[act-ma] Energy (and Other) Things - September 8, 2013
George Mokray
gmoke at world.std.com
Sun Sep 8 12:44:43 PDT 2013
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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Sierra Club Green Schools in Massachusetts
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/09/04/1236389/-Sierra-Club-Green-Schools-in-Massachusetts
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Monday, September 9
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12pm Systems Dynamics-Based Strategies for Introducing Alternative Fuel Vehicles in India
12:15pm "The Anthropologist and the Conspiracy Theory: Suspicion and Research after Bhopal"
12:30pm Meet the Loeb Fellows: City for the 21st Century
4pm Berkman Center Fall 2013 Open House
4pm Energy 101 Series / BioEnergy Community: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead in BioEnergy
5pm "Healthy People, Healthy Environment: Integrated Development in Tanzania"
5:30pm Intro to the MIT Energy Club
6pm "Riptide: Digital Disruption of the News Business."
6pm Tour of the Fresh Pond Water Purification Facility
6pm A Country of Cities
7pm "Science and Cooking"
7pm Networking for Food Entrepreneurs
7pm The biomechanics of insect flight
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Tuesday, September 10
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9am Master’s Thesis defense: Environmental Analysis of US Online Shopping
9:30am Rally to Make MA the First State to Divest from Fossil Fuels!
12pm Community Engagement and Behavior Change
12pm Innovate: Salmaan Craig
12:15pm How to Be a Global Citizen in the Internet Age with Ethan Zuckerman
12:30pm "Media and Politics in Washington, D.C."
1pm - 9pm Bee Day at Harvard
2pm Weld Hill: Science and Sustainability
3pm Wind Technology Testing Center Tour with Young Professionals in Energy
4pm Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East
5pm Jane Franklin's Spectacles Or, the Education of Benjamin Franklin's Sister
5pm e4Dev Inaugural Launch Event
6pm Mass Innovation Nights
7pm Permaculture Potluck to discuss a Food Forest in Boston
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Wednesday, September 11
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8am Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
3pm “An ecosystem services approach to understanding the value of wildlife in Madagascar”
5:15pm Studying Religion in the Post-9/11 World: The Importance of Taking Religion Seriously from a Humanities Perspective in Troubled Times
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Thursday, September 12
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12pm Sea Level and Climate Changes Over the Last 2000 Years
12:30pm Meet the Loeb Fellows: Community Power and Leadership
5pm "The Phoenix" Burns Out: Remembering a Boston Institution
5pm "Energy Politics"
5:30pm MIT's Joi Ito & Ethan Zuckerman: The challenges of inno in big cos., newsrooms
5:30pm EnergyBar + Greentown Grows Finale!
6pm Socializing for Justice Seventh Anniversary Party
6:30pm Discussion on Rooftop Farming!
6:30pm The "Making Impact Hub Boston Awesome" Gathering
7pm Urban Films: Hands Over the City (1963)
7pm Appliance Standards Awareness Project - Championing Efficiency Standards: BASEA Forum
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Friday, September 13
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TEDxCambridge 2013
12pm Black Carbon: Bounding and Beyond
12:30pm Meet the Loeb Fellows: Agitating Architecture
12:30pm Live Webcast: Why We Overeat: The Toxic Food Environment and Obesity
4pm Ecology for Land and City: Exploring the Confluences of Landscape, Road, and Urban Ecology Colloqium
5pm Second Fridays at the MIT Museum: The Thread That Binds Us
5:30pm Architecture Lecture: Tatiana Bilbao, "Underconstruction,"
6:30pm #Pakathon
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Saturday, September 14
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Fifty Years Bread and Puppet: Cheap Art and Political Theater
10am Boston Festival of Indie Games
1pm The Ig Informal Lectures at MIT
4pm Ecology for Land and City: Exploring the Confluences of Landscape, Road, and Urban Ecology Colloqium
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Sunday, September 15
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2pm Peace Walk with Thich Nhat Hanh
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Monday, September 16
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10am 2nd Annual Urban Agriculture Fair
12pm "Cheap and Clean: How Americans Think About Energy"
5pm The Civil Rights Movement for a New Generation and Sneak Preview of Walden Media film, The Watsons Go to Birmingham
5:30pm Wall Street and the Housing Bubble
6pm Brian Ruttenberg: Probabilistic Programming and the Democratization of AI
7pm "Sous vide: savory and pastry applications"
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Tuesday, September 17
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12pm "Political Polarization and Racial Change."
12:30pm Is beautiful really usable? Understanding how aesthetics and usability influence user experience
4pm Oil and Honey: Notes from a Rapidly Changing Climate
5pm “Walden's Carbon Footprint: People, Plants, Animals, and Machines in the Making of an Environmental Classic”
6pm Boston Mayoral Candidate Forum on Transportation & Livable Communities
6:30pm Frontiers of Design Criticism
7pm GreenPort Forum: Large-scale Development in Cambridge: Assessing the Impacts
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Event Details
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Monday, September 9
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Systems Dynamics-Based Strategies for Introducing Alternative Fuel Vehicles in India
Monday, September 9, 2013
12-1pm
Webinar registration at https://mit.webex.com/mit/j.php?ED=231156082&RG=1&UID=0&RT=MiMxMQ%3D%3D
Abhijith Neerkaje, program manager, SanDisk, and SDM alumnus
Sergey Naumov, PhD student, MIT Sloan School of Management, and SDM alumnus
MIT SDM Systems Thinking Webinar Series
More information at http://sdm.mit.edu/news/news_articles/webinar_090913/neerkaje-webinar-alternative-fuel-india.html
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"The Anthropologist and the Conspiracy Theory: Suspicion and Research after Bhopal"
Monday, September 9, 2013
12:15pm - 2:00pm
Harvard, Maxwell Dworkin, Room 119, 33 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Bridget Hanna (Harvard, Anthropology)
STS Circle at Harvard Lecture
http://sts.hks.harvard.edu/events/sts_circle/
Contact Name: Shana Rabinowich
sts at hks.harvard.edu
Sandwich lunches are provided. Please RSVP to sts at hks.harvard.edu by Wednesday at 5PM the week before.
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Meet the Loeb Fellows: City for the 21st Century
WHEN Monday, September 9, 2013, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE Stubbins Room 112, Graduate School of Design, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Loeb Fellowship
SPEAKER(S) Arana Hankin, Angelyn Changler, Helen Lochhead
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO syoung at gsd.harvard.edu
NOTE First in a series of three sessions introducing the Loeb Fellows to the Harvard community.
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Berkman Center Fall 2013 Open House
WHEN Mon., Sep. 9, 2013, 4 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Law School, Wasserstein Hall, Milstein West Rooms (2nd Floor), 1585 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Education, Information Technology, Law, Social Sciences, Special Events, Support/Social
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Berkman Center for Internet & Society
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO ashar at cyber.law.harvard.edu
NOTE Come to the Berkman Center for Internet & Society’s Fall 2013 Open House to meet our faculty, fellows, and staff, and to learn about the many ways you can get involved in our dynamic, exciting environment.
4-6p.m. - Talk and Tinker Session: Select Berkman projects will be present with information about their projects' current activities. Staff working with each of these projects are eager to share information about the big research questions they are considering, meet potential future collaborators, and solicit ideas. In addition to the project tabling, there will be space and opportunity to connect with other Berkman community members and open house participants. You may come for any portion of time during this session.
7p.m. - Reception: Keep the conversations going with the help of light snacks and drinks!
People from all disciplines, universities, organizations, and backgrounds are encouraged to attend the open house. We look forward to seeing you there!
LINK http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2013/09/openhouse
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Energy 101 Series / BioEnergy Community: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead in BioEnergy
Monday, September 09, 2013
4:00p–5:00p
MIT, Building E51-335, 2 Amherst STreet, Cambridge
In this introductory lecture to bioenergy technologies and pathways, research specialist Matthew Pearlson will discuss the main issues facing the bioenergy industry, with respect to electricity and liquid fuel production, and potential solutions.
Energy 101 Lectures series
The Energy 101 lectures aim at presenting an overview of various topics in the energy field. These lectures are open to everyone and require no prior knowledge.
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact:
MIT Energy Club
energyclub at mit.edu
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"Healthy People, Healthy Environment: Integrated Development in Tanzania"
Monday, September 9, 2013
5-7pm
Boston University School of Medicine, Main Instructional Building, Room L110, 72 East Concord Street, Boston
A film presentation with a panel afterwards. Panelists will include filmmaker Sean Peoples from Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Pathfinder International County Representatives Lucy Shinlingi and Mustafa Kudrati, who will share project implementation successes and challenges from ongoing population, health, and environment programs in Tanzania and Uganda.
RSVP: action.sierraclub.org/FilmScreening
Questions: Contact Kimberly Lovell at Kimberly.Lovell at SierraClub.org
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Intro to the MIT Energy Club
Monday, September 09, 2013
5:30p–6:30p
MIT, Building 3-270, 33 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
The MIT Energy Club will be holding its kickoff information session for current students interested in learning more about the Club and opportunities to get more involved. We look forward to seeing you there.
Web site: http://www.mitenergyclub.org/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club
For more information, contact:
MIT Energy Club
energyclub at mit.edu
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"Riptide: Digital Disruption of the News Business."
Monday, September 9
6 p.m.
Harvard, John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
A panel discussion with Tim Armstrong, AOL; Caroline Little, Newspaper Association of America; Arthur Sulzberger Jr., The New York Times. Moderated by former Shorenstein Center Fellows John Huey, Martin Nisenholtz and Paul Sagan.
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Monday, September 9
6 to 7:30pm
Water Purification Facility front door, 250 Fresh Pond Parkway, Cambridge
Come learn where your tap water originates, how it is purified to make it safe and tasty for drinking and cooking, and the role Fresh Pond plays in the process. Members of the Cambridge Water Department staff will describe the process, answer your questions, and give a tour of the building.
Please register with Elizabeth Wylde at friendsoffreshpond at yahoo.com or call (617) 349-6489 and leave your name and phone number.
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A Country of Cities
Monday, September 09, 2013
6:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building 7-429, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Vishaan Chakrabarti
A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America (Metropolis Books, 2013), argues that a more urban United States would result in a more prosperous, sustainable, joyous, and socially mobile nation.
CAU Fall Lecture Series
Web site: http://cau.mit.edu/lecture/country-cities
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): School of Architecture and Planning, Center for Advanced Urbanism
For more information, contact: Prudence Robinson
617-324-7045
pru at mit.edu
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"Science and Cooking"
Monday, September 9, 2013
7 p.m.
Harvard, Science Center Hall C, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Dave Arnold, Cooking Issues
Harold McGee, Curious Cook
Members of the public are invited to attend a series of lectures by world-class chefs and food experts, inspired by the Harvard College General Education course "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter." The lectures, while related, are not a replication of the course content.
All talks will take place in the Harvard Science Center (One Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, Hall C and overflow Hall E)
All talks will begin at 7:00 pm (unless otherwise noted).
Each talk will begin with a 15 minute lecture by a Faculty member of the course, which will discuss one of the scientific topics from that week's class.
Seating for all lectures (except the ticketed lecture with Ferran Adrià on December 2nd) is first come, first seated.
