Sunday, January 29, 2012

Energy (and Other) Events - January 29, 2012

Energy (and Other) Events is a weekly mailing list published most Sundays covering events around the Cambridge, MA and greater Boston area that catch the editor's eye.

Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.

If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events email gmoke@world.std.com

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Democracy Technology http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/24/1057803/-Democracy-Technology

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Tech's Top Teachers Talk Turkey
Mon Jan 30
12-01:00 pm
MIT, Building 4-163, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Facilitated by: Lori Breslow, Teaching & Learning Lab
Join us for a session in which some of MIT's best teachers — both faculty and teaching assistants — talk about how to teach well. This is a panel discussion at which questions are strongly encouraged.
Contact: Leann Dobranski, 5-122, x3-3371, leann@mit.edu
Sponsor: Teaching and Learning Lab

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"The MIT Future of the Electric Grid Study"
12:00pm - 1:30pm
HarvardBell Hall, Belfer Center 5th Floor, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge

Richard Schmalensee, MIT.
Contact Name: Louisa Lund louisa_lund@harvard.edu

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Countercyclical Restructuring and Jobless Recoveries
Monday, January 30, 2012
2:30p–4:00p
MIT, Building E51-376, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: David Berger

Web site: http://econ-www.mit.edu/files/7498
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Economics Job Market Seminars
For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa@mit.edu

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MITHENGE (Infinite Sunset) 4:48pm and 17 seconds, Altitude, 47 feet
Monday, January 30, 2012
4:48p
MIT, Infinite Corridor (Between Buildings 7 & 8), 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Speaker: The Setting Sun

The Infinite Corridor is 825 feet long X 9 feet wide X 16 feet high (Nearly 3 football fields). This layout allows the corridor to capture the setting sun at a particular moment creating a solar phenomenon sometimes called MITHENGE. When this occurs, given favorable weather conditions, a shaft of sunlight is thrown the entire length of the corridor. The best viewing occurs at the third-floor level, which has fewer obstructions and less traffic.

Web site: http://web.mit.edu/mithenge
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Information Center, The Sun
For more information, contact:
617-253-4795
infocenter-www@MIT.EDU

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Crowdsortium Boston II
January 30, 2012
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
The Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD), 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at http://crowdsortiummeetup2-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=18

Last year, uTest and Crowdly (formerly Appswell) kicked off the first Crowdsortium Boston meetup. Harvard professor Karim Lakhani and CEOs of the top crowdsourcing companies came together to introduce the current state and coming evolution of the crowdsourcing model.

Due to its great success, this year we’re exploding into 2012 with another event! Thanks to Crowdly, uTest, and our sponsor Article One Parners, Crowdsortium Boston II will be on Monday, January 30 from 6:30-8:30pm again at the Microsoft NERD, Cambridge!

After a brief introduction from Professor at Northeastern Jeff Howe, who coined the term crowdsourcing, a panel of chief community executives from leading crowdsourcing companies will discuss Community Management: Evolving From Mobs To Crowds To Communities and dive deeper into the keys to successfully employing a crowdsourcing model.

Anyone can build a loosely affiliated, unstructured crowd – a mob. The secret to community management is to advance beyond the ‘mob’ to create an engaged, interactive community of diverse and skilled professionals. Panel topics include:
Challenges and opportunities of managing a massive global workforce
Scaling a crowdsourcing business sharply, quickly and profitably
How to get what you want, while giving them what they want
Recruitment and engagement; reputation and compensation systems.

After the panel, we’ll wrap up the meetup with the opportunity to do some networking along with complimentary pizza and beer!

Moderator:
Jeff Howe, Father of Crowdsourcing and Professor at Northeastern University

Confirmed Panelists:
Matt Johnston, CMO at uTest
Gabe Miano, VP of Product at OnForce

About The Crowdsortium
With more than 80 crowdsourcing companies and 200 venture capitalists, researchers and professionals, the Crowdsortium is a group of industry practitioners that have self-organized to advance crowdsourcing models through best practices, education, data collection and public dialog. The Crowdsortium aims to provide each of its constituents with the knowledge to get the most out of participating in crowdsourcing. Find out more about how to become a member athttp://www.crowdsortium.org/membership/.

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Nerd Night
Monday January 30, 2012
8pm at Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge
$5
Featuring Nerd-appropriate tunes by Claude Money

Talk 1. “Frontier Nerd: Going it Alone in Western Montana”
by Mattie Booth

Talk 2. “CA$H FOR YOUR WARHOL: The Evolution of a Prank”
by Geoff Hargadon

For more information about the speakers and the talks

http://boston.nerdnite.com/2012/01/22/nerdnitejan30/

(Public) Service Smorgasbord: Eats and Opportunities
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
12:00p–1:30p
MIT, Building W20-491
RSVP to http://bit.ly/ti9Bhx

What type of service do you want to do? Maybe you want to tutor high school students in Cambridge, be paid for public service work with a great organization whoneeds your help, work with a community partner somewhere else in the world, or develop a new solution to deliver impact. We'll have an open conversation over a smorgasbord of food to share with you the best way to get started on public service or to try something new.

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Public Service Center

For more information, contact:
Jennifer Currie
psc@mit.edu

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"Obama's Latest Lessons in Policy, Politics & Polarization."
Tuesday, January 31
12 p.m.
Harvard, Taubman 275, 5 Eliot Street, Cambridge

Alexis Simendinger, White House correspondent, RealClearPolitics.

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Urban Planning Movie Marathon
Tue Jan 31
12pm-12:00am
MIT, AVT

This year's noon-to-midnight Marathon will feature a variety of films on topics related to urban planning, environmentalism, affordable housing, design, development, globalism, and the nature of regions, cities, and neighborhoods. In addition to feature-length films and documentaries, we'll include a few shorts (and maybe even a few cartoons).

Full program TBA at http://web.mit.edu/eglenn/www/iap_films_2012.html; come for one or stay for all. Popcorn and other food served.
Contact: Ezra Glenn, 7-337, x3-2024, eglenn@mit.edu
Sponsor: Urban Studies and Planning

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Designing for Remixing: Computer-supported Social Creativity
Tuesday, January 31, 12:30 pm
Harvard, Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, second floor
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2012/01/monroy-hernandez#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 pm ET at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast and archived on our site shortly after.

Andres Monroy-Hernandez, Berkman Fellow & MIT Media Lab

In this talk I present a framework for the design and study of an online community of amateur creators. I focus on remixing as a lens to understand the social, cultural, and technical structures of a social computing system that supports creative expression. I am motivated by three broad questions: 1) what is the functional role of remixing in cultural production and social learning? 2) what are the structural properties of an online remixing community? 3) what are amateur creators' attitudes towards remixing? This research builds on my work on the Scratch Online Community, an online community I conceived, developed and studied. The Scratch website allows young people to share and remix their own video games and animations, as well as those of their peers. In four years, the community has grown to close to a million registered members and more than two million user-contributed projects.

About Andres
Andrés Monroy-Hernández is a post-doctoral researcher at Microsoft Research and a Fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society. His main area of research is human-computer interaction, with a focus on social computing and social media. He is particularly interested in the design and study of online communities for creative expression. His work has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, Wired, and has received awards from Ars Electronica, and the MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Competition. He was PhD student at the MIT Media Lab and holds a B.S. in computer engineering form Tec de Monterrey in Mexico.

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The Renewable Energy Research in Southern Arava
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
4 p.m.
BU, 8 Saint Mary’s St., Room 339, Boston
Refreshments will be served outside Room 339 at 3:45 p.m.

Director of the Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation
Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, Israel

The Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation is carrying out research on a wide variety of subjects:
Dust Removal from Solar Collectors: This research is based on the established “electrodynamic screen” approach, in which a low-frequency surface traveling wave of electric field sweeps deposited particles laterally across the surface, thereby removing them from the solar collector. The method is effective for both charged and uncharged particles regardless of particle conductivity. Bench-top experiments on small panels have demonstrated that 95% of deposited dust can be removed after only 60 seconds of energization while drawing less than 2% of the power output of a photo- voltaic panel.
Biogas Production: The project is aimed at adapting a waste recycling process based upon anaerobic digestion and composting technologies for the organic solid wastes produced in small rural settlements in arid zones such as the Bedouin villages in the Israeli Negev or rural villages in Jordan. In the framework of the project, four demonstration pilot-plants (D-PP) are built and operated; two in Jordan and two in Israel. These four D-PPs are used to investigate the efficiency of the “modified” technology and in turn, to demonstrate its positive impacts in the areas of improved environmental conditions, improved health of local residents,
economic contribution, and the social value of strengthening the status of women in the community.
On Board Hydrogen Production: The most important and the most urgent application of hydrogen is its use for transportation. One of the most severe challenges is the lack of a safe and efficient onboard storage technology. One opportunity to overcome some of these hurdles is to produce the hydrogen on board the vehicle by reacting a light metal with water. One of the most promising metal candidates is boron. The reaction of boron and water has high hydrogen storage capacity based on both volume and mass compared with other candidate technologies. In this study, a process is described in which boron is used as a means to store and transport solar energy from a production site to motor vehicles, where it is used to generate hydrogen and heat.
PV Cooling: This study is investigating the passive convection cooling of the photovoltaic (PV) panels to increase the rate of heat transfer to greatly increase the convection rate and increase the cooling rate of the photovoltaic panels by channeling natural air flow under the photovoltaic panels. This process will lead to a significant increase in the efficiency and decrease the thermal degradation of the solar cells. The preliminary results show an average improvement in PV system
output of 5-10%.

For more information: http://www.bu.edu/ece/calendar

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Everyone Leads: A Night with Paul Schmitz of Public Allies
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Microsoft NERD Center, One Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Register at http://everyoneleadswithpaulschmitz-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=7

Please join Public Allies CEO and “Everyone Leads” author Paul Schmitz for an engaging dialogue around asset-based leadership. Paul will share some of the key experiences andcritical lessons that his organization has learned from two decades of finding and developing thousands of young leaders across the country. Paul will also share his own inspiring story about journeying from an aimless youth to a national nonprofit leader and Presidential advisor.

Hors d'oeuvres and cocktails

** ATTENTION ALL YOUNG LEADERS **

Please join us prior to the event for an intimate “leadership salon” conversation with Paul Schmitz - where Paul will talk candidly about his personal and professional growth, answer your questions and offers his advice for your leadership challenges.

