Sunday, July 02, 2017

Energy (and Other) Events - July 2, 2017

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
What I Do and Why I Do It:  The Story of Energy (and Other) EventsGeo

----------------------------------------------------------
*******************************************

Details of these events are available when you scroll past the index


*******
——— 
Index
——— 
******

———————— 
Tuesday, July 4
———————— 

12pm  Anti-Imperialist Picnic
5:30pm  Drawing Party: Find Out Who Will Win a Tesla

————————— 
Wednesday, July 5
—————————

10am  Methods and Concepts for Self-Organizing and Hybrid Robotic Control in Architectural Design
7pm  Jurassic Park with George Church conversation

————————
Thursday, July 6
———————— 

5pm  ACLU Presents: Know Your Rights
6pm  Artist and Astronaut:  Gravity, Centripetal force and Zero G:  Our orbiting lives in Art, Science and Space
7:15pm  New Documentaries from Ukraine

———————
Friday, July 7
———————

2pm  Thesis Defense: A Rational Choice Framework for Collective Behavior

———————— 
Saturday, July 8
————————

1:15pm  Summer Solstice Luncheon and Talk: Doug Henwood on "'Uber'­ Economics”

———————
Sunday, July 9
———————

6pm  Your compost heap wants YOU. Composting: A State of Mind

————————
Monday, July 10
————————

10:30pm  Workshop: Restoring the Earth
2pm  2017 Harvard vs. MIT Case Competition
5:30pm  AI Now | 2017 Symposium:  Addressing the social impacts of artificial intelligence now to ensure a more equitable future
5:30pm  Residential Green Building Committee Meeting with Guest Speaker Eric Wilkinson
6pm  oston New Technology July 2017 Startup Showcase #BNT79

————————
Tuesday, July 11
————————

12pm  Weapons of Math Destruction, Cathy O'Neil!
4pm  Tech, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll 2017
6:30pm  SEED: The Untold Story screening and fundraiser
7pm  MassRobotics: Robotics Education

----------------------------------------------------------
*******************************************

My rough notes on some of the events I go to and notes on books I’ve read are at:

High Renewables, Low Intermittency, No Problem

On Tyranny:  Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

----------------------------------------------------------
******************************************** 

———————— 
Tuesday, July 4
———————— 

Anti-Imperialist Picnic 
Tuesday July 4
Noon to 4 PM  (A tradition since 2008)
Allston Brighton riverside, next to the canoe and kayak rental place

Are you sick of all those boring July Fourths you've suffered through?  Too much red, white, and blue? Have you had enough of that July 4th American jingoism? But you still do love grilling and relaxing with friends, don't you?

Well then, the Anti-Imperialist Picnic is for you! On July 4th at noon to 4PM come on out to the Allston Brighton riverside. It will be right next to the canoe and kayak rental place.

Here are detailed directions:

Potluck We will be grilling many things like hamburgers, hotdogs.There will be food and drink for all! If you can please bring food, drinks, footballs, Frisbees, or other things to share. Vegan food a plus!

People will meet up to have a picnic and NOT partake in the July 4th spectacle. We meet on this day to say NO to the U.S. government's imperial intentions, its war on working people worldwide, and its exploitative economic system. We come together to show solidarity with people who arefighting against capitalism, colonialism, imperialism, patriarchy,
xenophobia, and all other forms of oppression!

For many years radicals have come out on this day to relax with friends and comrades and to show our opposition to the imperial intentions of the US government.

Directions: Head west on Soldiers Field Road. The Charles river will be on your right. After the Eliot Bridge, look for the first parking area to pull off the road. We will be near the Kayak rental area.  If you are coming by public transportation, take bus 70 to Western Ave. and Everett St. It's about a 10 minute walk. Go down Everett St and turn right at Soldiers Field Road.  It's about 1.3 miles from the Harvard Square T stop

———————————— 

Drawing Party: Find Out Who Will Win a Tesla
Tuesday, July 4
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
Old West Church, 131 Cambridge Street, Boston

After months of waiting, it all comes down to this. Join us for a summer barbecue as we draw the six lucky winners of our Carbon Pricing Awareness Tesla Raffle!

There will be great food and live music, and one lucky person will walk away with the funds for a brand new built-to-order Tesla - a $160,000 value.
Raffle tickets are currently on sale - ticket sales will officially end on July 4th. Buy yours before it's too late!

Winners will be drawn at 7:30pm. Once it gets dark, we'll walk down to the river together for fireworks.

————————— 
Wednesday, July 5
—————————

Methods and Concepts for Self-Organizing and Hybrid Robotic Control in Architectural Design
Wednesday, July 5
10:00 to 1:00 PM
NE Complex Systems Institute, 277 Broadway, Cambridge

This event will feature a work in progress thesis presentation by NECSI researcher and The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (KADK) PhD student Mary Katherine Heinrich.

Heinrich's thesis is titled "Methods and Concepts for Self-Organizing and Hybrid Robotic Control in Architectural Design." Her presentation will be followed by an opponent survey and Q&A from Omar Khan, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Buffalo. The event will conclude with an open round of questions.