Questions regarding the public lecture series: candujar at seas.harvard.edu
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Networking for Food Entrepreneurs
Monday, September 9, 2013
7:00 PM to 9:45 PM
Grafton Street Pub & Grill, 1230 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/FoodBizNetwork/events/136951932/
We reserved space in the bar area by the windows. You can't miss us!
Summer's coming to an end. It's time to get back to work!
Join a diverse group of entrepreneurs in the food business for a networking event! We have held a number of these already with great success. It's great to see how many business and personal relationships have resulted from these events.
Hope to see you there!
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The biomechanics of insect flight
September 9
7pm
The Burren, 247 Elm Street, Davis Square, Somerville
Dr. Stacey Combes:
Science by the Pint, a chance to interact directly with research scientists. Dr. Pauli will give a brief intro to her work, and take a few questions before mingling from table to table with other members of her group to chat with you.
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/science-by-the-pint/
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Tuesday, September 10
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Master’s Thesis defense: Environmental Analysis of US Online Shopping
Tuesday September 10th, 2013
9am to 10:30am
MIT, Building E40-298, 1 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Dimitri Weideli
Since the advent of the Internet in the 1990s, there has been a significant increase in online shopping in the United States. As online shopping keeps growing, so does the online retail supply chain industry. Multiple players are now investing in this industry, either through pure online retailing or by click and mortar retailing, which also has a physical presence and a face- to face experience with their customers.
While significant research has been done on the operational, marketing, branding and buying behavior dimensions of both retailing processes, there have been very limited studies on their comparative environmental impact. This thesis attempts to estimate and compare the carbon footprint of the shopping process through ten consumer buying behaviors representing different combinations of the search, purchase and return phases of the shopping process for three representative products (electronics, clothing and toys). Using Monte Carlo Simulation, multiple scenarios of supply chain configurations, consumer transportation choices, urban density, packaging and item bundling were evaluated. Online shopping was the most environmentally friendly option in a wide range of scenarios. However, as more consumers leverage traditional brick- and-mortar alternatives to their online buying behaviors, such as in store return, some of the environmental savings quickly erode.
Short Biography: After completing a Bachelor Degree in Microengineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL- Switzerland), Mr. Dimitri Weideli continued to his Master of Engineering in Production. He is writing his Master thesis as a Visiting Student at the Center for Transportation & Logistics of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the Supervision of Dr. Edgar E. Blanco (MIT) and Dr. Naoufel Cheikhrouhou (EPFL).
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Rally to Make MA the First State to Divest from Fossil Fuels!
Tuesday, September 10th
9:30am
State House, 24 Beacon Street, Boston
What's better than a huge divestment rally? A huge divestment rally in front of the State House for a bill that has a real chance of making Massachusetts the first state to divest from fossil fuels!
RSVP on Facebook NOW and invite your friends: https://www.facebook.com/events/221918627960411/
WHAT: Rally and Hearing for MA State Divestment bill S. 1225!
Senate bill S. 1225, from State Senator Downing, has its first hearing in the Joint Committee for Public Service on Tuesday, September 10th. We're gathering at 9:30am for musical performances, chants, and inspiring speakers. Make sure to bring banners and wear clothing proclaiming: "As a member of my community, school, union, or faith group, I want MA to divest from fossil fuels and take bold action on climate!"
We've seen what happens when Massachusetts boldly leads: what was thought politically impossible can quickly becomes a reality across the country. That's what we need to do again and even quicker. This bill needs to pass quickly through two committees and the Senate, to have a chance of passing in the House and becoming law during this legislative session.
And to pass quickly we need to make sure legislators see this is a bill, and a climate movement, with broad, passionate public support.
P.S. If you haven't already signed the Go Fossil Free petition to make Massachusetts the first state to divest from fossil fuels please sign now and share with friends: we're already almost to 2,000 signatures. So help push us over the edge!http://campaigns.gofossilfree.org/petitions/divest-the-state-of-massachusetts-pension-funds/
Event Contact Info
Darcy DuMont
Email: dumont140 at yahoo.com
Phone: 413 210 2201
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/221918627960411/
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Community Engagement and Behavior Change
Tuesday, September 10
noon
Webinar with RSVP at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/198267742
David Gershon, co-founder and CEO of Empowerment Institute, is the author of 11 books, including "Social Change 2.0: A Blueprint for Reinventing Our World," and the best-selling "Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5,000 Pounds." He co-directs Empowerment Institute's School for Transformative Social Change, which teaches change agents to design and implement stakeholder engagement and behavior change initiatives.
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Innovate: Salmaan Craig
WHEN Tue., Sep. 10, 2013, 12 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Stubbins (Room 112), Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Graduate School of Design
SPEAKER(S) Salmaan Craig EngD; Foster + Partners, London
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Innovation occurs on multiple scales, frequently crosses disciplines, and occasionally changes lives, cities, and culture. It is not a science, but requires design skills and must be informed by an eye for opportunity. "Innovate," a noontime talk series, features 20-minute presentations followed by discussions with faculty and students. Organized by Iñaki Abalos, Chair of the Department of Architecture.
LINK www.gsd.harvard.edu/#/events/innovate-salmaan-craig.html
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How to Be a Global Citizen in the Internet Age with Ethan Zuckerman
WHEN Tue., Sep. 10, 2013, 12:15 – 1:15 p.m.
WHERE Harvard School of Public Health, Kresge G2, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Humanities, Information Technology, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Center for Health Communication
SPEAKER(S) Ethan Zuckerman
COST Free and open to the public; RSVP required
CONTACT INFO CHC at hsph.harvard.edu
NOTE A leading digital visionary and activist, Ethan Zuckerman is director of the MIT Center for Civic Media and a principal research scientist at the MIT Media Lab.
LINK http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/chc/
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"Media and Politics in Washington, D.C."
Tuesday, September 10, 12:30 p.m.
Harvard, Malkin Penthouse, Littauer Building, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Speaker Series with Chuck Todd, NBC News Chief White House Correspondent and Political Director.
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Bee Day at Harvard
Special Event
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1:00-9:00 PM
Participate in a day of events and activities highlighting the importance of honey bees and beekeeping to biodiversity, the food supply, and human health. Learn more about the alarming decline of beehives (colony collapse disorder) widely documented in the U.S. and Europe.
Event Schedule
1:00–2:00 pm: The Plaza (in front of the Science Center), 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Enjoy organic honey tasting at the Harvard Farmers’ Market.
4:00 pm
Take a tour of the beehives on Harvard’s campus, led by Harvard Undergraduate Beekeepers. Preregistration required; please visit the HMSC website for more information: www.hmsc.harvard.edu.
7:00 pm: Science Center, Hall C
Film screening of More Than Honey, followed by a discussion with Dr. Alex Lu, Associate Professor of Environmental Exposure Biology, Harvard School of Public Health, about current research on the link between colony collapse disorder and the use of agricultural pesticides.
Jointly sponsored by the Harvard Museum of Natural History, Harvard Undergraduate Beekeepers, the Harvard Farmers’ Market, the Food Literacy Project, and the Cambridge Entomological Club.
All activities and events are free and open to the public. The Plaza and the Science Center, 1 Oxford Street. Free event parking is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage.
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Weld Hill: Science and Sustainability
Tuesday, September 10
2:00-3:00pm
Arnold Arboretum, Weld Hill Research Building, Arborway, Jamaica Plain
RSVP at https://my.arboretum.harvard.edu/SelectDate.aspx
Julie Warsowe, Manager of Visitor Education
Take a guided tour of the state-of-the-art Weld Hill Science and Administration Building. Learn about some of the cutting edge plant research and explore the “green” building design.
Contact
tel: 617-524-1718
www.arboretum.harvard.edu
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Wind Technology Testing Center Tour with Young Professionals in Energy
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM (EDT)
Wind Technology Testing Center, 80 Terminal Street, Charlestown
RSVP at http://ypebostonwttctour-es2.eventbrite.com
Come take a tour of the Wind Technology Testing Center, operated by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Upon opening in 2011, it was the first and only facility in the United States capable of testing large-scale wind turbine blades up to 90 meters in length. Wind turbine blade testing is a critical factor in maintaining high levels of reliability and evaluating the latest technological developments in airfoils and materials. The WTTC offers a full suite of certification tests for turbine blades. WTTC also offers the latest wind turbine blade testing and prototype development methodologies, research and development partnerships, and blade repair capabilities to help the wind industry deploy the next generation of land-based and offshore wind turbine technologies.
Details:Everyone need to bring a valid photo ID and a bring a signed copy of the safety sheet. It can be found at the following link:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/158461087/WTTC-Visitor-Safety-Policy
Have questions about Wind Technology Testing Center Tour with YPE? Contact Young Professionals in Energy (Boston Section) at http://www.ypenergy.org/ypeboston/
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Nuclear Weapons in the Middle East
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
4:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building 10-250, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor of Linguistics, MIT
Known worldwide as an authority on the Middle East and acknowledged as one of America's leading public intellectuals, Professor Chomsky will discuss nuclear weapons in the Middle East and the prospects for a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone.
Web site: web.mit.edu/sts
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): SHASS Dean's Office, HASTS
For more information, contact: Subrata Ghoshroy
617-253-3846
ghoshroy at mit.edu
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Jane Franklin's Spectacles
Or, the Education of Benjamin Franklin's Sister
WHEN Tue., Sep. 10, 2013, 5 p.m.
WHERE Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center (formerly Radcliffe Gym), 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Humanities, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
SPEAKER(S) Jill Lepore, David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History, Harvard College Professor, and staff writer at the New Yorker
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO 617.495.8277
NOTE Benjamin Franklin famously wrote the story of his life, the story of a printer’s apprentice who runs away to become a statesman and a scientist. In this illustrated lecture, presented by the Schlesinger Library, Lepore tells the story of Franklin’s long-forgotten sister Jane and meditates on what it means to write history not from what can be found, but from what has been lost.
LINK http://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/event/2013-jill-lepore-lecture
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e4Dev Inaugural Launch Event
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
5:00p–7:30p
MIT, Building 4-349, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
e4Dev (energy for human development) is a new student group and discussion forum on energy and human development challenges in the developing world. To kick off e4Dev's first semester, we will host a panel discussion featuring MIT 3M Professor of Environmental Economics Michael Greenstone, MIT Visiting Professor in the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research Ignacio Perez-Arriaga, Jay W. Forrester Professor of Management and Director of the MIT System Dynamics Group John Sterman, and Financial Times Reporter and Harvard Nieman Foundation Fellow Leslie Hook. MITEI Deputy Director Robert Stoner will moderate. Afterwards, there will be a networking reception intended to bring together the community of students, faculty, and practitioners working on these issues at MIT and beyond. Light refreshments will be served.