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Saving the Banks: Comparing Bailout Strategies in the United States and Europe during the Financial Crisis
WHEN Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.
WHERE Harvard, Cabot Room, Busch Hall, 27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Visiting Scholars Seminar: New Research on Europe (CES)
SPEAKER(S) Cornelia Woll, visiting scholar, CES
COST Free
CONTACT INFO Arthur Goldhammer: art.goldhammer@gmail.com
LINK http://ces.fas.harvard.edu/studygroups/sg26.html
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Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy: "The Impact of Voluntary Programs on Polluter Behavior: Evidence from Pollution Prevention Programs and Toxic Releases"
WHEN Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Kennedy School, Littauer-382, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Sustainability
SPEAKER(S) Linda Bui
LINK http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k82245&pageid=icb.page443881

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The Origin of Cellular Life
WHEN Wed., Feb. 1, 2012, 6 – 7 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Museum of Natural History, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Education, Lecture, Science, Special Events
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Harvard Museum of Natural History, supported by a gift from Herman and Joan Suit
SPEAKER(S) Jack W. Szostak
COST Free and open to the public
NOTE The amazing diversity of life is a result of billions of years of evolution. But how did the process of evolution begin? Jack Szostak, a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School and distinguished investigator at Mass General, will describe how efforts to design and build very simple living cells are testing our assumptions about the nature of life, generating ideas about how life emerged from the chemistry of early Earth, and offering clues as to how modern life evolved from its earliest ancestors.
Free parking available in the 52 Oxford Street garage.

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After Hours Coalition
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
American Twine, 222 3rd Street, 4th floor, Cambridge

intrepidlabs presents After Hours Coalition

Come check out what these hot tech startups have been up to:
One Laptop Per Child
Brass Monkey
Tip Tap
Coachup

Enjoy presentations by local start-ups, expand your network, and indulge in an evening at intrepidlabs

brews, hors d'oeuvres, raffle

Come help welcome Intrepid Labs as Kendall's newest team work space. Make sure to bring your business cards!

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Extreme Weather
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
7:00 p.m.
Museum of Science, Boston
Register at http://extremeweather.eventbrite.com/

Bonnie Schneider, meteorologist, CNN Headline News.
In this post-Katrina era, we are more aware than ever of our vulnerability to natural disasters. Yet a 2007 survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that more than 30 percent of residents living within 20 miles of the coastline vowed they would not leave if ordered to evacuate for a major hurricane. The exact number of people killed in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius erupted is unknown, but 1,044 casts of bodies in ash deposits have been recovered. Centuries later, why do so many people stay in place and put themselves at risk despite dire warnings?

In her new book, Extreme Weather, CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider explains the science behind when natural disasters are likely to strike. Hear the latest on how to prepare for the unexpected and how these responses can make a difference between life and death. Book signing to follow.
Advance registration begins at 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 18 (Sunday, January 15 for Museum members). Any reserved seating passes not claimed 15 minutes before the program start time will be released to walk-ins. A limited number of passes will be available in the lobby on the day of the event: first come, first served. For more information or to register over the phone: 617-723-2500.

Admission is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute.

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Navigating the Nuclear Marketplace: How States Select Acquisition Strategies
WHEN Thu., Feb. 2, 2012, 12:15 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Center Library, Littauer-369, Harvard Kennedy School, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR International Security Program & Project on Managing the Atom
SPEAKER(S) Malfrid Braut-Hegghammer, assistant professor, Norwegian Defence University; former research fellow, International Security Program/Project on Managing the Atom, 2008–10
CONTACT INFO susan_lynch@harvard.edu
LINK http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/events/5681/navigating_the_nuclear_marketplace.html

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After Kim Jong Il: The Korean Peninsula and East Asian Security
WHEN Thu., Feb. 2, 2012, 12:30 – 2 p.m.
WHERE Belfer Case Study Room (S020), Japan Friends of Harvard Concourse, CGIS South Bldg., 1730 Cambridge St., Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Program on U.S.-Japan Relations; co-sponsored by the Kim Koo Forum on U.S.-Korea Relations, the Korea Institute; and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
SPEAKER(S) Stephen W. Bosworth, dean, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; United States special representative for North Korea policy (2009-11); and U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea (1997-2001)
COST Free
CONTACT INFO xtian@wcfia.harvard.edu
LINK http://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/us-japan/schedule/schedule.htm

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Intellectual Property and Patent Law
Thursday, February 02, 2012
2:00p–4:00p
MIT, Whitehead Auditorium, 9 Cambridge Center, Kendall Square, Cambridge
What kinds of opportunities exist in law related professions? What are these careers like and are they right for you?

Eileen Falvey, Partner, Jones Day
Robert Plotkin, Founder and IP lawyer at Robert Plotkin, PC, Adjunct Professor at Boston University
Ronda Moore, Partner, Burns & Levinson LLC
Christine Vito, Partner, K&L Gates

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Biology

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Design to Scale - Developing Technologies for Global Impact
Thursday, February 02, 2012
3:30p–5:00p
MIT, Building 56-114, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Working to scale a technology designed for the bottom of the pyramid? Come join for the first of a series of events as we lay the foundation for what to consider when designing for global impact. You'll hear from a handful of entrepreneurs working on development technologies as we explore questions like ??? how to select the right problem to solve, design for dissemination, to test your technology in the field, finance growth, manage operations and scale working models.

Confirmed speakers with more to be announced:
Peter Haas with AIDG (http://www.aidg.org)
Zubaida Bai, Ayzh (http://ayzh.com)

Moderated by Joost Bonsen
RSVP to http://bit.ly/vth7Id
* This is the first of a monthly series.

Web site: http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/events/view/210
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): IDEAS Global Challenge, International Development Initiative, MIT Public Service Center, MIT Sloan Entrepreneurs for International Development, D-Lab, Media Lab Entrepreneurship Program

For more information, contact:
Kate Mytty
6177155474
kmytty@mit.edu

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The Arab Awakening
Thursday, February 2, 2012
6:00-7:30 PM
John F. Kennedy School of Government, 79 John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge

One Year Anniversary: The Arab Awakening
John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Event

Open to the Public

Description: With Open Hands Initiative Founder Tina Brown (Moderator), HKS Professor Tarek Masoud, Global Post co-founder, editor and Vice President Charles M. Sennott, and journalist Mona Eltahawy. Co-sponsored by the Open Hands Initiative.

Contact: Middle East Initiative
Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
John F Kennedy School of Government, 79 John F. Kennedy St., Cambridge

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A night with the USGBC Student Groups of MA & RI.
Feb. 2, 2012

6-8:30pm

Space with a Soul, 7th floor loft, 281 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210

Registration is FREE.

"USGBC Students recruits, connects and equips the next generation of green building leaders by empowering them to transform their campuses, communities and careers."

1. Introduction from Pat Lane, Update on USGBC Students Program

2. Attendee Introductions and Roundtable Discussion

3. Best student group practices: LEED GA study groups, group fundraising for Greenbuild attendance, campus project planning, and member recruiting
4. Green School Presentation
5. Food and Open Networking between students, group advisors, any Emerging Professionals (EPMA)

RSVP:http://usgbcma.org/civicrm/event/register?id=163&reset=1

USGBC Students website: http://centerforgreenschools.org/usgbcstudents

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Consent of the Networked
Thursday, February 2, 2012
6:00 PM
New MIT Media Lab, Silverman Room (E14-648), 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Free and Open to the Public
RSVP required for those attending in person. RSVP at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2012/02/mackinnon#RSVP

Rebecca MacKinnon

A global struggle for control of the Internet is now underway. At stake are no less than civil liberties, privacy and even the character of democracy in the 21st century. Many commentators have debated whether the Internet is ultimately a force for freedom of expression and political liberation, or for alienation, and repression. It is time to stop arguing over whether the Internet empowers individuals and societies, and address the more fundamental and urgent question of how technology should be structured and governed to support the rights and liberties of all the world’s Internet users. In her timely book, Rebecca MacKinnon warns that a convergence of unchecked government actions and unaccountable company practices is threatening the future of democracy and human rights around the world. Consent of the Networked is a call to action: Our freedom in the Internet age depends on whether we defend our rights on digital platforms and networks in the same way that people fight for their rights and accountable governance in physical communities and nations. It is time to stop thinking of ourselves as passive “users” of technology and instead act like citizens of the Internet – as netizens – and take ownership and responsibility for our digital future.

About Rebecca
Rebecca MacKinnon is a Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, where she conducts research, writing and advocacy on global Internet policy, free expression, and the impact of digital technologies on human rights. She is cofounder of Global Voices, an international citizen media network. She also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Global Network Initiative.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, MacKinnon worked as a journalist for CNN in Beijing for nine years and was Beijing Bureau Chief and Correspondent from 1998-2001, then served as CNN’s Tokyo Bureau Chief and Correspondent from 2001-03. From 2004-06 she was a Research Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, where she began her ongoing research and writing about the Chinese Internet in addition to launching Global Voices with colleague Ethan Zuckerman. In 2007-08 she taught online journalism at the University of Hong Kong’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre. In 2009 she conducted research and writing as an Open Society Fellow, and in the Spring of 2010 she was a Visiting Fellow at Princeton’s Center or Information Technology Policy. MacKinnon received her AB magna cum laude from Harvard College and was a Fullbright scholar in Taiwan in 1991-92.

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Community Health Online: The Emergence of ePatients.
WHEN Thu., Feb. 2, 2012, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
WHERE RCC conference room, 26 Trowbridge Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Health Sciences, Lecture
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Real Colegio Complutense
SPEAKER(S) Ana Isabel Masedo, UCM (Madrid, Spain)
COST Free
CONTACT INFO rcc_info@harvard.edu
NOTE in English, open to the public
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High Efficiency Electric Power Generation: The Environmental Role
Fri Feb 3

11am-01:00pm

MIT, Building 66-110, 25 Ames Street, Cambridge

Janos Beer

It is generally understood that high efficiency electric power generation consistent with high reliability of operation and reduced cost of electricity is economically beneficial, but its effect upon reduction of all plant emissions without the installation of additional emission control equipment is less well appreciated. High efficiency as the most cost effective tool capable of reducing CO2 emission from fossil fuel plant in the short term has become a key concept for the choice of technology for both new plant and upgrades of existing plant. High efficiency is also important for future applications of CCS to mitigate the energy penalty of the CO2 capture process.


