis that continues in NY post-hurricane Sandy has also opened up a lot of questions around climate change; who is affected by climate change? Why aren?t we putting any resources into infrastructure to prepare for these disasters? What is causing climate change? And what could a society based on human need look like in light of the amazing work done by Occupy Sandy?
We have seen again and again both parties commit to an agenda that is driven by profit and exploits the environment at any and all costs. In the United States and around the world, a petroleum based economy has led to the destruction of the environment through fracking, tar sands extraction, war, etc. In a world that was democratically run by workers, resources could be used to provide basic necessities for people. What if we invested our resources into things that mattered such as sustainable energy, public transportation, education or healthcare? Under capitalism, we instead invest resources into destructive industries such as advertising and the military industrial complex.
The only way we can we challenge the climate crisis is to fight for revolutionary transformation. Capitalism is fundamentally incompatible with a sustainable environment and we have a huge role to play in challenging the attacks on the environment and working towards building a future society based on democracy and cooperation not exploitation and competition. Join the discussion, ?Rising profits, Sinking planet: Socialist solutions to the climate crisis? where we can talk about what it will take to overcome the climate crisis and what a future sustainable society could look like.
Check out these great resources on capitalism and ecology:
How to fight climate changeby Chris Williams (socialistworker.org article)
A system of disasterby Mike Davis (socialistworker.org article)
Economic roots of the environmental crisis by Dan Sharber (International Socialist Review article)
ClimateandCapitalism.com an ecosocialist journal reflecting the viewpoint of environmental Marxism
World on fire: Capitalism, the environment, and our futurewith Dan Sharber (wearemany.orgaudio)
For more information:contact at bostonsocialism.org
RSVP on Facebook
--------------------------
Sunday, December 16
--------------------------
Ideas To Things - Organizing a New Hackerspace
Sunday, December 16, 2012
5:30 PM (EST)
Cambridge Innovation Center, 3rd floor, Bogota Conference Room, 1 Broadway, Cambridge
RSVP at http://ideastothings-es2.eventbrite.com/?rank=69
This event is the inaugural public organizational event for a budding hackerspace in the Boston area. The agenda for this event will consist of presentations from the founders about what we aim to accomplish, what we've done so far, and where we would like to go in the short term.
If you would like to participate in the growth of a hackerspace in the area, please join us to hear what we're about.
There will be free pizza!
Website: www.ideastothings.org
Email: contact at ideastothings.org
---------------------------
Monday, December 17
---------------------------
Pricing and Door-to-Door Sales of Health Goods in Developing Countries
WHEN Mon., Dec. 17, 2012, 4:30 – 6 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, 9 Bow Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies
SPEAKER(S) Margaret A McConnell, Assistant Professor of Global Health Economics, Harvard School of Public Health.
NOTE Open to all faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and students.
LINK http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/centers-institutes/population-development/events/pop-center-seminars/index.html
-------------------------------------
NFC Event: Mobile Wallet Wars and Warriors
Monday, December 17, 2012
6:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building 32-123
Speaker: Mung Ki Woo, Head of Mobile, MasterCard; Toni Stinton, Director Strategic accounts, PayPal; John Squire, CMO, CorFire; Prat Vemana, Director Velocity Lab and Mobile STAPLE
Mobile Commerce has reached a tipping point as smartphone adoption in the US around the world is escalating and the options for consumers and merchants to use these dynamic computing devices to enhance the commerce experience are proliferating. Now, the battle lines are being around the technologies that will drive the experience for merchants and consumers - NC, barcodes, cloud-based options ??? and the virtual form factor that will facilitate the transaction that these technologies enable ??? the wallet.
Web site: http://www.mitforumcambridge.org/events/nfc-event-mobile-wallet-wars-and-warriors/
Open to: the general public
Cost: free for everyone
Sponsor(s): MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
For more information, contact: Amy Goggins
617-253-3937
agoggins at mit.edu
-----------------------------------
Nerd Nite
Monday, December 17, 2012
9PM
Middlesex Lounge, 315 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square, Cambridge
$5
Nerd Nite Boston presents Winter Soul-stice!
----------------------------
Tuesday, December 18
----------------------------
D-Lab Open Hours
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
12:00p–2:00p
MIT, Building N51-3rd floor
A selection of D-Lab staff members, instructors and students will be available to give tours and answer questions. Please note our new location in N51, above the MIT Museum.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
This event occurs on Tuesdays through December 18, 2012.
Sponsor(s): D-Lab
For more information, contact: Nancy Adams
6173246197
nadamsx at mit.edu
----------------------------
Dec 2012 Boston New Tech Meetup #bnt24
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
6:30 PM To 9:30 PM
Microsoft New England Research and Development Center, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston_New_Technology/events/93115762/
**********
------------
Upcoming
------------
**********
Our Daily Bread
Thursday, December 20
doors open 6:40; film starts promptly 7pm
243 Broadway, Cambridge - corner of Broadway and Windsor, entrance on Windsor
*Best Film*, Ecocinema International - Athens Grand Prix, Festival International du Film d'Environnemen - Paris
Welcome to the world of industrial food production and high-tech farming! To the rhythm of conveyor belts and immense machines, the film looks without commenting into the places where food is produced in Europe: monumental spaces, surreal landscapes and bizarre sounds - a cool, industrial environment which leaves little space for individualism.
People, animals, crops and machines play a supporting role in the logistics of this system which provides our society's standard of living. Our Daily Bread is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn't always easy to digest - and in which we all take part.
A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas.