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): e4Dev, MIT Energy Initiative
For more information, contact: Yael Borofsky
484-919-3990
e4dev at mit.edu
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Mass Innovation Nights
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
6:00 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT)
45 Prospect Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://massinno54-es2.eventbrite.com/
Every month 10 companies bring new products to the event and the social media community turns out to blog, tweet, post pictures/video, add product mentions to LinkedIn and Facebook, and otherwise help spread the word. This event will feature 10 new products! In the last two years, the events have helped to:
Launch more than 500 products
Connect dozens of job seekers and hiring managers
Profile dozens of local experts
Launch a wave of Innovation Nights around the world (coming soon)
Held once a month (usually the second Wednesday of the month) registration and networking at 6:00 p.m., presentations start showing at 7:00 p.m., the live events allow companies to show off Massachusetts-based innovation. The Experts Corner team has one-on-one conversations with start-ups and entrepreneurs. Innovation Nights are held on site at various venues who donate their space to further the cause of local innovation.
http://mass.innovationnights.com/events/september-10-2013-mass-innovation-nights-min54
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Permaculture Potluck to discuss a Food Forest in Boston
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
7:00 PM
Hutchings Homestead, 30 Hutchings Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-Permaculture/events/137651032/
Meet like-minded folks and share in the harvest at a permaculture potluck! We will get to know each other, talk about any urban agricultural community projects you may be working on, and discuss the possibility of implementing a community food forest demonstration site in the Boston area. Please bring a dish or beverage to share!
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Wednesday, September 11
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Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment
September 11
8:00 to 10:00 am
BSA Space, 290 Congress Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.architects.org/programs-and-events/committee-environment-cote-21
Presentation and discussion on the Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment with Nathalie Beavais of Kleinfelder and John Bolduc of the Community Development Department. Sponsored by the Boston Society of Architects/Committee on the Environment.
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“An ecosystem services approach to understanding the value of wildlife in Madagascar”
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
3:00pm - 4:00pm
BioLabs Main Lecture Hall, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge
with Christopher Golden, Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.oeb.harvard.edu/news_events/seminars.html
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Studying Religion in the Post-9/11 World: The Importance of Taking Religion Seriously from a Humanities Perspective in Troubled Times
WHEN Wed., Sep. 11, 2013, 5:15 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Common Room, CSWR, 42 Francis Avenue, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Religion
SPONSOR Center for the Study of World Religions
CONTACT Lexi Gewertz, 617.495.4476
NOTE Since the traumatic events of 9/11, religion has emerged as a serious object of study across the academic disciplines, from literature and the arts to political science, economics, business, and the cognitive sciences. This panel explores the particular contributions that Religious Studies as a discipline historically and primarily rooted in the humanities brings to the global issues that concern us today.
Panelists: Charles Carstens, PhD student, Committee on the Study of Religion; Michael Jackson, Distinguished Visiting Professor of World Religions, HDS; Kevin Madigan, Winn Professor of Ecclesiastical History, and associate dean for faculty and academic affairs, HDS; Michael Puett, Professor of Chinese History and chair, Committee of the Study of Religion.
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Thursday, September 12
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Sea Level and Climate Changes Over the Last 2000 Years
Thursday, September 12
12:00pm – 1:15pm
Rabb Room, Lincoln Filene Center, Tufts University, 10 Upper Campus Road, Medford
Andrew Kemp, Assistant Professor, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Tufts University
Sea-level reconstructions encompassing the past 2000 years provide a pre‑anthropogenic context for understanding the nature and causes of current and future changes. Understanding of sea-level variability during this period is limited and the response to known climate deviations such as the Medieval Climate Anomaly, Little Ice Age and 20th century warming is unknown. Elucidating climate-sea level relationships through multiple climate phases is critical for making the accurate projections necessary for effective management of coastal populations, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Foraminifera, transfer functions and composite chronologies provide a new method for reconstructing decadal- and decimeter-scale changes in sea level. In North Carolina sea level changes over the last 1000 years are related to climate changes. New reconstructions from Florida, New Jersey and Connecticut show similar patterns and shed light on the driving mechanisms behind past, present and future sea-level rise.
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Meet the Loeb Fellows: Community Power and Leadership
WHEN Thu., Sep. 12, 2013, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
WHERE Stubbins Room 112, Graduate School of Design, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Loeb Fellowship
SPEAKER(S) Baye Adofo-Wilson, Alexie Torres-Fleming, Matt Nohn
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO syoung at gsd.harvard.edu
NOTE Second in a series of three sessions introducing the Loeb Fellows to the Harvard community.
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"The Phoenix" Burns Out: Remembering a Boston Institution
Thursday, September 12, 2013
5:00p–7:00p
MIT, Building E14-633, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Carly Carioli, Anita Diamant, Lloyd Schwartz
A generation of great journalists cut their teeth at alt-weeklies, and "The Boston Phoenix" produced some of the best of them. When the Phoenix announced it was closing last March, the city lost a powerful cultural force and a vibrant source of information. We'll discuss the Phoenix's legacy and the ways in which its loss will affect Boston. Speakers include author and essayist Anita Diamant, who started out answering the editor's phone in the mid-1970s; poet and classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz, who won a Pulitzer Prize with the Phoenix; and Carly Carioli, who started as an intern and rose to become the paper's editor. Seth Mnookin, associate director of the Communications Forum, will moderate.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/comm-forum
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Communications Forum, CMS
For more information, contact:
comm-forum-www at mit.edu
-------------------------------
"Energy Politics"
September 12, 2013
5:00pm - 7:00pm
MIT, Building 68-181, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge
Presenter Eric Toone
Open CO2 Seminar Series
complete series will feature different aspects of CO2 from 5 different research perspectives: 1) CO2 chemistry and the global carbon cycle; 2) Co2 in biological systems; 3) CO2 in the atmosphere; 4) CO2 in the oceans; 5) CO2 and its impact on politics and economics.
https://biology.mit.edu/about/events/open_co2_seminar_series_13
--------------------------------
MIT's Joi Ito & Ethan Zuckerman: The challenges of inno in big cos., newsrooms
Thursday, September 12, 2013
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM
MIT Media Lab, 3rd floor atrium, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/hackshackersboston/events/138391692/
Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab and Ethan Zuckerman, director of the MIT Center for Civic Media will discuss the challenges of innovation within large structured organizations such as big corporations and newsrooms. In particular, they will explore the question of how organizations adjust their tolerance for risk in order to innovate.
Media Lab director Joi Ito is a leading thinker and writer on innovation, global technology policy, and the role of the Internet in transforming society in substantial and positive ways. A vocal advocate of emergent democracy, privacy, and Internet freedom, Ito has served as both board chair and CEO of Creative Commons, and sits on the boards of Sony Corporation, Creative Commons, Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The New York Times Company, Mozilla Foundation, WITNESS, and Global Voices. In Japan, he was a founder of Digital Garage, and helped establish and later became CEO of the country’s first commercial Internet service provider. He was an early investor in more than 40 companies, including Flickr, Six Apart, Last.fm, Kongregate, Kickstarter, and Twitter. Ito’s honors include TIME magazine’s "Cyber-Elite” listing in 1997 (at age 31) and selection as one of the "Global Leaders for Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum (2001). In 2008, BusinessWeek named him one of the "25 Most Influential People on the Web." In 2011, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oxford Internet Institute. In 2013, he received an honorary D.Litt from The New School in New York City.
Ethan Zuckerman is director of the Center for Civic Media at MIT, and a principal research scientist at the MIT Media Lab. His research focuses on the distribution of attention in mainstream and new media, the use of technology for international development, and the use of new media technologies by activists.
With Rebecca MacKinnon, Zuckerman co-founded international blogging community Global Voices. Global Voices showcases news and opinions from citizen media in over 150 nations and thirty languages, publishing editions in twenty languages. Through Global Voices and through the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, where he served as a researcher and fellow for eight years, Zuckerman is active in efforts to promote freedom of expression and fight censorship in online spaces.
In 2000, Zuckerman founded Geekcorps, a technology volunteer corps that sends IT specialists to work on projects in developing nations, with a focus on West Africa. Previously he helped found Tripod.com, one of the web's first "personal publishing" sites. He blogs at http://ethanzuckerman.com/blog. He received his bachelor's degree from Williams College, and, as a Fulbright scholar, studied at the University of Ghana at Legon.
---------------------------------
EnergyBar + Greentown Grows Finale!
Thursday, September 12, 2013
5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (PDT)
Foley Hoag LLP, Seaport West, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston
RSVP at https://greentowngrows.eventbrite.com
We are wrapping up our amazing crowdfunding campaign, Greentown Grows, and celebrating the transition into our new facility in Somerville!
It has been a long journey for Greentown Grows this summer and we want to THANK YOU for all the support Friends of Greentown Labs have shown!
Please join us at a special EnergyBar: Greentown Grows Edition to pick up your perks and use them! Let's get an epic photo of all our Friends in Greentown T's, with Greentown stickers and pint glass in hand!
Why do you love Greentown Labs? Share with us on Twitter #GreentownGrows
EnergyBar is a bi-monthly event devoted to helping people in clean technology meet and discuss innovations in energy technology. Entrepreneurs, investors, students, and ‘friends of cleantech,’ are invited to attend, meet colleagues, and expand our growing regional clean technology community.
Greentown Labs provides entrepreneurs the research and development space they need to launch their clean technology ventures. Currently housing 28 early stage companies, Greentown Labs is a not-for-profit organization that sprung from a grassroots cluster of award-winning clean technology companies looking for low-cost working space near MIT. www.greentownlabs.org
Foley Hoag is an annual sponsor of Greentown Labs. Foley Hoag’s Energy and Cleantech attorneys serve as trusted and valuable advisors to help clients execute and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Recognizing early on the common concerns of the renewable and traditional energy fields, Foley Hoag established one of the first integrated practices to serve all segments of the energy and clean technology sectors. www.foleyhoag.com
---------------------------------
Socializing for Justice Seventh Anniversary Party
September 12
6-9pm
903 Boylston Street, Boston
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/sojust-tm/events/129823642/
Sliding scale from $5 to $20 cash at the door
On September 12th from 6-9PM, Socializing for Justice will be hosting it's largest event of the year, Connecting for Justice (@SoJust Open House), at Lir on Boylston. This event draws 120+ progressives of all stripes and is a great way to get connected to SoJust's cross-issue progressive community. This is a welcoming space where all attendees, diverse by age, race, gender, sexual orientation, newness to Boston, and experience with activism, come together to ?put the SOCIAL back in social justice!?
Newcomers and longtime members will celebrate the remarkable success of this member-driven, volunteer-run grassroots group. Since 2006, SoJust has grown to 2300 members and hosted over 160 events.
Contact www.SoJust.org
---------------------------------
Discussion on Rooftop Farming!
Thursday, September 12
6:30 pm- 8:00 pm
BNAN Offices, 62 Summer Street, Downtown Boston
(Accessible by T on the Orange, Green, and Red line)
The Rooftop Farming Panel will bring together pioneers of rooftop farming in Boston to discuss refreshing, new ways of growing food in the city. Using a wide variety of innovative practices, the five panelists will offer insight on how to begin, sustain, and grow through rooftop farming. Come out to ask questions and learn about rooftop farming in Boston!
Special guests include:
Mark Winterer- Recover Green Roofs
Jason Price- Green City Growers
Courtney Hennessey- Higher Ground Farms
John Stoddard- Higher Ground Farms
Sandra Fairbank- Fairbank Design
Casey Townsend (moderator)- BNAN
The event is FREE and open to all! To register, please contact Dana at
dana at bostonnatural.org
---------------------------------------
The "Making Impact Hub Boston Awesome" Gathering
Thursday, September 12, 2013
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM (EDT)
Cambridge Innovation Center, 101 Main Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/8065505143/es2/
Come learn about Impact Hub Boston* and the great community we are building of entrepreneurs, creatives, businesspeople, freelancers, artists and others who want to work to make the world a better place. We'll be gathering to meet each other and create together the vision of what we want Impact Hub Boston to become, for us, for Boston, and for the world at large. Join us in making Impact Hub Boston awesome!