Power generating options including Coal based Rankin cycle with advanced steam parameters, Coal gasification combined cycle, Natural gas-fired combined cycle and Oxy combustion are discussed and compared for their development, demonstration and commercial availability for deployment.
Contact: Janos Beer, 66-301, x3-6661, jmbeer@mit.edu
Sponsor: Chemical Engineering

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The Biophysical Borderline: Exploring the Boundary Between Inanimate and Living Matter

Friday, February 03, 2012

1:30p–2:30p

MIT, Building 6-120, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

MIT Physics Lecture Series:
Professor Jeremy England
No enrollment limit, no advance sign up
Participants welcome at individual sessions (series)

Living things are good at collecting information about their surroundings, and at putting that information to use through the ways they interact with their environment so as to survive and replicate themselves. Thus, talking about biology inevitably leads to talking about decision, purpose, and function. At the same time, living things are also made of atoms that, in and of themselves, have no particular function. Rather, molecules and the atoms from which they are built exhibit well-defined physical properties having to do with how they bounce off of, stick to, and combine with each other across space and over time. Making sense of life at the molecular level is all about building a bridge between these two different ways of looking at the world. In this lecture we will discuss the ways in which a deep understanding of statistical physics can help to illuminate the inner workings of biological systems.


Web site: http://student.mit.edu/iap/ns8.html

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Physics IAP, Physics Department

For more information, contact:
Denise Wahkor
617-253-4855

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Resilience Circles Introductory Webinar

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

Webinar Registration at https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/303828366

Join us for an interactive online webinar about Resilience Circles, an approach to building individual and community resilience during difficult economic times. We’ll talk about how to start a circle for your community or congregation, including:
finding an organizing partner
finding participants through base communities and the "linking method"
how to share the idea of a circle with others
some notes on the curriculum
Please enter any questions or comments for our panelists below. Read more about Resilience Circles at http://localcircles.org.

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Upcoming

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Harvard Law School Food Law Society Hosting a Raw Milk Debate
When: Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7:15 pm – 8:45 pm
Where: Harvard Law School, Langdell South Classroom. For those that can’t make it, the event will be live-streamed. Video will also be available after the event.

At one time, everyone drank raw milk. But with the invention of pasteurization and its attendant safety benefits, consumption of raw milk in this country almost completely disappeared. In fact, in many states it is illegal to sell raw milk. But a growing segment of the population is clamoring for increased access to raw milk, citing its nutritional benefits. Opponents are skeptical of such nutritional claims and believe the safety risks of unpasteurized milk are simply too high.

Join the Food Law Society as we present a debate covering the legal, health, and nutritional merits of raw milk. The participants are:

Fred Pritzker, Pritzker & Olson Law Firm
Dr. Heidi Kassenborg, Director, Dairy & Food Inspection Division, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
vs.
Sally Fallon Morell, President, Weston A. Price Foundation
David Gumpert, Author, The Raw Milk Revolution

Contact: Jonathan Abrams, jabrams@jd12.law.harvard.edu

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Implementing Bold State Energy-Related Environmental Regulations, Policies, & Programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut;
and The Future of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)

Friday, February 17, 2012
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02210

***Free and open to the public with no advanced registration***

Join us as we kick off the Roundtable's 17th year with a blockbuster Roundtable focusing on bold state and regional energy-related environmental regulations, policies, and programs.

Our first panel features recent important state-level developments in Massachusetts and Connecticut.Massachusetts Department of Environmental ProtectionCommissioner Ken Kimmel will describe the various new activities that DEP and the state are undertaking to insure the successful implementation of Massachusetts' landmark legislation, including the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green Communities Act.

Connecticut's recently-appointed Deputy Commissioner of Energy Jonathan Schrag will then discuss the plethora of activities Connecticut is undertaking (following the recent consolidation of its energy and environmental agencies under a new Department of Energy and Environmental Protection), all of which aim to reduce energy prices, while enhancing the pursuit of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies.

Our second panel focuses on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first carbon cap and trade system in the United States, as it completes its third year of operation and begins a three-year review process that could result in changes to RGGI's design and implementation. Yet with New Jersey's recent withdrawal from RGGI and New Hampshire's near-withdrawal, is RGGI's future secure?

The panel begins with Maine PUC Commissioner David Littell (who is also Chairman of RGGI,Inc.)
Commissioner Littell will take stock of RGGI's first phase, laying out the questions that the states will be trying to answer in their review process and describing the review process itself.

Analysis Group Senior Vice President Paul Hibbardwill then present the findings of an in-depth study undertaken by Analysis Group, with funding support from several foundations, on the economic costs and benefits of RGGI's first phase - both regionally and state-by-state. Rounding out the panel and sharing their insights on RGGI's first three years, the Analysis Group study, and their hopes and fears regarding RGGI's future, will be Environment Northeast's Director for Energy/Climate Policy Derek Murrow, and NRG Energy's Senior VP for Sustainability Policy & Strategy Steve Corneli.

12/9/11 Restructuring Roundtable Meeting video at http://www.raabassociates.org/main/roundtable.asp?sel=110


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Opportunity

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*J e s t e r*
**Facebook Profile **¦**
LinkedIn
**
P a r a n o i d Z e n
jes...@paranoidzen.com*
http://www.paranoidzen.com

Hi All,

I am sending this out to a bunch of lists I'm on, so apologies for cross posting effects.

Our new forums are up and running, and they are free for all! We are aiming for this to become a place where Boston area collaborations, discussions and skill shares in audio, video, lighting, programming, hacking, and other various forms of 'making' happen.

Find them here: http://cemmi.org/index.php/forum/index

Since its early, I imagine they will go through some serious evolutions in terms of organization but we hope you will stop by and check them out. The forums even work on most mobile platforms :)

You can sign in using your Gmail, Google app, or Facebook credentials so there is no need to create a new account (we'll be adding a button to make that more obvious soon).

If you have any suggestions or changes, let us know, and if you are up for helping moderate, please reach out!

Many thanks, and I hope to see you there!

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

Young World Inventors Success!

Young World Inventors (http://yinventors.wordpress.com/) finished their Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1036325713/youngworldinventorscom) to fund insider web stories of African and American innovators in collaboration successfully.

New contributions, however, will be accepted.

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-----------

Resource

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Massachusetts Attitudes About Climate Change – An opinion survey of Massachusetts residents conducted by MassINC and sponsored by the Barr Foundation found that 77% of respondents believe that global warming has “probably been happening” and 59% of all respondents see see it as being at least partially caused by human pollution. Only 42% of the state’s residents say global warming will have very serious consequences for Massachusetts if left unaddressed. The 18 to 29 age group is more likely to believe global warming is appearing and caused by humans compared to the 60+ age group. African-American (56%) and Latino residents (69%) are more likely than white residents (40%) to believe global warming will be a very serious problem if left unaddressed. The MassINC report, titled The 80 Percent Challenge: What Massachusetts must do to meet targets and make headway on climate change (http://www.massinc.org/Research/The-80-percent-challenge.aspx), contains many other findings.

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The presentations from the recent Affordable Comfort National Home Performance Conference are available online at
http://2011.acinational.org/downloadable_resources

Lots of good information from what some call the best energy conference in the USA on Deep Energy Retrofits to Community Energy Challenges with details on insulation, heat flow, energy metering, ducting, hot water, and many, many other topics. If you are a practical energy wonk, this should make your eyes light up.

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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@wellesley.edu

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Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/

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Links to events at 60 colleges and universities at Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com

Thanks to

Fred Hapgood's Selected Lectures on Science and Engineering in the Boston Area http://www.BostonScienceLectures.com

Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/

Arts and Cultural Events List http://aacel.blogspot.com/

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

http://sustainability.mit.edu/

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

http://green.harvard.edu/events

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

http://pechakuchaboston.org/blog/

http://boston.nerdnite.com/

http://www.meetup.com/

http://www.eventbrite.com/

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Energy (and Other) Events - January 22, 2012

Energy (and Other) Events is a weekly mailing list published most Sundays covering events around the Cambridge, MA and greater Boston area that catch the editor's eye.

Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.

If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events email gmoke@world.std.com

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Reinventing Fire http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/22/1057420/-Reinventing-Fire

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Brookline Climate Action Week
Activities from January 24 to January 29
http://www.climatechangeactionbrookline.org/climateweek2012.html

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New England Clean Energy Transmission Summit

Monday, January 23, 2012
9:00am - 4:30pm

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Connolly Center, Fourth Floor, 600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA

RSVP at sthomas@energyfuturecoalition.org

Congressman Ed Markey
U.S. House of Representatives

Representative Edward J. Markey, a national leader on energy and the environment, is the Ranking Democratic Member of the House Natural Resources Committee and Senior Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee. He has served on the Committee since his election to the House of Representatives in 1976. In addition to being a steward of our public lands, national parks, and oceans, Rep.Markey has fought to create new jobs in American clean energy. He also consistently served as consumer champion against rising gas prices and foreign oil.

Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)
Commissioner Cheryl A. LaFleur has more than 20 years experience as a leader in the electric and natural gas industry. She retired in 2007 as executive vice president and acting CEO of National Grid USA, responsible for the delivery of electricity to 3.4 million customers in the Northeast. Her previous positions at National Grid USA and its predecessor New England Electric System included chief operating officer, president of the New England distribution companies and general counsel.

New England Clean Energy Transmission Summit on Monday, January 23rd from 9 am to 4:30 pm at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston --a series of keynote addresses and panel discussions intended to forge clean energy solutions drawing on the full range of options, from renewable energy to transmission infrastructure to demand side solutions like energy efficiency.

The event will feature Congressman Ed Markey, FERC Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur, and a video address from environmental advocate Bill McKibben. Attendance at this event is free, and breakfast, lunch, and a reception are included.