"...an unblinking, often disturbing look at industrial food production ...[its] formal elegance, moral underpinning and intellectually stimulating point of view also make it essential. Part of the film's
brilliance is how it lays out the images and their wells of meaning with such cool deliberation, showing rather than telling" - Manohla Dargis, for the NYT
"It was not unlike visiting an eye doctor, peering into the holes into which different lenses are slid. ?Is this clearer? How about now?? After a disorienting moment, one adjusts. Oh. This is how things look. How it is to see." - Sarah Malone
http://rule19.org/videos
Please join us for a stimulating night out; bring your friends! free film, free refreshments, & free door prizes.
[donations are accepted]
------------------------------
The New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable Presents: U.S. Climate, Air, and Energy Policy in the Second Obama Administration; and Bracing for Storms in New England
Friday, December 21, 2012
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston
Please note that we have changed the date of the next New England Electric Restructuring Roundtable from December 14 to December 21 to accommodate the schedules of our keynote speaker and some of our panelists.
We are very pleased to announce that U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy will provide the keynote address at the 132nd Roundtable on what we can expect from U.S. Climate, Air, and Energy Policy in the Second Obama Administration and what this might mean for New England. As the former Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, and having held several high-level environmental positions with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Gina is well-versed in New England climate, air, and energy issues.
Next, we have a timely panel, Bracing for Storms in New England. In the wake of the destruction caused by hurricanes Sandy and Irene, utilities, New England state regulators, and cities and towns are implementing a variety of measures to shore up critical energy infrastructure to reduce the number, intensity, and duration of storm-related outages. Some of these measures can be implemented in the short-run, while others will require careful planning and significant grid modernization investment.
The panel leads off with Massachusetts Energy Undersecretary Barbara Kates-Garnick, who will discuss lessons the state is learning from recent hurricanes. President of National Grid in Massachusetts, Marcy Reed, andConnecticut Power & Light Senior Vice President for Emergency Preparedness, Bill Quinlan, will discuss their respective utilities' short, medium, and long-term plans to reduce transmission and distribution system vulnerability to storm-related outages, while striving to improve restoration capabilities and customer communication. Rob Thornton, President & CEO of the International District Energy Association, will then discuss the concept of using micro-grids to improve localized reliability, and will share information about how existing micro-grids fared during recent storms. Finally, Brian Swett, the City of Boston's new Chief of Environment & Energy, will discuss the adaptation strategies in Boston's recent Climate Action Plan and how Boston is preparing for storms like Sandy.
Free and open to the public with no advanced registration
---------------------------------
FAMILY FRIENDLY WORKSHOP AT ARTISAN'S ASYLUM
January 12, 2013
Artisan's Asylum, 10 Tyler Street, Somerville
Join us for this family-friendly fun afternoon workshop! Start with a surface: wood, plexi-glass, or the motherboard from a computer. Add 2D materials like photos, newspapers and magazines, maps, bubble wrap and aluminum foil. Then take your pick from buckets of recycled 3D debris like computer parts, buttons, shells, and other small objects. Come out with a beautiful piece of art to hang on your wall! Easy as one, two, 3D.
Students will get to experiment with dynamic patterns and sculptural qualities of found objects, and become familiar with a variety of methods of combining materials.
Prerequisites: None!
Materials Provided:
3D: computer & printer parts, shells, toys, junk, buttons, jewelry, other debris and small objects.
2D: photos, papers, maps, cardboard, foam, bubble wrap, foil.
Surfaces: various shaped bits of wood, motherboards, plexi glass.
Tools and fixatives: scissors, mod-podge, wood glue, brushes.
Register here:
http://foundartmosaicworkshop.eventbrite.com/#
(617) 863-7634
wwwartisansasylum.com
----------------------------------
Urban Farming Conference - “Cultivating Lands, Nourishing Communities, Building Businesses”
Saturday, February 9, 2013
9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Roxbury Community College Reggie Lewis Center, Boston, MA
Presented by: City Growers And Urban Farming Institute (UFI)
In partnership with: MA Department of Agricultural Resources
The annual Massachusetts Urban Farming Conference (UFC) is designed to advance the opportunities and address the barriers involved in cultivating a thriving urban farming sector. The UFC is a forum to share information regarding what is currently happening in Boston and other local urban communities and to map out a vision for urban farming in Massachusetts.
The UFC brings together participants representing all aspects of urban farming including, but not limited to, farmers (including roof top, chicken, bees, etc.), commercial buyers, policy makers, and investors. The UFC conference is being convened to foster best urban farming practices, sustainable networks and business relationships. This will be achieved with following interactive panels and roundtable discussions:
Open Field Farming and Season Extension Techniques
Organic Farming and Its Importance
Lessons from Successful CSA Strategies
Composting: Policy, Practice and Viable Business Enterprise
Roof Top Techniques
Food System Investors Meeting
Urban Farming Thought Leaders: A Panel Discussion
Land: Strategy, Community Control, Zoning and Policy
Viable Enterprises Other Than Fruits and Vegetables
Investing in Workforce Training
Marketing Options
Registration $25. Register at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4701198411
Limited Seating. Register Early.
Limited Scholarships are available.
For Inquiries and Sponsorship Details, Please Contact: Crystal Johnson at Crystal at isesplanning.com, 617-416-4915
*************
----------------
Opportunity
---------------
*************
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
---------------------
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.
------------------------
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
-----------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------
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/
Cambridge Civic Journal http://www.rwinters.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/Johnny_Monsarrat/index.html
http://bostoneventsinsider.com/boston_events/
More information about the Act-MA
mailing list