Light refreshments will be served.
* - we have renamed from 'Hub Boston' to reflect our commitment to creating real change in the world. Learn more at bit.ly/helloimpact.
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Urban Films: Hands Over the City (1963)
Thursday, September 12, 2013
7:00p–9:00p
MIT, Building 3-133, 33 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
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.
Rod Steiger stars as a scheming land developer in this blistering work of social realism from 1963. An expos?? of the politically driven real-estate speculation that devastated Naples's civilian landscape, the film moves breathlessly from a cataclysmic building collapse to the backroom negotiations of civic leaders vying for power in a city council election, laying bare the inner workings of corruption with passion and outrage. Directed by Francesco Rosi. Winner of the Golden Lion, Venice Film Festival. 105 minutes; Italian with English subtitles.
Web site: 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
---------------------------------------
Appliance Standards Awareness Project - Championing Efficiency Standards
Thursday, September 12, 2013
7:00pm
First Parish in Cambridge Unitarian Universalist, 3 Church Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge
Boston Area Solar Energy Association Forum
We already benefit from national standards for appliance efficiency, to the tune of $500 annual savings per household. Nationally, electricity use in 2010 was slashed 7% and CO2 emissions decreased as if there were 51 less coal-fired power plants. Interestingly, stricter standards seem to spur innovation, such that manufacturing costs and consumer prices are regularly and significantly below Department of Energy estimates.
Where do efficiency standards come from? Is it pure policy action from the government? When political winds change, does progress on efficiency get blown away? Should new standards be more stringent to fire innovation and wring out more savings?
Welcome back to the BASEA Forum Series, where we begin with an exploration of energy and water efficiency standards, affecting appliances manufactured and sold or imported for sale in the U.S. and used in residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Appliance standards are a relatively recent reality, born of increasing social awareness of energy and environmental issues. We present an inside look at the process, from history to future, from the perspective of a veteran champion of the struggle.
Speaker:
Marianne DiMascio is the Outreach Director for the Appliance Standards Awareness Project. She creates awareness and support for appliance efficiency standards at the federal and state level, building a coalition of stakeholders through outreach, education and advocacy. Co-author of "The Efficiency Boom: Cashing in on Savings from Appliance Standards" and "Ka-Boom! The Power of Appliance Standards", Marianne holds a Master's in Education from Harvard University and a B.A. in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire.
Contact Name: Mike Higgins
info at basea.org
---------------------------
Friday, September 13
--------------------------
TEDxCambridge 2013
September 13, 2013
$20 to $35
TEDxCambridge is returning to Kendall Square and features a new TEDx evening event format and audience experience with an emphasis on celebrating the world-class innovation within Cambridge and the impact it is having globally.
See more at: http://www.tedxcambridge.com/events/
---------------------------------
Black Carbon: Bounding and Beyond
Friday, September 13, 2013
12:00pm to 1:00pm
Harvard, Pierce 100F, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Tami Bond, Associate Professor, Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
http://www.hiwater.org/
Environmental Science and Engineering Seminars
Email: djacob at fas.harvard.edu
-------------------------------
Live Webcast: Why We Overeat: The Toxic Food Environment and Obesity
WHEN Fri., Sep. 13, 2013, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
WHERE www.forumhsph.org
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Lecture, Science
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Forum at Harvard School of Public Health
SPEAKER(S) Walter Willett, chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health; Dariush Mozaffarian, associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School; David Kessler, former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco
CONTACT INFO theforum at hsph.harvard.edu
NOTE E-mail questions for the expert participants any time before or during the live webcast totheforum at hsph.harvard.edu.
LINK www.forumhsph.org
-----------------------------------------
Meet the Loeb Fellows: Agitating Architecture
WHEN Fri., Sep. 13, 2013, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Stubbins Room 112, Harvard Graduate School of Design, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Graduate School of Design
SPEAKER(S) Eli Spevak, Florencia Rodriguez, Alexandra Lange
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO syoung at gsd.harvard.edu
NOTE This is the third in a series of three sessions introducing the Loeb Fellows to the Harvard community.
--------------------------------
Ecology for Land and City: Exploring the Confluences of Landscape, Road, and Urban Ecology Colloquium
WHEN Fri., Sep. 13, 2013, 4 p.m.
WHERE Piper Auditorium, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Graduate School of Design
SPEAKER(S) Lauren Alexander Augustine, Michael Binford, Lawrence Buell, Anthony Clevenger, Sharon Collinge, Arancha Muñoz Criado, Lenore Fahrig, David R. Foster, Jerry Franklin, Anna Hersperger, Wayne Klockner, Mark McDonnell, Joan Iverson Nassauer, Steward T. A. Pickett, Daniel Sperling, Hilary Swain, Michael Van Valkenburgh, Paul Wagner, Jianguo Wu
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Landscape ecology, road ecology, and urban ecology have emerged, over the past quarter century, from synergies between ecological science and society’s activities on land. Each of these fields has built its own body of theory, models, and principles; in collaboration with adjacent disciplines, each studies and addresses the challenges of urbanization and advances new visions. Honoring the career and contributions of Richard T.T. Forman, organized by Jane Hutton, this colloquium brings together scholars from the three dynamic fields to explore and highlight linkages among them. Participants include Lauren Alexander Augustine, Michael Binford, Lawrence Buell, Anthony Clevenger, Sharon Collinge, Arancha Muñoz Criado, Lenore Fahrig, David R. Foster, Jerry Franklin, Anna Hersperger, Wayne Klockner, Mark McDonnell, Joan Iverson Nassauer, Steward T. A. Pickett, Daniel Sperling, Hilary Swain, Michael Van Valkenburgh, Paul Wagner, Jianguo Wu, and a roundtable of Harvard GSD landscape architecture faculty. Co-sponsored by Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Harvard Forest, and Harvard University Center for the Environment.
LINK www.gsd.harvard.edu/#/events/ecology-land-city.html
-------------------------------------
Second Fridays at the MIT Museum: The Thread That Binds Us
Friday, September 13, 2013
5:00p–8:00p
MIT, Building N51, MIT Museum, 275 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Second Fridays
Jump-start your weekend with the MIT Museum.
View the recently completed Mending Boston collage, on display at the MIT Museum through October, and meet Clara Wainwright, the Cambridge artist behind the project. Then, take part in a community quilting project! Bring an emblem of your family, research lab, living group, company, or other community and integrate it into a quilt patch. We'll provide conductive thread, fabric, puffy paints and more, should you need materials to help decorate your piece of the larger project. Leave your piece with us and come back in April to see the finished collaborative community quilt.
Free with Museum admission.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/museum/programs/calendar.html
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free with Museum admission
Sponsor(s): MIT Museum
For more information, contact:
Josie Patterson
617-253-5927
museuminfo at mit.edu
---------------------------------
Architecture Lecture: Tatiana Bilbao, "Underconstruction,"
Friday, September 13, 2013
5:30 pm
MIT, Building 7-429, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: Tatiana Bilbao, Architect, Tatiana Bilbao SC, Mexico DF, Mexico
Open to: the general public
Cost: Free
Sponsor(s): Department of Architecture
For more information, contact:
617-253-7791
---------------------------------
#Pakathon
Friday, September 13, 6:30pm to Sunday, September 15, 4pm
Hack/Reduce, 275 Third Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://pakathon.eventbrite.com
Everyone has an idea that could positively impact Pakistan. What's yours? Join professionals, engineers and students from the Boston area as we design and implement technology projects with positive social impact. Open to Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis alike.
Seed Funding: $10,000
http://pakathon.org
Please register ONLY if you will be able to attend the Boston event in person. For LUMS and NUST students please email Dr. Sohaib Khan at sohaib at lums.edu.pk and Mr. Akhtar Qureshi at gmnust at gmail.com
WHAT?
A 3-day (40 hour) hackathon-style event aimed at creatively harnessing technology to address problems in the following fields (and beyond):
1) Security
2) Education
3) Agriculture
4) Energy
5) Disaster Relief
6) Health
A Hackathon ordinarily refers to an event where hackers and engineers build a software, website or application over the course of a weekend. We are are expanding this definition and turning it on its head; the #Pakathon will yield tangible solutions to real-life problems faced by individuals, governmental bodies and non-profit organizations in Pakistan.
HOW?
Step 1: Register for the event above
Step 2: Attend the first session on Friday evening (September 13th, 6:30pm) to hear from our mentors about gaps in the field and brainstorm solutions
Step 3: Form teams based on common interests (at the event or here: http://www.hackathon.io/pakathon/projects)
Step 4: Come back the next day to refine your ideas with the help of mentors and get to work!! Design, research, program, hack, refine, rinse and repeat!
Step 5: On Sunday, present your idea to a panel of judges and receive feedback, plus the chance to win $5000 in seed funding and continued mentorship to implement your idea
Step 6: Walk away with a warm fuzzy feeling; you pushed your skills to the limit, met fantastic people, and learned how to take actionable steps to make positive change. You are now equipped to change the world!
WHY?
Refer to Step 6 above.
WHO?
Techies and non-techies wanting to do something positive for Pakistan**.
We are looking for anyone who wants to build something tangible (a website, app, software, product, campaign, you-tell-us!). We welcome a diversity of ideas and disciplines. We want artists to meet engineers, activists to meet developers, doctors to meet programmers. Serendipity breeds creativity.
Language or platform are not a limitation.
** Open to Pakistanis and non-Pakistanis.
For details about the schedule and other info: pakathon.org
-----------------------------
Saturday, September 14
-----------------------------
Boston Festival of Indie Games
Saturday, September 14
Doors open at 10am and close 10pm
MIT Stratton Student Center, 84 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
This year's Boston Festival of Indie games brings a variety of entertainment including:
Talks and sessions including Confirmed Keynote Speakers Robin Hunicke (Journey) and Chris Remo (Double Fine/Idle Thumbs)
Boston Plays Indies Concert featuring Video Game Orchestra, Bastion’s Darren Korb, Control Group, DJ Cutman, and deadbeatblast
Digital Games Showcase
Tabletop Games Showcase
Interactive Fiction
Films
Art Exhibit
Game Jam
The Figgies Awards
BostonFIG Info
The Boston Festival of Indie Games celebrates independent game development in New England and neighboring regions. Our goal is creating an inclusive environment for everybody who enjoys and appreciates games in whatever shape or form. The festival seeks to support and showcase the efforts of independent game developers in a free public event, encouraging attendees to participate and play games in different formats: video games, location-based games, tabletop games and live role-playing, amongst others. The games featured are innovative and refreshing, demonstrating both the budding and the established talent of game makers in the American northeast.Produced under the non-profit auspices of Be Epic, a Boston-area live action games production group, the Boston Festival of Indie Games fosters a community of academic and independent developers creating games for the people.
More information at http://bostonfig.com
-------------------------------------
Fifty Years Bread and Puppet: Cheap Art and Political Theater
A Symposium with Performance
Saturday, September 14, 2013
RSVP at https://commerce.cashnet.com/cashnetc/selfserve/EditItem.aspx?PC=ASSC-TH1&ItemCount=1
Boston College Theatre Department presents a day-long celebration of the Bread and Puppet Theater and their five decades of changing the world one puppet and one performance at a time.