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Day 1: Leadership in the 21st Century
Monday, January 23, 2012

10:30a–12:30p

MIT, Building E51-149, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Understanding what makes a person an effective Leader - "The Art of Becoming"

Speaker: Partha S. Ghosh

Web site: http://web.mit.edu/psgleadership
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming
For more information, contact:
UAAP Staff
253-6771
uaap-www@mit.edu

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Cold Fusion 101: Introduction to Excess Power in Fleischmann-Pons Experiments
Mon-Fri, Jan 23-27, 30-31,
11am-12:30pm, 4-145 Mon -Thurs,
MIT, Building 4-149, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Peter Hagelstein

Excess power production in the Fleischmann-Pons experiment; lack of confirmation in early negative experiments; theoretical problems and Huizenga's three miracles; physical chemistry of PdD; electrochemistry of PdD; loading requirements on excess power production; the nuclear ash problem and He-4 observations; approaches to theory; screening in PdD; PdD as an energetic particle detector; constraints on the alpha energy from experiment; overview of theoretical approaches; coherent energy exchange between mismatched quantum systems; coherent x-rays in the Karabut experiment and interpretation; excess power in the NiH system; Piantelli experiment; prospects for a new small scale clean nuclear energy technology.

On 1/30 and 1/31 M. Swartz will discuss results he has obtained from a variety of cold fusion experiments he has done over the years. He has observed excess power in PdD and in NiH experiments; typical energy gains in the range of 2-3 are seen, with a few experiments giving higher energy gain; he has carried out a demonstration of his experiment previously at MIT; and energy produced from cold fusion reactions has been used to drive a Stirling engine.
Contact: Peter Hagelstein, plh@mit.edu
Sponsor: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

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Government and Policy Panel
Monday, January 23, 2012
3:00p–4:00p
MIT, Building 68-181, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge
Gerard Ostheimer, Foreign Agriculture Service International Affairs Specialist, US Department of Agriculture
Jacqueline Ashmore, Director of Projects and Planning, Union of Concerned Scientists

Major decisions are made in Washington, D.C. that affect our research budgets, health care, and foods and drugs. As scientists we can get involved in the federal policymaking process and provide valuable scientific expertise and analysis to some of the biggest questions of our day. Find out what steps to take and what programs are available for Ph.D.s that want to participate in policy decisions.

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Biology

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Topics in Bioengineering
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Harvard, Geological Museum, Room 102, Haller Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge

Speaker: George Church
Founding Core Faculty Member and Platform Leader for Biomaterials Evolution, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University
Professor of Genetics, Harvard Medical School and Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Contact information:george.ye@gmail.com

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Hackademia: Leveraging the Conflict Between Expertise and Innovation to Create Disruptive Technologies
Tuesday, January 24, 12:30 pm
Harvard, Berkman Center, 23 Everett Street, second floor, Cambridge
RSVP required for those attending in person at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/luncheon/2012/01/kolko#RSVP
This event will be webcast live at 12:30 pm ET and archived on our site shortly after at http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/interactive/webcast

Beth Kolko, University of Washington

This talk describes two projects that tackle the same issue: how and why do nonexperts contribute to innovation? The conflict between expertise and innovation sits uneasily in academia, where the enterprise hinges on doling out official credentials. But a lack of expertise can in fact drive people to create the kind of disruptive technologies that really are game-changers. In this presentation I'll present findings from a book-in-progress based on interviews with hackers and makers tentatively titled "Why Rulebreakers Will Rule the World." That book connects the hacking and making/DIY communities at the point of disruptive technologies, demonstrating how the lack of institutional affiliation and formal credentials within each community opens up the space for creative problem-solving approaches. The presentation will also discuss the results of a two-year experiment I've been running within the university entitled "Hackademia" which is an attempt to infect academic pursuits with a hacker ethos and challenge non-experts to see themselves as potentially significant contributors to innovative technologies. Hackademia is a semi-formal learning group that introduces mostly nontechnical students to basic technical skills and presents them with an open-ended challenge. There have been six iterations of the group so far, and each quarter new students join as we use a participant-observation model to explore how nontechnical adults gain technical skills. Hackademia is driven by a desire to create functional rather than accredited engineers, to position engineering literacy as a skill that's as important to an informed citizenry as science literacy, and to help individuals see themselves as creators rather than consumers.

About Beth
Dr. Beth Kolko is an Associate Professor in the Department of Technical Communication at the University of Washington. She was previously a professor of English at the University of Wyoming and the University of Texas at Arlington with a specialty in rhetoric.

She has been active in the technology and communication areas for nearly two decades. Her work in the early 1990s focused on rhetorical theory and cultural studies with an emphasis on writing as a social act. Studying writers in informal educational settings, both offline and online, sparked her interest in the Internet (which was then text-based) as a writing environment. As the development of new Internet technologies resulted in changes to the kind content online, her research shifted from considering texts to multimedia. Her work on virtual communities at that point began to include visual representations of users in online environments and issues related to community fragmentation online. That work was tied to her long-term interests in how identity and diversity impact people’s use of technology. Her chapter “Erasing @race: Going White in the (Inter)Face” in her co-edited volume Race and Cyberspace framed the argument about diversity and technology in terms of interface design and assumptions about users. She is also the editor of Virtual Publics (Columbia UP, 2003), co-author of Writing in an Electronic World (Longman, 2001), and the author of numerous journal articles and book chapters.

Her current research further develops the idea of diversity and technology by focusing on information and communications technologies in developing countries in order to counteract what could be called a failure of imagination in terms of how devices, software, and services are designed. The possible benefit of ICTs across domains has been documented, but much of the technology currently available does not consider the infrastructure and regulatory challenges of most usage environments, or the multi-lingual, low-literacy, and other elements of users’ context. To that end, her current research project is focused on Design for Digital Inclusion (DDI), which applies theory-based analyses of culture and technology in order to examine how technology is used in diverse settings. One goal of this project is to demonstrate how technologists, social scientists, and humanities scholars can collaborate on technology-related development and implementation projects.

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Climate Policy and Outcomes from Durban
Tue Jan 24
1-03:00pm
MIT, Building E51-151, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Paul Natsuo Kishimoto, Arthur Gueneau

Concerned about climate change, but unsure how our policy options stack up? Come learn enough to hold your own at a cocktail party on current climate policy topics! From the basic economics to the pros and cons and political feasibility of different policy options, this course will be a tour de force of current issues in climate change economics and policy.

In particular, we'll help you decipher the outcomes from Durban in November 2011, and compare the stances of the major players as the world works towards a 2015 agreement to replace the Kyoto protocol.

Web: http://globalchange.mit.edu/news/event-item.php?id=471
Contact: Megan Lickley, E19-411, mlickley@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change
Cosponsor: Center for Global Change Science

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Too Big to Know
Tuesday, January 24

6:00PM
Harvard Law School
RSVP required for those attending in person: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/events/2012/01/weinberger
Co-sponsored by the Harvard Law School Library and the Office of the Senior Associate Provost at Harvard University

David Weinberger, Berkman Center and Harvard Law School Library Lab

We used to know how to know. Get some experts, maybe a methodology, add some criteria and credentials, publish the results, and you get knowledge we can all rely on. But as knowledge is absorbed by our new digital medium, it's becoming clear that the fundamentals of knowledge are not properties of knowledge but of its old paper medium. Indeed, the basic strategies of knowledge that emerged in the West addressed a basic problem: skulls don't scale. But the Net does. Now networked knowledge is taking on the properties of its new medium: never being settled, including disagreement within itself, and becoming not a set of stopping points but a web of temptations. Networked knowledge, for all its strengths, has its own set of problems. But, in knowledge's new nature there is perhaps a hint about why the Net has such surprising transformative power.

About David
David Weinberger writes about the effect of technology on ideas.

He is the author of Small Pieces Loosely Joined and Everything Is Miscellaneous, and is the co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto. His book, Too Big to Know, is about the Internet's effect on how and what we know.

Dr. Weinberger is a senior researcher at the Berkman Center. He is also co-director of the Harvard Law School Library Lab, and is a Franklin Fellow at the United States Department of State. He has a doctorate in philosophy.

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"Fuel Your Mind" -- A Primer on Transportation Fuels, Current and Future
Wed Jan 25,
9am-04:00pm
MIT, Building 32-124, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge

William H. Green (MIT Dept. of Chem. Eng.), BP Global Fuels Technology

How is crude oil converted into gasoline and other transportation fuels? Is the gasoline available in Boston the same as what is available in Chicago? What are biofuels and what is driving the demand for these fuels of the future? Which fuel properties matter for performance?

Please join us in this short course offered by engineers from BP and Prof. Green to answer these questions, and to gain a better understanding of transportation fuels, and fuel processing technology.

Experiences so far with E85 (and CNG) illustrate some of the realities which make it very challenging to introduce alternative fuels which are not compatible with existing engines and infrastructure.

Topics to be addressed include:

1. Fuel Performance Criteria
2. Refining
3. Gasoline and Diesel
4. Biofuels, Ethanol & E85

Contact: William Green, 66-350, x3-4580, whgreen@mit.edu
Sponsor: Chemical Engineering

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Reversing Global Warming and Desertification with Livestock?

Counter Intuitive Thinking: A Futurists Inquiry

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

12:30-1:45

Tufts, The Fletcher School, Cabot 702, 170 Packard Avenue, Medford

with Seth Itzkan President, Planet-TECH Associates

Global warming and desertification are universally understood to be exacerbated through poor land and livestock management, but can a new practice called Holistic Management use cattle to restore depleted grasslands and sequester carbon? This presentation will investigate the counter intuitive idea that livestock can improve soil health and enhance climate stability, but only when managed in a way that mimics the ungulate herd behavior that grasslands evolved with. This simple change to livestock management, it is argued by its practitioners, could be one of the most important tools we have to address global warming.

Seth Itzkan is a Tufts graduate (E'83) and President of Planet-TECH Associates, a consultancy that looks at trends and innovations. Recently, at the invitation of the Savory Institute, he spent six weeks with the Africa Center for Holistic Management in Zimbabwe. There he saw firsthand the practice of Holistic Planned Grazing, using increased numbers of livestock to reverse desertification, improving both grass cover and water cycle. This is part of a growing trend where land managers move cattle in a fashion that simulates wild herds in the presence of predation - tightly packed and mobile with no overgrazing. Seth will share photos, videos, stories and discuss the history and penetration of this practice. He will also consider its potential impact on land management policies and how we regard ecosystem services, including the role of herbivores in the matrix of climate stabilization. Seth is a member of the World Future Studies Federation (WFSF) and former Co-President of the Boston Chapter of World Future Society. He has consulted on trends and innovations for The Boston Foundation, The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and The US Census Bureau.

Open to the public. Convened by Professor William Moomaw, Director of the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy and Professor of International Environmental Policy at Fletcher.

