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!

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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/

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