Events include panel discussions, scholarly presentations, archival film screening, a Bread and Puppet performance of The 50 Years Cabaret, and a fiddle lecture
and public interview with founder Peter Schumann.
Registration for this special event is required. Only those who register are guaranteed a seat for the evening performance of The 50 Years Cabaret.
Editorial Comment: $25 is indeed cheap for such an opportunity.
-------------------------------------
The Ig Informal Lectures at MIT
Saturday, September 14, 2013
1:00p
MIT, Building 26-100, access via 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Speaker: The 2013 Ig Nobel Prize Winners
A half-afternoon of improbably funny, informative, informal, brief public lectures and demonstrations in which the 2013 Ig Nobel Prize winners will attempt to explain what they did, and why they did it.
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/bookstore/www/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): The MIT Press Bookstore, The Annals of Improbable Research
For more information, contact:
The MIT Press Bookstore
253-5249
books at mit.edu
-----------------------------------
Ecology for Land and City: Exploring the Confluences of Landscape, Road, and Urban Ecology Colloqium
WHEN Sat., Sep. 14, 2013, 4 p.m.
WHERE Piper Auditorium, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Graduate School of Design
SPEAKER(S) Lauren Alexander Augustine, Michael Binford, Lawrence Buell, Anthony Clevenger, Sharon Collinge, Arancha Muñoz Criado, Lenore Fahrig, David R. Foster, Jerry Franklin, Anna Hersperger, Wayne Klockner, Mark McDonnell, Joan Iverson Nassauer, Steward T. A. Pickett, Daniel Sperling, Hilary Swain, Michael Van Valkenburgh, Paul Wagner, Jianguo Wu
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Landscape ecology, road ecology, and urban ecology have emerged, over the past quarter century, from synergies between ecological science and society’s activities on land. Each of these fields has built its own body of theory, models, and principles; in collaboration with adjacent disciplines, each studies and addresses the challenges of urbanization and advances new visions. Honoring the career and contributions of Richard T.T. Forman, organized by Jane Hutton, this colloquium brings together scholars from the three dynamic fields to explore and highlight linkages among them. Participants include Lauren Alexander Augustine, Michael Binford, Lawrence Buell, Anthony Clevenger, Sharon Collinge, Arancha Muñoz Criado, Lenore Fahrig, David R. Foster, Jerry Franklin, Anna Hersperger, Wayne Klockner, Mark McDonnell, Joan Iverson Nassauer, Steward T. A. Pickett, Daniel Sperling, Hilary Swain, Michael Van Valkenburgh, Paul Wagner, Jianguo Wu, and a roundtable of Harvard GSD landscape architecture faculty. Co-sponsored by Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, The Harvard Forest, and Harvard University Center for the Environment.
LINK www.gsd.harvard.edu/#/events/ecology-land-city.html
---------------------------
Sunday, September 15
---------------------------
Peace Walk with Thich Nhat Hanh
September 15
2:00pm
Trinity Church, Copley Square, Boston
Thich Nhat Hanh will lead a peace walk from the historic Trinity Church in Copley Square, Boston with the theme Peace is the Way: Offering Peace at Every Step . Zen Master, author, poet and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh invites everyone to walk mindfully together in silence, generating the energy of peace, solidity, and freedom.http://www.tnhtour.org/east-coast/september-15/
---------------------------
Monday, September 16
---------------------------
2nd Annual Urban Agriculture Fair
Sunday, September 15, 2013
10:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Loring-Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/Boston-Permaculture/events/138734862/
FREE FARM FUN IN THE CITY! Presented by Agricultural Hall and The Loring Greenough House, this Fair features farm fun, games, prizes, activities, music, bees, chickens, and more. Like a miniature county fair, the free Urban Ag Fair hosts exhibits and contests related to city-based agricultural endeavors. Come learn how to build your own low-cost compost bin, raise a backyard flock of chickens, make cheese, press apple cider, tend bees and harvest honey, toss and catch an egg, and much more!
ENTER CONTESTS. If you have garden produce or kitchen products you are proud of, enter them at the judging tables for a chance to win ribbons and prizes. Go to the Agricultural Hall website for more information and contest instructions. http://www.aghall.com/fair-2013.html
--------------------------------------
"Cheap and Clean: How Americans Think About Energy"
Monday, September 16, 2013
12:00pm - 1:30pm
Bell Hall, 5th Floor, Belfer Building, HKS, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
with Stephen Ansolabehere, Professor of Government, Harvard University.
Lunch will be provided.
ETIP/Consortium Energy Policy Seminar Series
http://www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/cepr/
Contact Name: Louisa Lund
louisa_lund at hks.harvard.edu
-----------------------------------------
Askwith Forum: The Civil Rights Movement for a New Generation and Sneak Preview of Walden Media film, The Watsons Go to Birmingham
WHEN Mon., Sep. 16, 2013, 5 – 8 p.m.
WHERE 13 Appian Way, Cambridge
TYPE OF EVENT Film, Forum
BUILDING/ROOM Askwith Hall
CONTACT NAME Amber DiNatale
CONTACT EMAIL askwith_forums at gse.harvard.edu
CONTACT PHONE 617-384-9968
SPONSORING ORGANIZATION/DEPARTMENT Harvard Graduate School of Education
REGISTRATION REQUIRED No
ADMISSION FEE This event is free and open to the public.
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Education, Film, Special Events
NOTE Moderator: Joe Blatt, senior lecturer, HGSE
Discussants: Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Professor of History, Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
Tonya Lewis Lee, children’s book author and screenwriter; co-producer, film:The Watsons Go to Birmingham
Robert L. Selman, Roy E. Larsen Professor of Education and Human Development, HGSE
Randy Testa, Ed.M.’79, Ed.D.’90, vice president, Education and Professional Development, Walden Media, LLC
Fifty years ago, the March on Washington and the church bombing in Birmingham launched the modern civil rights movement. How can we bring this history alive for today’s students? Our panel will tackle this challenge, bookending a sneak preview of The Watsons Go to Birmingham, a film based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Paul Curtis. The film, created by Tonya Lewis Lee and Nikki Silver, and directed by Kenny Leon, is set in 1963 and is told through the eyes of a rebellious 12 year-old. Kenny’s family – his parents, nerdy younger brother, and angelic little sister – leave Flint, Michigan, to visit their grandmother in Birmingham, Alabama. It’s a road trip that will change their lives forever – in a year that helped to change a nation.
------------------------------------
Wall Street and the Housing Bubble
Monday, September 16, 2013
5:30p–7:00p
Harvard, Littauer M15, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Wei Xiong (Princeton)
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Applied Theory Workshop (Joint MIT/Harvard)
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
-----------------------------------
Brian Ruttenberg: Probabilistic Programming and the Democratization of AI
Monday, September 16, 2013
6:00 PM
hack/reduce, 275 Third Street, Cambridge (@ the old Kendall Boiler and Tank Building)
RSVP at http://www.meetup.com/intelligence/events/128824012/
Probabilistic models form the foundation of modern Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. However, building and reasoning on models that represent large and complex scenarios is a daunting task for even the most expert and experienced programmers. As a result, there has been significant effort lately on the development of probabilistic programming languages, which allow probabilistic processes, models and algorithms to be specified using familiar programming language constructs. These languages are democratizing the AI field, enabling users with little ML and AI experience to easily construct and perform inference on large and complex probabilistic models.
In this talk, Brian will discuss the motivation for the advent of probabilistic programming languages, detail some of the major problems they are trying to solve, and will throw in a little theory for good measure. He will present many examples of the power of these new languages using Figaro, a free, open-source (BSD license), probabilistic programming language.
Bio: Brian Ruttenberg is a scientist at Charles River Analytics. His primary area of expertise is machine learning, data mining and probabilistic modeling. His current area of research focuses on exploring new representations and inference mechanisms in probabilistic programming languages, and applications of probabilistic programming to new fields such as cyber security and malware analysis. Prior to joining Charles River Analytics, he designed graphics and memory systems for Intel and Qualcomm Corporations. Dr. Ruttenberg holds a B.S.E. in computer engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Join NEAI for presentations and conversations about topics in artificial intelligence followed by study groups and networking. Share your projects, ask for help, help each other, and collaborate/commiserate over pizza and beer.
---------------------------------------
"Sous vide: savory and pastry applications"
Monday, September 16, 2013
7 p.m.
Harvard, Science Center Hall C, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Jordi Roca, El Celler de Can Roca
Members of the public are invited to attend a series of lectures by world-class chefs and food experts, inspired by the Harvard College General Education course "Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter." The lectures, while related, are not a replication of the course content.
All talks will take place in the Harvard Science Center (One Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, Hall C and overflow Hall E)
All talks will begin at 7:00 pm (unless otherwise noted).
Each talk will begin with a 15 minute lecture by a Faculty member of the course, which will discuss one of the scientific topics from that week's class.
Seating for all lectures (except the ticketed lecture with Ferran Adrià on December 2nd) is first come, first seated.
Questions regarding the public lecture series: candujar at seas.harvard.edu
----------------------------
Tuesday, September 17
----------------------------
"Political Polarization and Racial Change."
Tuesday, September 17
12 p.m.
Harvard, Taubman 275, 15 Eliot Street, Cambridge
Speaker Series with Joan Walsh, writer, blogger, editor-at-large of Salon.com and a political analyst at MSNBC.
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Is beautiful really usable? Understanding how aesthetics and usability influence user experience
September 17, 2013
12:30pm ET
Berkman Center for Internet & Society, 23 Everett Street, 2nd Floor, Cambridge
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2013/9/Bargas-Avila#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30pm ET
Ever come across a product that looked beautiful but was awful to use? Or stumbled over a something that was ugly as hell but just did exactly what you wanted? Ever wondered how these factors work together, and how they influence the experiences we create? Product usability and aesthetics are coexistent, but they are not identical. In this talk I will give you an overview over existing research in this field and present the latest findings that show how usability, aesthetics and affect work together to create great - or not so great - experiences.
About Javier
Javier Bargas-Avila holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology and works as Senior User Experience Researcher & Manager at Google (Switzerland). Before joining Google he was the manager of the HCI lab at the University of Basel (Switzerland) from 2004 to 2011. He published over 20 peer reviewed papers in HCI journals and conferences covering topics such as user satisfaction, mental models in website perception, first visual impression of websites or webform usability. Since 2011 he is part of the YouTube UX research team, where he currently focuses on internationalization, monetization and analytics.
Specialties: user studies, usability studies, user experience, experimental studies, cognitive psychology, online surveys, online experiments, user satisfaction, web form usability, aesthetics, usability.
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Oil and Honey: Notes from a Rapidly Changing Climate
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
4:00pm
Sanders Theater, Memorial Hall, 1785 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
Bill McKibben, Educator, Environmentalist, Author of Eaarth and The End of Nature
Admission is open to the public, but tickets must be obtained from the Harvard Box Office. Tickets available starting Tuesday, September 3, at noon. Ticket limit of four per person. Tickets valid until 3:45 pm. Available by phone and online for a fee. See www.boxoffice.harvard.edufor more information.