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Seminar in Environmental Economics and Policy: "What Are the Welfare Costs of Shoreline Loss? Housing Market Evidence from a Discontinuity Matching Design"
WHEN Wed., Jan. 25, 2012, 4 – 5:30 p.m.
WHERE Harvard Kennedy School, Littauer-382, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Environmental Sciences, Lecture, Sustainability
SPEAKER(S) Matthew Ranson
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k82245&pageid=icb.page443881

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COOPERATIVE BUSINESSES AND LOW COST COMPUTING

Wed 1/25

7:00 pm

Occuoy Boston RADIO http://www.occupyboston.org/radio/ or http://obr.fm

with Wayne Clark and Marlene Archer of Occupy Newton

Wayne Clark has been involved with cooperative businesses over many years, and will talk about what a cooperative is and is not, and how by organizing production in cooperatives we can build for a non-capitalist future.
Marlene Archer works with a non-profit that acquires old computers, including relatively recent ones being replaced by corporations and rich institutions, and recycles them to make low cost computers available to individuals and smaller non-profits. She will talk about computer recycling, and other ways of accessing computing power on a limited budget.

Occupy Boston Radio is currently available by internet only. You can reach us at http://www.occupyboston.org/radio/ or http://obr.fm, or by going to
http://occupyboston.org and choosing "Radio" from the upper right of the red menu bar at the top of the page. Once on the page, click the "play" arrow on the radio player control app to begin listening. Listener participation is possible via call-in or IRC chat - see phone number and link on the radio page.

FSU-RADIO is an educational series by Occupy Boston's Free School University. Our goal is to form an autonomous zone and share skills needed to maintain that, to entertain educate and enliven Occupiers and the general public. Our purpose is to provide support and space for skill sharing and sharing basic info regarding Occupy Boston and to encourage self-organization, teaching, and learning opportunities.

Our Wednesday program consists of TALK radio featuring educational content such as lectures, panel discussions and interviews.

Host: David Knuttunen (guest hosts from time to time)
Time: WED 7-8pm

To propose a guest for the program, email fsu@occupyboston.org, or call
David Knuttunen 617-558-5853.

NB: Marlene is a co-worker at the public access computing site, Virtually Wired, back in the day and part of the Boston Computer Society Environmental Computing Group.

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"Horses and Thunder" - Meeting Energy Needs Through Deepwater Oil Exploration and Production

Thursday, January 26, 2012

9:00a–4:00p

MIT, Building 3-370, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Speaker: Patrick Cooke and Dr. Adam Ballard (BP) and Prof. Ahmed F. Ghoniem, Mechanical Engineering

This short course will discuss these and other important energy questions, focusing on gaining better understanding of exploring and producing oil and gas in deep water basins.

Open to: MIT community and general public

Sponsor(s): CEPR/RGD Laboratory

For more information, contact:
Lorraine M. Rabb
617-253-2210
lrabb@mit.edu

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+ Garden Lab

January 26th

6:30 PM
Brandt Gallery, South Building, Mass Art, Huntington Avenue, Boston

Come and see an evolving group exhibition at the Mass Art Brandt Gallery. The show includes a series of public workshops. One part of the exhibit will develop two garden-based pieces throughout the duration of the exhibition that visualize the future social and botanical ecologies that could emerge as a result of climate change. For more information visit the Garden Lab web site at http://sf.massart.edu/gardenlab/

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Data Day: A free one-day conference
Friday, January 27th, 2012
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m

Curry Student Center, Northeastern University, 346 Huntington Avenue, Boston

Register at http://dataday2012.eventbrite.com/

About Data Day
More data are available today than ever before. In addition, new tools are making it easier to explore trends, craft powerful stories, and spur change. Learn how to access information, meet colleagues from across sectors, and get inspired to apply data to your work, all for free at Data Day 2012!

The goal of Data Day is to help organizations and municipalities expand their capacity to use technology and data in innovative ways to advance their community and organizational goals. This biennial conference is co-sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Boston Indicators Project at The Boston Foundation, andNortheastern University.

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A new theory for designing socio-computational systems

When: Jan 27, 2012
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Where: Harvard, Maxwell Dworkin, MDG125, 33 Oxford Street, Cambridge

Mihaela van der Schaar , Professor of Electrical Engineering, UCLA

This talk proposes a new generation of ideas and technologies for designing the interactions between self-interested, learning agents in socio-computational systems. When systems or networks are composed of compliant machines (wireless nodes, sensors, routers, mobile phones etc.), network utility maximization (NUM) and other well-known control and optimization methods can be used to achieve efficient designs. When the communities are composed of intelligent and self-interested agents (as in peer-to-peer networks, social networks, crowdsourcing etc.), such methods are not effective and efficiency is much more difficult to achieve because the interests of the individual agents may be in conflict with that of the system designer. This talk introduces a new theoretical framework for efficiently designing socio-computational systems using a novel class of incentives (rewards and punishments).

Speaker Biography:
Mihaela van der Schaar is Chancellor's Professor of Electrical Engineering at University of California, Los Angeles. Her research interests include engineering economics and game theory, dynamic multi-user networks and system designs, online learning, multimedia networking, communication, processing, and systems, and multimedia stream mining. She is an IEEE Fellow, a Distinguished Lecturer of the Communications Society for 2011-2012, the Editor in Chief of IEEE Transactions on Multimedia and a member of the Editorial Board of the IEEE Journal on Selected Topics in Signal Processing. She received an NSF CAREER Award (2004), the Best Paper Award from IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology (2005), the Okawa Foundation Award (2006), the IBM Faculty Award (2005, 2007, 2008), the Most Cited Paper Award from EURASIP: Image Communications Journal (2006), the Gamenets Conference Best Paper Award (2011) and the 2011 IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Darlington Award Best Paper Award. She received three ISO awards for her contributions to the MPEG video compression and streaming international standardization activities, and holds 33 granted US patents. For more information about her research visit: http://medianetlab.ee.ucla.edu/

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Let’s Talk About Food Presents An Old Fashioned Teach-In on the 2012 Farm Bill
Sunday, January 29, 2012
2-6 pm with keynote panel at 3:00 p.m.
Cahners Theater, BOSTON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, 1 Science Park, Boston

National experts on the 2012 Farm Bill Weigh In on Legislature and how it will affect farms
Panel speakers include:
Marion Nestle, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Public Health at New York University, author of Food Politics and What to Eat
Representative Chellie Pingree (Maine), Member of the House Committee on Agriculture.
Moderator: Let’s Talk About Food Founder Louisa Kasdon.

What do we New Englanders need to know about the Farm Bill? Plenty. Spend the afternoon at the Museum of Science and learn why the Farm Bill should really be called the Food Bill. Most of us know that the Farm Bill is coming up for re-authorization in 2012, but we truly don’t understand why and how much (and is some cases, how little) it matters to each of us. Join an expert group of panelists to help break down what the Farm Bill means to the food and farming industry. The event will take place throughout the Museum of Science and will include keynotes, a working session, panel discussions, as well as a meet-up room for the community to learn what local organizations are doing.

FREE but please register at: http://www.mos.org/events_activities/events&d=5346

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Envision Boston's Urban Agriculture

Monday, January 30, 2012
6-8:30 p.m.
Suffolk University, Downtown Boston, 73 Tremont Street, 9th Floor*
* Maximum capacity: 150 persons. Must bring some form of I.D. (Drivers license, credit card) to clear building security; OR, send your full name by January 27 to: john.read.BRA@cityofboston.gov

Brainstorm the future of agriculture in Boston! Learn about Urban Agriculture, taste food samples, and find out how zoning can support farming! Featuring Keynote Speaker Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., former pro athlete, and 2008 McArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient for his work on urban farming and sustainable food production. Check out the Urban Agriculture Kickoff & Visioning Flyer here
(http://www.greendorchester.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/UrbanAgriculture-Kickoff-Visioning-Mtg-Flyer-for-1.30.2012.pdf)

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives are launching a new project to update the Boston Zoning Code to support Urban Agriculture (UA) city wide. UA is small scale farming that makes healthy, fresh food more accessible and empowers Bostonians by creating economic opportunity. Examples of urban farming include rooftop greenhouse agriculture, aquaponics (fish farming), community farms, farm stands, composting, and other fresh food-producing endeavors.

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Crowdsortium Boston II
January 30, 2012
6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
The Microsoft New England Research & Development Center (NERD), 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at http://crowdsortiummeetup2-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=18

Last year, uTest and Crowdly (formerly Appswell) kicked off the first Crowdsortium Boston meetup. Harvard professor Karim Lakhani and CEOs of the top crowdsourcing companies came together to introduce the current state and coming evolution of the crowdsourcing model.

Due to its great success, this year we’re exploding into 2012 with another event! Thanks to Crowdly, uTest, and our sponsor Article One Parners, Crowdsortium Boston II will be on Monday, January 30 from 6:30-8:30pm again at the Microsoft NERD, Cambridge!

After a brief introduction from Professor at Northeastern Jeff Howe, who coined the term crowdsourcing, a panel of chief community executives from leading crowdsourcing companies will discuss Community Management: Evolving From Mobs To Crowds To Communities and dive deeper into the keys to successfully employing a crowdsourcing model.

Anyone can build a loosely affiliated, unstructured crowd – a mob. The secret to community management is to advance beyond the ‘mob’ to create an engaged, interactive community of diverse and skilled professionals. Panel topics include:
Challenges and opportunities of managing a massive global workforce
Scaling a crowdsourcing business sharply, quickly and profitably
How to get what you want, while giving them what they want
Recruitment and engagement; reputation and compensation systems.

After the panel, we’ll wrap up the meetup with the opportunity to do some networking along with complimentary pizza and beer!

Moderator:
Jeff Howe, Father of Crowdsourcing and Professor at Northeastern University

Confirmed Panelists:
Matt Johnston, CMO at uTest
Gabe Miano, VP of Product at OnForce

About The Crowdsortium
With more than 80 crowdsourcing companies and 200 venture capitalists, researchers and professionals, the Crowdsortium is a group of industry practitioners that have self-organized to advance crowdsourcing models through best practices, education, data collection and public dialog. The Crowdsortium aims to provide each of its constituents with the knowledge to get the most out of participating in crowdsourcing. Find out more about how to become a member at http://www.crowdsortium.org/membership/.

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Nerd Night
Monday January 30, 2012
8pm at Middlesex Lounge, 315 Mass Ave, Cambridge
$5
Featuring Nerd-appropriate tunes by Claude Money

Talk 1. “Frontier Nerd: Going it Alone in Western Montana”
by Mattie Booth

Talk 2. “CA$H FOR YOUR WARHOL: The Evolution of a Prank”
by Geoff Hargadon

For more information about the speakers and the talks

http://boston.nerdnite.com/2012/01/22/nerdnitejan30/


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Upcoming

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Service Smorgasbord: Eats and Opportunities
Tuesday, January 31
noon – 1:30pm
MIT, Building W20-491
RSVP to http://bit.ly/ti9Bhx

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Design to Scale – Developing Technologies for Global Impact
Thursday, February 2
3:30 – 5:00pm
MIT, Building 56-114
RSVP to http://bit.ly/vth7Id

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Implementing Bold State Energy-Related Environmental Regulations, Policies, & Programs in Massachusetts and Connecticut;
and The Future of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)

Friday, February 17, 2012
9 am to 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Boulevard, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02210

***Free and open to the public with no advanced registration***

Join us as we kick off the Roundtable's 17th year with a blockbuster Roundtable focusing on bold state and regional energy-related environmental regulations, policies, and programs.

Our first panel features recent important state-level developments in Massachusetts and Connecticut.Massachusetts Department of Environmental ProtectionCommissioner Ken Kimmel will describe the various new activities that DEP and the state are undertaking to insure the successful implementation of Massachusetts' landmark legislation, including the Global Warming Solutions Act and the Green Communities Act.

Connecticut's recently-appointed Deputy Commissioner of Energy Jonathan Schrag will then discuss the plethora of activities Connecticut is undertaking (following the recent consolidation of its energy and environmental agencies under a new Department of Energy and Environmental Protection), all of which aim to reduce energy prices, while enhancing the pursuit of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies.

Our second panel focuses on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the first carbon cap and trade system in the United States, as it completes its third year of operation and begins a three-year review process that could result in changes to RGGI's design and implementation. Yet with New Jersey's recent withdrawal from RGGI and New Hampshire's near-withdrawal, is RGGI's future secure?

The panel begins with Maine PUC Commissioner David Littell (who is also Chairman of RGGI,Inc.)
Commissioner Littell will take stock of RGGI's first phase, laying out the questions that the states will be trying to answer in their review process and describing the review process itself.

Analysis Group Senior Vice President Paul Hibbardwill then present the findings of an in-depth study undertaken by Analysis Group, with funding support from several foundations, on the economic costs and benefits of RGGI's first phase - both regionally and state-by-state. Rounding out the panel and sharing their insights on RGGI's first three years, the Analysis Group study, and their hopes and fears regarding RGGI's future, will be Environment Northeast's Director for Energy/Climate Policy Derek Murrow, and NRG Energy's Senior VP for Sustainability Policy & Strategy Steve Corneli.

12/9/11 Restructuring Roundtable Meeting video at http://www.raabassociates.org/main/roundtable.asp?sel=110


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Opportunity

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*J e s t e r*
**Facebook Profile **¦**
LinkedIn
**
P a r a n o i d Z e n
jes...@paranoidzen.com*
http://www.paranoidzen.com

Hi All,

I am sending this out to a bunch of lists I'm on, so apologies for cross posting effects.

Our new forums are up and running, and they are free for all! We are aiming for this to become a place where Boston area collaborations, discussions and skill shares in audio, video, lighting, programming, hacking, and other various forms of 'making' happen.

Find them here: http://cemmi.org/index.php/forum/index

Since its early, I imagine they will go through some serious evolutions in terms of organization but we hope you will stop by and check them out. The forums even work on most mobile platforms :)

You can sign in using your Gmail, Google app, or Facebook credentials so there is no need to create a new account (we'll be adding a button to make that more obvious soon).

If you have any suggestions or changes, let us know, and if you are up for helping moderate, please reach out!

Many thanks, and I hope to see you there!

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

Young World Inventors Success!

Young World Inventors (http://yinventors.wordpress.com/) finished their Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1036325713/youngworldinventorscom) to fund insider web stories of African and American innovators in collaboration successfully.

New contributions, however, will be accepted.

*********
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Resource

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Massachusetts Attitudes About Climate Change – An opinion survey of Massachusetts residents conducted by MassINC and sponsored by the Barr Foundation found that 77% of respondents believe that global warming has “probably been happening” and 59% of all respondents see see it as being at least partially caused by human pollution. Only 42% of the state’s residents say global warming will have very serious consequences for Massachusetts if left unaddressed. The 18 to 29 age group is more likely to believe global warming is appearing and caused by humans compared to the 60+ age group. African-American (56%) and Latino residents (69%) are more likely than white residents (40%) to believe global warming will be a very serious problem if left unaddressed. The MassINC report, titled The 80 Percent Challenge: What Massachusetts must do to meet targets and make headway on climate change (http://www.massinc.org/Research/The-80-percent-challenge.aspx), contains many other findings.

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

The presentations from the recent Affordable Comfort National Home Performance Conference are available online at
http://2011.acinational.org/downloadable_resources

Lots of good information from what some call the best energy conference in the USA on Deep Energy Retrofits to Community Energy Challenges with details on insulation, heat flow, energy metering, ducting, hot water, and many, many other topics. If you are a practical energy wonk, this should make your eyes light up.

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

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

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

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@wellesley.edu

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

Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/

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Links to events at 60 colleges and universities at Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com

Thanks to

Fred Hapgood's Selected Lectures on Science and Engineering in the Boston Area http://www.BostonScienceLectures.com

Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/

Arts and Cultural Events List http://aacel.blogspot.com/

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

http://sustainability.mit.edu/

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

http://green.harvard.edu/events

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

http://pechakuchaboston.org/blog/

http://boston.nerdnite.com/

http://www.meetup.com/

http://www.eventbrite.com/

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Energy (and Other) Events - January 15, 2012

Energy (and Other) Events is a weekly mailing list published most Sundays covering events around the Cambridge, MA and greater Boston area that catch the editor's eye.

Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com is the web version.

If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to Energy (and Other) Events email gmoke@world.std.com

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Solar as a Cottage Industry http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/15/1055035/-Solar-as-a-Cottage-Industry

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Hacker Movies!
Mon Jan 16
6-10:00pm
MIT, Building E15-344, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge

The Wunderkids
War Games (1983)
Hackers (1995)

Since the 1980's, hackers have been a favorite subject of Hollywood and television. In this film series, we'll be watching some classic (and not so classic) examples from the genre, looking at how the depiction of hacker characters has changed over time. After the screenings, we'll adjourn for an informal discussion about how these different perspectives reflect changes in how hackers are viewed by mainstream society, and connections between popular culture depictions of hackers and federal computer crime statutes and prosecutions. Also featured: popcorn! A collection will be taken up for pizza when people are hungry. Come see the movies you like, and stay as long as you like.

Contact: Molly Sauter, (267) 337-3861, msauter@MIT.EDU
Sponsor: Comparative Media Studies

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

What is MassChallenge? When can I apply?
January 17, 2012
12pm - 1pm
Cambridge Innovation Center, 1 Broadway, 14th Floor, Cambridge, MA

Please join us for an information session and lunch at Cambridge Innovation Center
Pizza and drinks on us

RSVP at http://mcinfosessioncic117-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=18

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions?
events@masschallenge.org

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

Impacts of a Changing Climate
Tue Jan 17
1-02:00pm
MIT, Building E51-335, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Martin Singh, Megan Lickley, Arthur Gueneau

We have just lived through a year of "weird weather", with a record dozen disasters causing over a billion-plus dollars in damages -- and this is just in the U.S.. The Globe and other media has written that weather is just "unpredictable", a period of "bad luck", an exaggerated El Nino: are they right? Is the weather unpredictable, or is it a pattern that we need to better understand?

Clearly, it is time to become more aware of the consequences of the changes that we are making in our atmosphere and oceans, and to start with a better understanding of how our weather is created.

Web: http://globalchange.mit.edu/news/event-item.php?id=470
Contact: Megan Lickley, E19-411, mlickley@mit.edu
Sponsor: Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change
Cosponsor: Center for Global Change Science

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Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Poverty and Prosperity
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
2:30p–4:00p
MIT, Building E51-335, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Speaker: Daron Acemoglu (MIT)

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Economics Other Events IAP

For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa@mit.edu

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Tour of Harvard's Newest Green Laboratory
January 17, 2012
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Sherman Fairchild Building, 7 Divinity Ave, Cambridge

Join us for a tour of Harvard's newest and greenest laboratory building. Sherman-Fairchild (home of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department) opened this summer and features a number of unique features, including chilled beams, a grey-water reuse system, a heat recovery system, and state-of-the-art lighting technology.

RSVP by January 15.
http://green.harvard.edu/go-green-during-wintersession
Contact Name: gosia_sklodowska@harvard.edu

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"Using smartphones to bring people and causes together"
Tuesday, January 17th, 2011
4:30 - 6:00 pm
Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Belfer Building, Kennedy School of Government, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge
Featured guest: Greg McHale, founder of good2gether

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GreenPort Forum
Tuesday, January 17 at 7pm
Cambridgeport Baptist Church, 459 Putnam Ave at the corner of Magazine Street, Cambridge

Historical Alewife Restoration Project
Presented by Ellen Mass, President, Friends of Alewife Reservation

Clarification: The main focus of this presentation will be the storm water wetlands restoration project. The impact of the proposed removal of the silver maple forest on the storm water project has not yet been scientifically established. The forum may include discussion of the silver maple forest and likely impacts of its removal, but with clarity that there is no scientific claim that removal of the forest will ruin the stormwater project.

More information about the wetlands restoration project is available athttp://friendsofalewifereservation.org/2011-12-19-stormwater-wetland-construction-progress.htm

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Discovering Opportunities for Saving Energy in Buildings
January 18, 2012
10:00am - 12:30pm
New College Theater, 12 Holyoke Street, Cambridge
Interested in learning more about building energy efficiency and the steps Harvard is taking to reduce energy consumption in buildings? Join the Harvard Energy Audit Team as they conduct an ASHRAE Level II energy audit of The New College Theater.

http://green.harvard.edu/go-green-during-wintersession

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Collective Intelligence 101
Wed Jan 18
10:30am-01:00pm
MIT, Building E62-450, 100 Main Street, Cambridge

Yiftach Nagar
Yiftach Nagar is a Doctoral Candidate at Sloan, working at the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence.