Bill McKibben is the author of a dozen books about the environment, beginning with The End of Nature in 1989, which is regarded as the first book for a general audience on climate change. He is a founder of the grassroots climate campaign 350.org, which has coordinated 15,000 rallies in 189 countries since 2009. Time Magazine called him “the planet’s best green journalist” and the Boston Globe said in 2010 that he was “probably the country’s most important environmentalist.” Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College, he holds honorary degrees from a dozen colleges, including the Universities of Massachusetts and Maine, the State University of New York, and Whittier and Colgate Colleges. In 2011, he was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Bill grew up in suburban Lexington, Massachusetts. He was president of the Harvard Crimsonnewspaper in college. Immediately after college he joined The New Yorker magazine as a staff writer, and wrote much of the “Talk of the Town” column from 1982 to early 1987. He quit the magazine when its longtime editor William Shawn was forced out of his job, and soon moved to the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. He is a frequent contributor to various magazines including The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Rolling Stone, and Outside.
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“Walden's Carbon Footprint: People, Plants, Animals, and Machines in the Making of an Environmental Classic”
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
5:00pm - 7:00pm
Harvard, Robinson Hall, Basement Conference Room, 35 Quincy Street, Cambridge
Eric Slauter (University of Chicago),
Presented by the History of the Book Seminar, of the Mahindra Humanities Center
Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History Lecture
http://warrencenter.fas.harvard.edu/fsprogramschedule.html
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Boston Mayoral Candidate Forum on Transportation & Livable Communities
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM (EDT)
Boston Public Library, Rabb Lecture Hall, 700 Boylston Street, Boston
Find out where Boston's mayoral candidates stand on the vital transportation issues that impact our communities.
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Frontiers of Design Criticism
WHEN Tue., Sep. 17, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE Piper Auditorium, Gund Hall, 48 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Art/Design, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Graduate School of Design
SPEAKER(S) Mimi Zeiger, Alexandra Lange, Florencia Rodriguez
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Today the feedback, spin, and other acts of interpretation that were once the preserve of historians and other experts are often virtual, instantaneous, and open to input from a broad audience. What does this mean? Mimi Zeiger, critic and journalist based in Los Angeles, will consider expanded models of architectural criticism and discursive platforms. Alexandra Lange, New York-based critic and 2014 Loeb Fellow, will explain why architects should use Twitter and Instagram to show their influences — what they read, the design pilgrimages they make, the colleagues they admire — not just to promote themselves. Florencia Rodriguez, editor of Plot (Buenos Aires) and 2014 Loeb Fellow, will explore the question of criticism's social or disciplinary responsibility; should it be “useful”? A discussion will follow, with GSD student writers and bloggers. Moderated by Shantel Blakely of Harvard GSD Public Programs.
LINK www.gsd.harvard.edu/#/events/frontiers-of-design-criticism.html
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GreenPort Forum: Large-scale Development in Cambridge: Assessing the Impacts
Tuesday, September 17
7:00pm
Cambridgeport Baptist Church, 459 Putnam Avenue (corner of Magazine Street and Putnam Avenue), Cambridge
Representatives of the Cambridge Residents Alliance will summarize the results of their analysis of the combined impact of the multiple large-scale development projects projected for Cambridge over the next few years. Zoning reviews treat projects individually, with little effort to integrate the multiple impacts. However the overall impacts on residents is a consequence of the total increase in employees, residents, auto trips, bus rips, transit trips, exhaust pollution, noise and other factors. We will pay particular attention to the issues of increasing traffic congestion, loss of open space, and other issues important for the quality of life in Cambridgeport, Central Square, MId-Cambridge, and Area 4. Join us for a lively presentation by Jonathan King and Shelley Rieman.
Jonathan King is Co-Chair of CRA. A Professor of Biology at MIT, and a long time resident of Central Square, Jonathan has been particularly concerned with traffic congestion, saturation of public transit capacity, and advance of Kendall Square commercial development into previously residential neighborhoods.
Shelley Rieman is Secretary of the CRA and a member of the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association and GreenPort. She is a bilingual educator who has lived in Cambridgeport since 1980 and has helped organize Cambridgeport History Days.
The Cambridge Residents Alliance, Inc. http://www.CambridgeResidentsAlliance.org is a Cambridge non-profit 501c(4) organization representing more than 500 individuals and households concerned with maintaining Cambridge as a livable, affordable and diverse community. It formed in response to the large scale developments proposed for Northpoint, Kendall Square, MIT, Forest City, Central Square and Alewife Brook. Meetings are held monthly, together with periodic public forums.
GreenPort envisions and encourages a just and sustainable Cambridgeport neighborhood
For more information, contact Steve Wineman at steven.wineman at gmail.com
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Upcoming
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Sustainability Breakfast Meetup
Net Impact Boston Professional Chapter
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
7:30 AM to 8:30 AM (EDT)
Pret A Manger, 185 Franklin Street, Post Office Square, Boston
RSVP at http://nibseptemberbreakfast-es2.eventbrite.com
Join us for our sixth informal breakfast meetup of 2013 to get sustainability professionals together for networking, discussion and moral support. It’s important to remind ourselves that we are not the only ones out there in the business world trying to do good!
So come, get a cup of coffee or a bagel, support a sustainable business and get fired up before work so we can continue trying to change the world.
This is an evolving event so your input and participation is more than welcome. Please share any thoughts or ideas with ecelano at netimpactboston.org.
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Advancing Federal Clean Energy Policy
Wednesday, September 18th
8:30am - 10:30am
WilmerHale, 60 State Street, 26th Floor, Boston, MA
RSVP at http://federalcleanenergypolicy2013-es2.eventbrite.com
Join the New England Clean Energy Council and The Pew Charitable Trusts’ clean energy program for an interactive policy discussion with the clean energy business community on pending federal policy issues as we move into the fall session.
Topics discussed at this meeting will likely form a platform for NECEC's 2013 DC Fly-In, scheduled for October 22nd - 23rd.
Introduction
Peter Rothstein, President, NECEC
Confirmed Panelists
Joe Dooley, Senior Associate, Clean Energy, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Mark Kalpin, Partner, Regulatory & Government Affairs Department and Co-Chair, Energy and Cleantech Group, WilmerHale
Todd Keller, Vice President, Federal Policy, Advanced Energy Economy (AEE)
Moderated by Janet Gail Besser, VP, Policy & Government Affairs, NECEC
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PACE Green Energy & Green Buildings Forum
Come to this multi-speaker presentation and workshop on Property Assessed Clean Energy - PACE - financing for renewable and clean energy installations on buildings.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
8:30 - 11:30AM
District Hall in Boston's Seaport / Innovation District on Northern Avenue (near the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA))
Free - Sponsored by National Grid
What is PACE financing? Generously sponsored by National Grid, USGBC MA and the City of Boston bring to you a comprehensive presentation and accessible panel of experts to answer all the questions you have on this important subject.
8:30 a.m. – 9:05 a.m. Keynote Presentation:
Genevieve Sherman, Manager, Commercial & Industrial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE)
9:05 – 9:40 a.m. Keynote Address:
Derek Brown, CleanFund
9:40 – 10:50 a.m. PANEL
Moderator - Ward Strosser - ConEdison Solutions
Shawn Hesse - Architect – Emersion Design
Tom DiLello - Executive VP and Managing Director - Jones Lang LaSalle
Nalin Kulatilaka - School of Management – Boston University
Genevieve Sherman, Manager - C-PACE
Derek Brown, CleanFund
10:50 – 11:30 Q&A: open floor for questions from the audience.
Speakers:
Genevieve Sherman will focus on PACE program design and program options at the local municipal level and how they vary to meet the needs of individual communities and reflect differences in state laws. Genevieve will share the PACE process for a typical project beginning with a detailed energy audit that generates payback estimates for the individual energy measures identified by the audit. The property owner then decides what package of measures makes the most sense in combination with financing terms and approaches the mortgage holder for project approval for submission to the local government PACE program.
Ms. Sherman is the manager for Commercial and Industrial Property Assessed Clean Energy at the state of Connecticut's CEFIA (Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority)
Genevieve graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a Master in City Planning, where she developed innovative financing and governance strategies that engage commercial buildings in their energy production and consumption. Most recently as a consultant to Clean Energy Solutions Inc. and Earth Markets, both leading developers of energy efficiency programs in the United States, she conducted market research and outreach on behalf of utilities and state energy agencies to design new smart metering, information feedback, and energy efficiency programs. Genevieve holds a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University.
Derek Brown will discuss PACE the financing process and show examples of real PACE projects such as the:
Connecticut state-wide commercial PACE program
California clean energy PACE program - the nation's largest
PACE financing for Prologis' corporate headquarters
Clean Fund financing for Edina, Minnesota commercial PACE program
Mr. Brown is the Managing Partner, Project Sourcing, at Clean Fund. Derek comes from the renewable energy industry where he worked with SunPower, Cogenra Solar and Fat Spaniel. Prior experience includes Apple, where he established and managed the European software business, and 3Com, where he pioneered the company's Macintosh products business. His career started in corporate finance with Smith Barney and venture capital with Whitney Ventures. Derek received his A.B. from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
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Sanctions and the Iranian Nuclear Standoff
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
12:00p–1:30p
MIT, Building E40-496
Speaker: Suzanne Maloney, Brookings Institution
SSP Wednesday Seminar Program
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Security Studies Program
For more information, contact:
617-253-7529
valeriet at mit.edu
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Chasing Ice: Film Screening and Panel Discussion
WHEN Wed., Sep. 18, 2013, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE Science Center C, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Film, Lecture, Science, Sustainability
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard University Center for the Environment, Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, Office for Sustainability
SPEAKER(S) A conversation with Harvard climate scientists James Anderson, Peter Huybers, and Daniel Schrag
COST Free and open to the public
CONTACT INFO matthew at fas.harvard.edu
NOTE Join us for a free public screening of the award-winning documentary Chasing Ice (2012, dir. Jeff Orlowski), the story of National Geographic photographer James Balog's mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of climate change. Overcoming seemingly insurmountable weather conditions and technical challenges, Balog and his team of young adventurers deployed time-lapse cameras across the Arctic to capture the world’s glaciers as they melted over the course of several years. The imagery is stunning and alarming as the ice retreats and great mountains are seen breaking off and falling into the oceans.
Followed by a conversation with Harvard climate scientists James Anderson (Dept. of Chemistry & Chemical Biology), Peter Huybers (Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences), and Daniel Schrag (Dept. of Earth & Planetary Sciences; School of Engineering & Applied Sciences; Director, Harvard University Center for the Environment).
Free event parking is available (beginning at 5pm in the 52 Oxford Street garage.)
LINK http://environment.harvard.edu/ice
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Lawrence Lessig Interviews Robert Kaiser
WHEN Wed., Sep. 18, 2013, 5:30 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Austin 101 East, Harvard Law School
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Ethics, Humanities, Law, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
SPEAKER(S) Lawrence Lessig, Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics; Robert G. Kaiser, associate editor and senior correspondent, The Washington Post
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE Lawrence Lessig will interview Robert Kaiser about his two great books: "So Much Damn Money" (2009) and "An Act of Congress" (2013). "So Much Damn Money" is a depressing story about the incredible rise in the importance of money in Congress, while "An Act of Congress" is a much more optimistic account of Congress passing Dodd-Frank. How can both books be true? What does each tell us about the other? And what do both tell us about the possibility of sane or functioning government anytime soon?