If you are curious, or puzzled about what “collective intelligence” means, in both research and practice, here you will learn what a lot of other people have said, and probably get even more confused! I will try, however, to create a comprehensive and cohesive picture by synthesizing:
1. Theoretical Ideas (spanning philosophy of mind, distributed cognition, psychology and… robotics),
2. Empirical Evidence (including neuro-science and social psychology), and
3. Applications and Implications for research and practice.

No background needed. This may be of interest to students and guests from any discipline.

Web: http://web.mit.edu/~ynagar/www/teaching/IAP2012/IAP2012.htm
Contact: Yiftach Nagar, ynagar@mit.edu
Sponsor: Yiftach Nagar, E62-427, ynagar@mit.edu

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

Steps to Limit Future Global Financial Crises
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
1:00p–2:30p
MIT, Building E51-315, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Speaker: Peter Diamond (MIT)
Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Economics Other Events IAP

For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa@mit.edu

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Random Matrix Theory: Cutting edge research and applications in science, engineering, and finance

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

1:00p–2:30p

MIT, Buidling 2-190, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Speaker: Alan Edelman

Mathematics Lecture Series

Random matrix theory is the natural third member of the sequence: scalar probability, vector probability, matrix probability. It came last because it was harder, but it is also richer. Pure mathematics loves that there is still so much to discover. New applications are found every day. Learn a bit today and even more in 18.338 this upcoming semester.

Web site: math.mit.edu/classes/18.095/
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Mathematics, Department of
For more information, contact:
Sheel Ganatra
617-253-4094
ganatra@math.mit.edu

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Harvard Steam Plant Tour

Thursday, January 18

3:00pm - 4:00pm
Courtyard, 46 Blackstone Street, Cambridge
Learn about the underpinnings of our campus operations by visiting Harvard's steam plant and learning about its energy efficiency upgrades, witnessing boilers and a steam turbine generator at work, and walking through the tunnels.

RSVP by January 15.
http://green.harvard.edu/go-green-during-wintersession
Contact Name: Gosia_sklodowska@harvard.edu

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Photonic Integrated Devices, Circuits, and Subsystems
January 18, 2012
4:00 pm
Room 339, Photonics Center, 8 Saint Mary’s Street, Boston

Jonathan Klamkin

Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) offer a means to greatly reduce the size, weight, power, and cost, and increase performance and reliability of photonic systems. This talk will describe several examples of PICs and novel photonic devices including widely-tunable wavelength converters, coherent receivers, high-power photodiodes, and high-power laser transmitters. The applications for these circuits and devices range from wavelength-division-multiplexed systems to antenna remoting to long-haul free-space laser communications. The talk will also describe recent efforts to establish photonics foundries in both the United States and Eu-
rope.

Jonathan Klamkin received the B.S. degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) from Cornell University in 2002, and the M.S. in ECE and Ph.D. in Electronic Materials from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) in 2004 and 2008 respectively. From 2001-2002 he worked at BinOptics Corp. At UCSB he devel-
oped widely-tunable semiconductor lasers, photodetectors, modulators and semiconductor optical amplifiers for InP-based photonic integrated circuits including coherent receivers and wavelength converters. From 2008-2011 he was a member of the Technical Staff in the Electrooptical Materials and Devices Group at MIT
Lincoln Laboratory. There he served as a principal investigator for several programs funded by the US Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on photonic integrated circuits for microwave photonics and free-space laser communications. Since September 2011, has been an Erasmus Mundus Visit-
ing Professor Scholar at the Institute of Communication, Information and Perception Technologies, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna,
Pisa, Italy.

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

Energy Projects Showcase

January 18, 2012

4:00p–5:30p

MIT, Lobby 10, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Come see what students are doing in energy! Learn all about the Solar Car. Interested in clean tech? Learn how to get involved in the Clean Energy Prize competition!

Sponsored by: MIT Energy Initiative, MIT Energy Club

Admission: Open to the public

Contact Lucy Fan

yinglfan@mit.edu


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

Challenges facing renewable energy technologies in 2012: A panel-led discussion
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
6:00 PM
CIC - (Cambridge Innovation Center) - 5th floor - Havana Conference Room, 1 Broadway, Cambridge

Initial details to hold the date while we wait for final confirmation from panelists /speakers. This will be a lively group and panel discussion of the challenges facing renewable energies in 2012 - more details to follow as we get confirmations.

RSVP http://www.meetup.com/H2O-Boston-Water-and-Energy-Technology-Meetup/events/43917192/

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Simple Light

Wednesday, January 18

6:30-8:30 pm

Margaret Fuller House, 71 Cherry Street, Cambridge (off of Main Street in Central Square)

Hello Activists looking for work,

Our first meeting will be Wednesday Jan 18 6:30 - 8:30 pm at Margaret Fuller House 71 Cherry Street off of Main Street in Central Square.
It is a first meeting with actual and potential sales people installation people, and managers. All are welcome and we can talk about everything we are working on currently, what is in the pipe line, and how we are working together for each others benefit as well as ourselves.

Our demo kit shows it all and we have marketing material and sales support material. There is a back office in NJ that generates proposals, 1/2 down with acceptable proposal, bulbs and self ballast are shipped and rest of payment is due on delivery. Team installs and cleans up. Everyone gets a piece of the sale, and we have a lot of product to work with.

David Fillingham dfillingham@grrex.com
617 230-1904

Bring science to reality
All kinds of lighting, self balasted and retrofitted.
Part of a group of inventors focusing on low tech solutions.

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

Wind Energy 101 - An introduction to wind power technology

Thursday, January 19, 2012

11:00a–12:00p

MIT, Building 3-133, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Speaker: Alex Kalmikov

In recent years, wind energy has evolved from an emerging energy alternative into a global, rapidly maturing industry competitive with conventional energy sources. Come to learn about the technology that enabled this transition, allowing clean, emissions-free harvesting of the renewable wind resource.

Web site: http://web.mit.edu/wepa/wepa.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Initiative, Mechanical Engineering Dept.
For more information, contact:
Alex Kalmikov
kalex@mit.edu

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“The interaction of capital costs and engineering systems: The case of energy-climate scenarios”

Thursday, January 19, 2012

12-1:15pm

MIT, Building E40-298, 1 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Hamed Ghoddusi - Post-doctoral Associate, Leading Technology & Policy and Engineering Systems Division

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

Environmental Health Colloquium
Thursday, January 19, 2012
12:30pm - 1:20pm
Harvard School of Public Health, Building 1, Room 1302, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston

"Environmental Change and Infectious Disease: The Essential Role of Environmental Science"
Justin Remais, PhD, MS, Assistant Professor; Director, Graduate Program in Global Environmental Health, Emory University

Contact Name: Alissa Wilcox
AWILCOX@hsph.harvard.edu
-----------------------



Residential Energy Efficiency to the Max: Building a Net-Zero Energy LEED Platinum house

Thursday, January 19, 2012

2:00p–3:00p

MIT, Building E51-376, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Speaker: David Miller

Come hear about what went into building the first net-zero energy, platinum LEED single family residence that's walking distance from Boston's "T". The design goals for this house were nearly impossible: to be net-zero energy and platinum LEED, to be extremely durable and low maintenance, to fit in and be an attractive addition to an upscale suburban neighborhood, and to have similar features as other new houses while being built at a comparable cost to houses that have conventional energy usage. Hear about the technologies, products and services that made this happen. Also, have the opportunity to sign-up for a tour.

Web site: http://student.mit.edu/searchiap/iap-b010.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Sloan School of Management
For more information, contact:
David Miller
dsmiller@mit.edu

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

Crowd-Powered Systems
January 19, 2012
2:50 pm - 4:00 pm
Tufts, Halligan 111, 161 College Avenue, Medford

Speaker: Michael Bernstein, MIT CSAIL

Abstract: Algorithms and design drive many innovations in computing, but their reach is limited. However, by looking beyond the user and to the crowd, we can grant interactive systems powerful new capabilities. This talk will present crowd-powered systems: interactive computing systems that embed crowdsourcing and human computation to support high-level conceptual activities such as writing, editing and photo- taking. Underlying these systems are new programming patterns and algorithms to coordinate crowd activity. I will focus mainly on Soylent, a word processor with a crowd inside, which coordinates crowd workers to produce interactive support for condensing and proofreading users' writing. I will also introduce Adrenaline, an exploration into realtime crowdsourcing. Adrenaline can recruit a crowd two seconds after request, complete simple tasks like five-person votes within five seconds, and execute large-scale searches in ten seconds.
Bio: Michael Bernstein is a PhD student in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research lies at the intersection of computer science, crowdsourcing and social computing: designing interfaces powered by crowds and interfaces enabling new kinds of social interaction. He was awarded the Best Student Paper award at UIST 2010, Best Paper Award at ICWSM 2011, the NSF graduate research fellowship and the Microsoft Research Ph.D. fellowship. His work has appeared in venues like the New York Times and Wired. He earned an S.M. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT, and a B.S. in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University.


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Venture Cafe Night with Microsoft Bing! Simple, Beautiful, and Scalable #Food #Mentors
Thursday, January 19, 2012
5:00 PM to 8:00 PM (ET)
The Venture Cafe at Cambridge Innovation Center, 4th Floor, 1 Broadway, Cambridge

Does your online startup need design insights? Are you working on ways to present info about complex networks to your clients and need to understand what makes visual sense and what doesn't? Need to know how to scale your Web application as you hit critical mass?
Take this unique opportunity to chat over great drinks and food with TEDGlobal speaker and Bing interaction designer Manuel Lima about great design and how to best present complex information. If your startup is working on tech issues "under the hood," take your drink and plate over to Principal Program Manager Michael Schechter and learn more about how your startup can scale to its next high performance rollout - with new branding - and what pitfalls to avoid.

Register at http://beautifulandscalable-esearch.eventbrite.com/?srnk=18

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Energy Start-up Workshop

January 19, 2012

5:30p–7:00p

MIT, Building 4-163, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Ever wonder what it takes to run a start-up? MIT spin-off companies will take you through the challenges and victories of being the underdogs in a corporate world.

Companies include:
Liquid Metal Batter Corporation: a spin-off from Professor Sadoway's lab at MIT. Their new battery technology aims to revolutionize grid-scale power storage. By decoupling power supply and power demand, it will enable widespread use of sustainable energy sources and more efficient power systems.

Coolchip: licensing patent-pending technologies to overcome the limitations of conventional air-based cooler designs. The key insight is focusing on the insulating layer of air that forms on critical heat transfer surfaces on conventional coolers. The core technologies have been developed by researchers at MIT.

OnChip Power: a fast-paced, VC-backed MIT start-up poised to disrupt the power supply industry. They are developing a new class of power supply systems based on a novel VHF switching architecture.

OsComp Systems (OCS) team of MIT engineers have invented a breakthrough, patent-pending technology that reduces operating and capital costs of [natural gas] compression by over 30%. OCS makes marginal gas wells profitable once again, and increases the margins from already profitable ones.

Sponsored by: MIT Energy Club, MIT Energy Initiative

Admission: Open to the public

Contact Lucy Fan

yinglfan@mit.edu


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

Coping with climate change today: Insights from the past
Thursday, January 19, 2012, 7-8:45 pm
Cambridge Main Public Library, Community Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge

By any measure, climate change is unprecedented. “The earth that we knew – the only earth that we ever knew – is gone.” (Bill McKibben, Eaarth, p. 27)

But the crisis of climate change, the human crisis, is an old one with many precedents that we can learn from as we confront climate change in our own lives.

If you are aware that climate change is real and is a looming threat to our way of life, the conditions that made human civilization possible, and possibly to human survival then you are confronted with the choice that defines the crisis:

Should I accept climate change as inevitable, and pursue my own happiness and profit as things fall apart, or should I join with others and fight it, even though we must live with the certainty that we can’t stop it? World War II confronted the French people with more immediate threats and similar choices. Shortly after the war, in 1947, Albert Camus, a Frenchman who had fought in the resistance, wrote a novel about life during the war and reached back to an earlier century for a precedent to the shock of the Nazi occupation of France. He found it in an outbreak of The Plague, which he set in a modern city in North Africa.

We have little living memory of the war that Camus had just experienced, yet his precise account of the timeless human condition in crises of the past can help us understand how to respond to today’s crisis.

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


Wind Energy 102 - An introduction to wind physics and resource assessment

Friday, January 20, 2012

11:00a–12:00p

MIT, Building 3-133, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Speaker: Alex Kalmikov

Although usually invisible to the naked eye, wind carries enormous amounts of energy. Come to learn about the sources and forces of this energy and basic quantitative approaches to its assessment.

Web site: http://web.mit.edu/wepa/wepa.html
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Initiative, Mechanical Engineering Dept.
For more information, contact:
Alex Kalmikov
kalex@mit.edu

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

Retooling Our Energy Ecosystem: challenges and opportunities
Friday, January 20th, 2012
11:00 AM
BU, Room 245, 110 Cummington Street, Boston

Robert J. Hannemann, The Gordon Institute and the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University

Refreshments served at 10:45 AM
The transformation of our energy system to meet the needs and constraints of the 21st century is arguably the major engineering challenge of the next 50 years. As technical leaders, engineers have a special responsibility to understand the energy challenge and advocate for appropriate responses to that challenge. No single technology can produce the “answer”. Furthermore, politics and economic policy are at least as important as technology in developing systemic solutions. This talk deals with the possibility of such a solution with mostly-existing technology, as well as some of the myths and less-well-understood characteristics of our energy ecosystem.

Rob Hannemann is the Director of the Tufts Gordon Institute and Chair of the Tufts Department of Mechanical Engineering. His technical and academic interests are focused on heat transfer, fluid mechanics, energy systems, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Dr. Hannemann earned advanced degrees in Mechanical Engineering from New York University (MS ‘72) and MIT (Sc.D.’75) after receiving his BS degree (with distinction) from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has extensive
experience as an engineer, manager, and entrepreneur, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

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

Energy and Environment Overview of New England

Friday, January 20, 2012

12:00p–1:30p

MIT, Building 4-231, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge

Speaker: John Moskal, EPA New England

Energy & Environment Community Discussion Series

The discussion will provide an overview of the electric generation and transmission system for New England, and the environmental, economic, and policy factors influencing development in the region over the next 5 - 10 years. Topics such as renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency will be discussed.

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): MIT Energy Club, Energy & Environment Community

For more information, contact:
Energy & Environment Community @ MIT Energy Club

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

Turmoil in the World Economy: A View From the IMF

Friday, January 20, 2012

1:00p–2:30p

MIT, Buidling E51-345, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Speaker: Olivier Blanchard (MIT & IMF)

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Economics Other Events IAP

For more information, contact:
Theresa Benevento
theresa@mit.edu

energy-environment@mit.edu



***********

Upcoming

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***********

Day 1: Leadership in the 21st Century
Monday, January 23, 2012

10:30a–12:30p

MIT, Building E51-149, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Understanding what makes a person an effective Leader - "The Art of Becoming"

Speaker: Partha S. Ghosh

Web site: http://web.mit.edu/psgleadership
Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming
For more information, contact:
UAAP Staff
253-6771
uaap-www@mit.edu


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Let’s Talk About Food Presents An Old Fashioned Teach-In on the 2012 Farm Bill
Sunday, January 29, 2012
2-6 pm with keynote panel at 3:00 p.m.
Cahners Theater, BOSTON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, 1 Science Park, Boston

National experts on the 2012 Farm Bill Weigh In on Legislature and how it will affect farms
Panel speakers include:
Marion Nestle, PhD, Professor of Nutrition and Public Health at New York University, author of Food Politics and What to Eat
Representative Chellie Pingree (Maine), Member of the House Committee on Agriculture.
Moderator: Let’s Talk About Food Founder Louisa Kasdon.

What do we New Englanders need to know about the Farm Bill? Plenty. Spend the afternoon at the Museum of Science and learn why the Farm Bill should really be called the Food Bill. Most of us know that the Farm Bill is coming up for re-authorization in 2012, but we truly don’t understand why and how much (and is some cases, how little) it matters to each of us. Join an expert group of panelists to help break down what the Farm Bill means to the food and farming industry. The event will take place throughout the Museum of Science and will include keynotes, a working session, panel discussions, as well as a meet-up room for the community to learn what local organizations are doing.

FREE but please register at: http://www.mos.org/events_activities/events&d=5346

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Envision Boston's Urban Agriculture

Monday, January 30, 2012

6-8:30 p.m.

Suffolk University, Downtown Boston, 73 Tremont Street, 9th Floor*
* Maximum capacity: 150 persons. Must bring some form of I.D. (Drivers license, credit card) to clear building security; OR, send your full name by January 27 to: john.read.BRA@cityofboston.gov.

Brainstorm the future of agriculture in Boston! Learn about Urban Agriculture, taste food samples, and find out how zoning can support farming! Featuring Keynote Speaker Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., former pro athlete, and 2008 McArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient for his work on urban farming and sustainable food production. Check out the Urban Agriculture Kickoff & Visioning Flyer here (http://www.greendorchester.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/UrbanAgriculture-Kickoff-Visioning-Mtg-Flyer-for-1.30.2012.pdf)!

Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives are launching a new project to update the Boston Zoning Code to support Urban Agriculture (UA) city wide. UA is small scale farming that makes healthy, fresh food more accessible and empowers Bostonians by creating economic opportunity. Examples of urban farming include rooftop greenhouse agriculture, aquaponics (fish farming), community farms, farm stands, composting, and other fresh food-producing endeavors.

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Opportunity

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*J e s t e r*
**Facebook Profile **¦**
LinkedIn
**
P a r a n o i d Z e n
jes...@paranoidzen.com*
http://www.paranoidzen.com

Hi All,

I am sending this out to a bunch of lists I'm on, so apologies for cross posting effects.

Our new forums are up and running, and they are free for all! We are aiming for this to become a place where Boston area collaborations, discussions and skill shares in audio, video, lighting, programming, hacking, and other various forms of 'making' happen.

Find them here: http://cemmi.org/index.php/forum/index

Since its early, I imagine they will go through some serious evolutions in terms of organization but we hope you will stop by and check them out. The forums even work on most mobile platforms :)

You can sign in using your Gmail, Google app, or Facebook credentials so there is no need to create a new account (we'll be adding a button to make that more obvious soon).

If you have any suggestions or changes, let us know, and if you are up for helping moderate, please reach out!

Many thanks, and I hope to see you there!

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Young World Inventors Success!

Young World Inventors (http://yinventors.wordpress.com/) finished their Kickstarter campaign (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1036325713/youngworldinventorscom) to fund insider web stories of African and American innovators in collaboration successfully.

New contributions, however, will be accepted.

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Resource

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Massachusetts Attitudes About Climate Change – An opinion survey of Massachusetts residents conducted by MassINC and sponsored by the Barr Foundation found that 77% of respondents believe that global warming has “probably been happening” and 59% of all respondents see see it as being at least partially caused by human pollution. Only 42% of the state’s residents say global warming will have very serious consequences for Massachusetts if left unaddressed. The 18 to 29 age group is more likely to believe global warming is appearing and caused by humans compared to the 60+ age group. African-American (56%) and Latino residents (69%) are more likely than white residents (40%) to believe global warming will be a very serious problem if left unaddressed. The MassINC report, titled The 80 Percent Challenge: What Massachusetts must do to meet targets and make headway on climate change (http://www.massinc.org/Research/The-80-percent-challenge.aspx), contains many other findings.

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The presentations from the recent Affordable Comfort National Home Performance Conference are available online at
http://2011.acinational.org/downloadable_resources

Lots of good information from what some call the best energy conference in the USA on Deep Energy Retrofits to Community Energy Challenges with details on insulation, heat flow, energy metering, ducting, hot water, and many, many other topics. If you are a practical energy wonk, this should make your eyes light up.

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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@wellesley.edu

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Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/

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Links to events at 60 colleges and universities at Hubevents http://hubevents.blogspot.com

Thanks to

Fred Hapgood's Selected Lectures on Science and Engineering in the Boston Area http://www.BostonScienceLectures.com

Boston Area Computer User Groups http://www.bugc.org/

Arts and Cultural Events List http://aacel.blogspot.com/

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

http://sustainability.mit.edu/

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

http://green.harvard.edu/events

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

http://pechakuchaboston.org/blog/

http://boston.nerdnite.com/

http://www.meetup.com/

http://www.eventbrite.com/