LINK http://ethics.harvard.edu/news-and-events/lectures-and-events/detail/274
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HEEC Green Campus Tour
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM (EDT)
John Harvard Statue, 2 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
RSVP at http://heecgreencampustour-es2.eventbrite.com
Come learn some ways Harvard is making "Green the new Crimson," with various sustainability initiatives happening throughout Harvard Yard!
Even if you've been on this tour before, come again to learn about new programs and meet some fellow EC members!
A special *THANK YOU* to Brandon Geller (Office for Sustainability) for leading us on this tour!
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CambridgeREADS Author Event, Edwidge Danticat
WHEN Wed., Sep. 18, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
WHERE Sanders Theatre, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Cambridge Public Library
COST Event is free. Tickets Required. Limit of 4 tickets per person . Tickets valid until 6:15PM. Available by phone and internet for a fee. Call 617-496-2222 or reserve on line at www.boxoffice.harvard.edu
TICKET WEB LINK www.boxoffice.harvard.edu
TICKET INFO The Harvard Box Office 617-496-2222
NOTE Cambridge READS hosts a presentation by author Edwidge Danticat "Claire of the Sea Light".
LINK http://www.ofa.fas.harvard.edu/cal/details.php?ID=44129
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Presidential Leadership and the Creation of the American Era
September 18, 2013
7pm
First Parish in Cambridge, 3 Church Street (Harvard Square)
Joseph Nye of the Harvard Kennedy School examines the foreign policies of 20th century American presidents and assesses the effectiveness and ethics of their choices. He identifies two main types of presidential temperaments – transformational and transactional– and argues that both types were important in the development of the nation’s international power. What lessons from the American Century can we take into the unstable international arena of the early 21st century?
Cambridge Forum
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HACKFit Boston
Sept 20-22
Spots are limited, register at http://hackfitboston2013.eventbrite.com/.
Love activity tracking and interested in working on startup concepts relating to the Withings Pulse, BodyMedia FIT, or RunKeeper app? Interested in connecting with hundreds of fun startup enthusiasts with a passion for fitness, sport, and activity? Looking for an action-packed weekend combining startup challenges with climbing, crossfit, and yoga?
Get ready for the first EVER startup-event with activity challenges, exercise classes, and expert mentorship from angels, VCs, and serial entrepreneurs. Register NOW for HACKFit Boston on Sept 20-22nd, and become a Legendary Startup Warrior.
Learn more at www.hack-fit.com.
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The New England Electricity Restructuring Roundtable Presents: Modernizing the Electric Grid in New England
September 20, 2013
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston
In October of 2012, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued a notice of inquiry (NOI) on electric grid modernization that sought to develop a vision for a modern grid in Massachusetts and a road-map to get there. The NOI launched a stakeholder process charged with exploring both grid-facing and customer-facing issues, as well as developing recommendations for the DPU.
On July 2, 2013, the MA Grid Modernization Steering Committee, comprised of the four investor-owned utilities and representatives from over 20 diverse stakeholder groups, filed a 141 page Final Report with the DPU. The Report includes 1) goals, opportunities, and barriers; 2) a clear taxonomy of a modernized grid including outcomes and enablers; 3) a snap-shot of utilities' current systems and technologies; 4) a joint fact- finding summary of advanced metering functionality and cost, as well as time-varying rates; and 5) extensive recommendations on a wide range of grid modernization issues, including the appropriate regulatory and cost-effectiveness frameworks to foster grid modernization.
Join us at our 136th Roundtable as we discuss the Report and the DPU's plans for adopting and implementing an appropriate grid modernization regulatory framework. The panel will be anchored by MA DPU Chair Ann Berwick, who will discuss the DPU's vision and its next steps. She will be joined by representatives from the MA Grid Mod Steering Committee who will discuss the findings and recommendations of the report, including those where consensus was reached and those where two or more options were delivered to the DPU:
Jamie Tosches, Assistant Attorney General, MA AGO
Peter Zschokke, Director, Regulatory Strategy, National Grid
Camilo Serna, VP Corporate Strategy, Northeast Utilities
Janet Besser, VP Policy and Govt. Affairs, NE Clean Energy Council
To provide additional perspective on grid modernization, we have invitedCommissioner Kelly Speakes-Backman, Maryland Public Service Commission, to kick-off the Roundtable by discussing Maryland's efforts to modernize its grid. Maryland utilities are currently involved in the widespread deployment of advanced metering infrastructure and a peak-time rebate program, among other grid modernization activities. Commissioner Speakes-Backman, who has been actively involved in Maryland's grid modernization efforts, also serves on RGGI and was previously the Clean Energy Director at the Maryland Energy Administration.
Free and open to the public with no advanced registration!!
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Energy Upgrade Work Party
Roxbury Presbyterian
Saturday, September 21st
9:00am-1:30pm
328 Warren Street, Roxbury
Roxbury Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church. The gorgeous Gothic church building was constructed in 1891 by John C. Spofford and William Swanson. The warm and caring congregation is led by the well-known Rev. Liz Walker. This event's tasks will include installing efficient light bulbs and water aerators, weatherizing doors, windows and attic hatches, repainting mortar and fixing computer system preferences. This is a rescheduled event.
Please sign up here: (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGVSZURVV0MtU1E2cHhkTmxVMmtFb2c6MA#gid=0).
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8th Annual Harvest Festival & Perennial Divide
Saturday, September 21st
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
City Natives, 30 Edgewater Drive, Mattapan
Each year the Boston Natural Areas Network invites our friends and community
partners to table at the Festival which includes…
The Perennial Divide, Boston’s largest plant swap
Family games and cider pressing
Workshops on urban beekeeping and vermaculture (worm composting)
Shopping for hard-to-find native plants, pumpkin compost and City Natives
honey
Community organizations sharing information about gardening and green space
offerings across the city
With several hundred gardeners in attendance, this is a wonderful opportunity to spread the word about your organization and what you have to offer. We're inviting community partners to table at the event and encourage participatory activities or demonstrations to draw a crowd! We ask everyone to arrive by 9:30 am, provide their own table, and stay with their table for the duration of the event. Chairs and canopies will be provided.
Want to table at the Festival? Please RSVP by September 14. Space is limited and tabling organizations will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis.
To RSVP or ask questions, email dana at bostonnatural.org or call 617-542-7696.
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"Making Democracy in the Patent System: Comparing the Life Form Patent Battles in the US and Europe"
Monday, September 23, 2013
12:15pm - 2:00pm
Harvard, Maxwell Dworkin, Room 119, 33 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Shobita Parthasarathy (University of Michigan, Ford School)
STS Circle at Harvard Lecture
http://sts.hks.harvard.edu/events/sts_circle/
Contact Name: Shana Rabinowich
sts at hks.harvard.edu
Sandwich lunches are provided. Please RSVP to sts at hks.harvard.edu by Wednesday at 5PM the week before.
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“The Impact of Environmental Regulation on U.S. Oil Refineries.”
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
4:10pm - 5:30pm
Harvard, Room L-382, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge
Richard Sweeney, Harvard University
Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k96249
Contact Name: Jason Chapman
Jason_Chapman at harvard.edu
For further information, contact Professor Stavins at the Kennedy School (617-495-1820), Professor Weitzman at the Department of Economics (617-495-5133), or the course assistant, Jason Chapman (617-496-8054), or visit the seminar web site.
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FUTURE ENERGY - INVESTOR FEEDBACK FORUM
Wednesday, September 25
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Microsoft New England R&D Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at http://futureenergyboston.eventbrite.com
Future Energy, an Ultra Light Startups brand sponsored by Shell GameChanger, is a series of events that connects entrepreneurs, researchers, and private investors in the energy and clean-tech industries to develop and commercialize radical solutions to the world’s energy challenges.
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.
Audience: Entrepreneurs, Investors, Media. Service Providers, Open to all
Twitter: @crisdeluca #ulsboston
Applications to pitch can be submitted at http://ultralightstartups.com/future-energy/application-form/
Register using the promocode MSNERD for 50% off registration ticket
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The Menino Legacy: Down to the Wire
Thursday, September 26
6:30-8 pm
C. Walsh Theatre, Suffolk University, 55 Temple Street, Boston
with
Lawrence S. DiCara (partner, Nixon Peabody), Joan Vennochi (associate editor and op-ed columnist, The Boston Globe), Mary Anne Marsh (principal, Dewey Square Group)
and John Nucci (VP of Government Relations & Community Affairs, Suffolk University);
discussion moderated by Paul Grogan (President, The Boston Foundation) and introductions by James McCarthy (President, Suffolk University)
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University kicks off its 2013 Fall series of lectures with undoubtedly the key local political discussion of the season. Boston's mayoral primary will have just ended two days before, giving the public barely over a month to determine which of the two finalists can best assume the seat proudly held for five terms by Mayor Thomas Menino, the City of Boston's longest running mayor.
When Menino announced last March that he would not seek reelection, his decision opened the floodgates to create a lengthy roster of mayoral candidates -- at one point 24 total -- and set the stage for a tumultuous and confusing campaign season. Now down to the wire after the primaries, the final election shall prove to be a pivotal one for the city. The outcome will not only determine how Boston best proceeds in serving its citizens. The results of this race will also set the tone for all those in the Commonwealth and beyond who frequent Boston as their place of work and play.
Paul Grogan, president and CEO of the Boston Foundation, moderates Ford Hall Forum's The Menino Legacy: Down To The Wire which includes the following participants: Lawrence S. DiCara, partner at Nixon Peabody, former Boston City Council president and mayoral candidate; Joan Vennochi, associate editor and op-ed columnist for The Boston Globe; Mary Anne Marsh, Democratic strategist and commentator; and John Nucci,Suffolk University's Vice President for Government and Community Affairs, former Boston City Council member and mayoral candidate. All these panelists have distinguished themselves as civic opinion-shapers. Suffolk University's James McCarthy will be on hand to introduce the evening's proceedings.
Further background information on the participants:
Paul Grogan is President and CEO of The Boston Foundation. He served as Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs at Harvard University, and was President and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Grogan holds a master’s degree in administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was awarded a Bicentennial Medal from Williams College for his leadership in inner-city revitalization efforts. Grogan is a founder and director of The Community Development Trust, a director of New Profit Inc., and a trustee of Brandeis University. He previously served on the Boards of Williams College, FSG Social Impact Advisors, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Lawrence S. DiCara is a partner at Nixon Peabody where he practices real estate and administrative law. He has taught at Harvard, Boston University, and the UMass. DiCara is a former member and president of the Boston City Council and has served as a member of the Democratic State Committee for over 40 years. He is also former president of the Boston Latin School Association, the Greater Boston Council, Boy Scouts of America, and the Boston Theatre District Association. In recent years, he has received the Father of the Year Award from the American Diabetes Association and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Massachusetts Boys/Girls State Foundation.
Joan Vennochi is an op-ed columnist for The Boston Globe. She writes regularly about national and local politics and covers issues relating to business, law, and culture. Before joining the op-ed page, she wrote a column on the Globe's business page. Vennochi was City Hall bureau chief, State House bureau chief, and covered national politics. She began her career at the Globe as a researcher on the Spotlight Team, the newspaper's investigative unit; later, she shared in a Pulitzer Prize awarded to the team for local investigative reporting. Vennochi received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Boston University and her J.D. from Suffolk Law School.
Mary Anne Marsh is a principal at Dewey Square Group and has more than 20 years of experience in public policy, communications, and electoral politics. Her experience includes providing strategic counsel to many national grassroots organizations for dozens of public policy campaigns and media relations to Fortune 500 companies. Marsh has also worked with numerous political clients such as John Kerry, Edward M. Kennedy, and Shannon O’Brien. She directed Victory ’92 for the Massachusetts Democratic Party and is a Democratic political analyst on FOX News. Her commentary and analysis can be heard on a variety of national and local media.
John Nucci is the Vice President of Government Relations and Community Affairs at Suffolk University and has been a prominent elected official in Boston for over 20 years. Nucci served for six years on the Boston School Committee, including four years as president, and was an at-large member of the Boston City Council for four years. He has been the elected Clerk of the Suffolk County Criminal Superior Court for the past 11 years. In addition to his elected positions, Nucci served for more than 20 years at Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD) in Boston. He teaches in the graduate-level public administration program at Suffolk, is a graduate of Boston College and Suffolk University, and is a lifelong resident of East Boston.
James McCarthy is the ninth president of Suffolk University, beginning his tenure at the University in February 2012. He is committed to building a cohesive campus community, enhancing experiential learning, implementing new models of education, and using technology to complement the traditional Suffolk education. Before joining Suffolk University, President McCarthy served for five years as provost and senior vice president at Baruch College of the City University of New York. He was most recently the dean of the School of Health and Human Services at the University of New Hampshire. McCarthy has engaged in sociological research through Princeton University, the International Statistical Institute London, and Trinity College Dublin, and in a multitude of countries. He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University, an M.A. for Indiana University, and an A.B. from the College of the Holy Cross.
For more information on Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, visit www.fordhallforum.org.
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University Media Contact: Mary Curtin, 617-241-9664, 617-470-5867 (cell), marycurtin at comcast.net
Information about Suffolk University’s partnership with the Ford Hall Forum can be obtained by contacting Mariellen Norris, (617) 573-8450, mnorris at suffolk.edu.
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Hull Wind Tours
Saturday, September 28
9-4pm
Hull 1, 100 Main Street, Hull
With over 17,000 MWhs of production since December 2001, Hull Wind 1 has served as a model community wind project for the nation.
Please join Executive Director of Action for Clean Energy, Andy Stern at Hull's first wind turbine, located at Hull High School for a 1 hour presentation/tour of Hull Wind 1.
Several local colleges will be in attendance and other environmental groups are encouraged to participate in this event.
Harvard 9am
MIT 10
BU 11
Suffolk 12p
Brandeis 1p
Tufts 2p
Emerson 3p
contact Andy Stern
astern at hotmail.com
510.673.2440
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Boston Fermentation Festival
Saturday, September 28
10am-2pm
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Hall, 45 Brookside Avenue, Jamaica Plain
The free event will offer workshops and demonstrations of fermented foods, such as kimchi, cheese, pickle; and lectures by leading fermentation
specialists. Attendees will be able to listen to live music, eat at food trucks, and sample and purchases fermented foods, handmade fermentation rocks, and fermentation books from over a dozen vendors.
For more information, visit www.eglestonfarmersmarket.org/fermentation and
www.facebook.com/bostonferments or call (248) 219-8779
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HIMALAYA: MOUNTAINS OF LIFE - LECTURE AND PANEL DISCUSSION
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
4:00pm
Harvard, Sackler Museum, 485 Broadway, Lecture Hall B029, Cambridge
Kamal Bawa and Sandesh Kadur will share breathtaking photographs and stories from their new book, Himalaya: Mountains of Life, to spark a conversation about why the preservation of this land is so important, not just for us, but for the future of all life on Earth. Following their presentation, a panel of distinguished Harvard professors, representing the arts, humanities, and environmental disciplines, will lead a discussion with the authors on the interconnectedness of art and the humanities in building awareness of and potential solutions to global environmental challenges.
For additional information visit the HMSC website: http://hmsc.harvard.edu/event/himalaya-mountains-life-kamal-bawa-distinguished-professor-conservation-biology
Jointly-sponsored by the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, Office of the Arts at Harvard, and the Office for Sustainability at Harvard.
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"Getting to Net Zero"- A Panel Discussion
Wednesday, October 2
6:30 PM
Cambridge Public Library, Main Branch, 449 Broadway, Cambridge
Please join Mayor Henrietta Davis, city public officials, and a diverse group of speakers to discuss Net Zero: the challenges and opportunities for our city.
To RSVP, go here: http://www.eventbrite.com/org/4619238903?s=17280101
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Boston Local Food Festival
4th Annual Boston Local Food Festival
Sunday, 06 October, 2013
11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Rose Kennedy Greenway, Boston
What You'll Find at the Festival
Freshly harvested produce and seafood from farmers and fishermen
Scrumptious, $6 servings, featuring locally grown foods
Entertaining demonstrations and competitions by chefs and other food experts
Lively local music of many cultural tastes
Engaging exhibitions and playful activities for the kid in all of us
Interactive workshops featuring local food leaders
Food-inspired arts and crafts
Recycling and sustainable practices for minimal waste
See more at: http://bostonlocalfoodfestival.com/about-the-festival/#sthash.zLticdKu.dpuf
Event Contact Katrina Kazda
Email: katrina at sbnmass.org
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Money & Power: A Debate
with Hedrick Smith (Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, The New York Times) and Yaron Brook (President, Ayn Rand Institute);
moderated by Rachael Cobb (Chair, Suffolk University's CAS Government Dept.)
Thursday, October 10, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Modern Theatre, Suffolk University
Associate Professor Rachael Cobb (Chair, SU CAS Government Dept.) moderates a critical debate between former New York Times journalist Hedrick Smith and Ayn Rand Institute President Yaron Brook on money and power. Smith argues that a pro-business power shift in Washington and a change in the American business ethos away from stakeholder capitalism to shareholder capitalism has created a harmful economic divide in America. Brook counters that today’s mess is a product, not of capitalism, but of empowering the government to restrict free enterprise and dole out favors to preferred groups. Smith offers ideas for reviving middle class power and prosperity, while Brook tells us how laissez-faire capitalism offers individuals on all levels of ability the greatest promise of prosperity in this incredible debate on wealth and power in the 21st century.
For more information on Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, visit www.fordhallforum.org.
Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University Media Contact: Mary Curtin, 617-241-9664, 617-470-5867 (cell), marycurtin at comcast.net
Information about Suffolk University’s partnership with the Ford Hall Forum can be obtained by contacting Mariellen Norris, (617) 573-8450, mnorris at suffolk.edu.
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About Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University:
Ford Hall Forum is the nation's oldest free public lecture series. The Forum provides an open venue for sharing opinions and discussing controversial points of view. It advances the First Amendment through freedom of expression, encouraging attendees to engage directly with speakers. Ford Hall Forum discussions illuminate the key issues facing our society by bringing to its podium knowledgeable and thought-provoking orators from a broad range of perspectives. These experts participate for free, and in settings that promote a culture of involvement in a non-partisan environment.
The Forum began in 1908 as a series of Sunday evening public meetings held at the Ford Hall, which once stood on Beacon Hill in Boston. While the original building no longer exists, the public conversations have continued throughout the Boston area with the generous support from state agencies, foundations, corporations, academic institutions, and individuals. In its 104th year of programming, the Forum continues to build upon its partnership with Suffolk University. Suffolk is now housing the Forum's administrative offices just a block away from where the original Ford Hall once stood.
Ford Hall Forum programs are made possible through the generous contributions from individual members as well as corporations and foundations, including Compass Eight, The Fred & Marty Corneel Fund, Helen Rees Literary Agency, Iron Mountain, LCMG Certified Public Accountants, The Lowell Institute, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, North Hill, Penny Pimentel, The Pfizer Foundation, Plymouth Rock Assurance Corporation, Prince Lobel & Tye, Suffolk University, and WBUR 90.9 FM.
For more information on Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University, visit www.fordhallforum.org. Information about Suffolk University’s partnership with the Ford Hall Forum can be obtained by contacting Mariellen Norris, (617) 573-8450, mnorris at suffolk.edu.
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Energy Upgrade Work Party
Second Church of the Nazarene, Dorchester
Saturday, September 28th
9:00am-1:30pm
44 Moultrie St
Dorchester
A stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, Second Nazarene Church in Dorchester needs an energy upgrade. Join HEET and Co-op Power to help the church reduce energy bills and energy use. The church has a dirt-floor basement that is exhaling a lot of cold air and moisture into the building. Learn how to install a vapor barrier in the basement inexpensively and easily. A variety of other work will also be taught.
Sign up here: (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFUteWN0Q1BEVHluZnRJb0RrSE5wM1E6MA#gid=0)
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Honk! FESTIVAL OF ACTIVIST STREET BANDS
October 11 through 14, 2013
a wide variety of events planned
in Somerville & Cambridge
FREE AND OPEN TO ALL
(Somerville & Cambridge, MA) Time to mark the calendar for the eighth annual HONK! Festival (www.honkfest.org) which will take place from October 11-14 throughout the neighborhoods of Somerville and Cambridge. Founded in 2006 in Davis Square by members of the Somerville-basedSecond Line Social Aid and Pleasure Society Brass Band (www.secondlinebrassband.org), HONK! is a rousing socio-political music spectacle which features social activist street bands from all over who come together to share their different approaches to merry making while also instigating positive change in their communities.
This year several new national and international groups will be featured, as well as returning festival favorites, some who are local and several who come from afar. In the works are many concerts, one very large parade, some mini parades, a roundtable discussion, and much more. The preliminary HONK! schedule, which will be finalized in early September, can be found at www.honkfest.org/schedule/. This year ALL events will be free!. The festival is rain or shine and open to all.
As of this writing, a few late summer/early fall activities are in place, for those who would like to get involved early on:
HONK! Kickstarter campaign: details can be found at www.honkfest.org/kickstarter. This year's goal is to reach $12,000 by early October. Last year, HONK! far exceeded its Kickstarter campaign. Individuals can donate and subscribe to receive notices by going through the HONK! website.
HONK! Volunteer Appreciation Pep Rally: tentatively scheduled for the evening of September 15 at Sprout, 339R Summer St. near Davis Square, Somerville (www.thesprouts.org). More information will be available after Labor Day weekend.
For more background information on HONK!'s origins, visit www.honkfest.org/about/.
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Energy Upgrade Work Party
Emmanuel Church of Boston
October 13th - Time TBA, around 1pm-5pm
15 Newbury Street
Boston
Emmanuel Church of Boston has the most beautiful Sanctuary and chapel we've ever been in. As an additional plus, the artist who builds the Bread and Puppets' puppets has a studio in the basement. A truly amazing place to be. We'll teach you how to install pipe insulation, and how to save energy in many other ways.
Sign up here: (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEdrVnFLeW1neWtxVjNMSVl6WE1DOVE6MA#gid=0)
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Sensing Wonder, Serious Play: Ecology and Children’s Literature
October 25, 2013
Harvard, Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge
A Graduate Student Conference hosted by Harvard University's American Studies Program the will explore children’s literature through an ecocritical lens, giving priority to the ways in which these texts illustrate the relationship between nature and children. The Conference is accepting paper submissions through September 15 – visit the website for more information.
http://www.sensingwonder.us
Contact Name: ecoconferenceharvard at gmail.com
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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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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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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/
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