Heinrich studies the potential applications of hybridizing plants with robots in the EU Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) project flora robotica, with a particular interest in architecture. Plants have a natural ability to self-organize and grow. Developing robots that can form symbiotic relationships with plants could leverage those natural abilities to form new kinds of structures and buildings.

—————————————  

Jurassic Park with George Church conversation
Wednesday, July 5
7:00pm
Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard Street, Brookline

Join us for this special screening of Jurassic Park with a pre-screening conversation with author Ben Mezrich and geneticist George Church in conjunction with the publication of Ben's new book "Woolly: The True Story of the Quest to Revive One of History’s Most Iconic Extinct Creatures". 

————————
Thursday, July 6
———————— 

ACLU Presents: Know Your Rights
Thursday, July 6
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT
CIC Boston & Impact Hub Boston, 50 Milk Street, 1st Floor, Boston

Join us for a presentation by the American Civil Liberties Union(ACLU) hosted by CIC Boston & Impact Hub Boston. The ACLU is here to ensure that you and your loved ones Know Your Rightsthrough a one hour workshop providing clarity on your constitutional rights.

Are you confident in asserting your rights when dealing with police? Do you know when an officer has the right to search you? Are you aware that you have the right to respond to an officer’s questions with a respectful “I choose to remain silent”?

Many of us do not have the knowledge and confidence to stand up for our basic rights during an encounter with law enforcement. Knowing these rights and how to assert them should be a part of our basic education, and until it is the ACLU is here to share the knowledge. We can all get educated and do our part in the movement to reduce use of force and curtail racial profiling.

This presentation is open to anyone interested in attending, and may be particularly valuable for young people of color and others who are likely to be profiled and have frequent interactions with law enforcement

——————————— 

Artist and Astronaut:  Gravity, Centripetal force and Zero G:  Our orbiting lives in Art, Science and Space
Thursday, July 6
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM EDT
Doors 6:00pm / Talk 6:30pm
Le Laboratoire Cambridge, 650 East Kendall Street, Cambridge

Astronaut Cady Coleman and her husband Glass Artist Josh Simpson may appear to have wildly different lives, though actually their worlds of Science and Art intersect and combine in more ways then one could imagine.

———————————— 

New Documentaries from Ukraine
WHEN  Thursday, July 6, 2017, 7:15 – 9 p.m.
WHERE  Harvard, CGIS South, Room S-050, 1730 Cambridge Street, Cambridge
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Film, Humanities, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR Ukrainian Research Institute, Harvard University
SPEAKER(S)  Viktoriya Sereda, GIS Map of Ukraine Fellow (HURI)
DETAILS  Short films in Ukrainian with English subtitles

———————
Friday, July 7
———————

Thesis Defense: A Rational Choice Framework for Collective Behavior
Friday, July 7
2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
MIT, Building 32-G449 (Kiva), 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge

Speaker: Peter Krafft , MIT CSAIL 
As the world becomes increasingly digitally mediated, people can more and more easily form groups, teams, and communities around shared interests and goals. Yet there is a constant struggle across forms of social organization to maintain stability and coherency in the face of disparate individual experiences and agendas. When are collectives able to function and thrive despite these challenges? In this thesis I propose a theoretical framework for reasoning about collective intelligence --- the ability of people to accomplish their shared goals together. Strong general collective intelligence in the form of "rational group agency" arises from three conditions: aligned utilities, accurate shared beliefs, and coordinated actions. However, achieving these conditions can be difficult, as evidenced by impossibility results related to each condition from the literatures on social choice, belief aggregation, and distributed systems. The main contribution of this thesis is to study how human groups address these difficulties. To this end, I develop computational models of facets of human collective intelligence, and test these models in specific case studies. The models I introduce suggest distributed Bayesian inference as a framework for understanding shared belief formation, and also show that people can overcome other difficult computational challenges associated with achieving rational group agency, including balancing the group "exploration versus exploitation dilemma" for information gathering and inferring levels of "common p-belief" to coordinate actions. I conclude with a brief discussion on how the computational models I propose could inform the design of sociotechnical systems, and how the theoretical perspectives I introduce could relate to the future of computational social science.

———————— 
Saturday, July 8
————————

Summer Solstice Luncheon and Talk: Doug Henwood on "'Uber'­ Economics"
Saturday, July 8
1:15 PM
India Pavilion, 17 Central Square, Cambridge

We'll celebrate the coming of summer together on JULY 8th, a little later than usual, for our GBH Solstice Luncheon.  Our Humanist seasonal appreciation of the Earth's tilt is one of many naturalism-based holidays we celebrate in our secular community-building mission. We are joined by Boston Atheists and Sunday Assembly Boston as co-sponsors. 

Another big part of our mission is providing provocative and engaging talks, so we are happy to welcome well-known editor, writer and radio host Doug Henwood, who will speak on the 'Uber Economy':

Uber’s troubles have given the “sharing economy” a black eye, but still, the app-driven, venture-capitalist “disruption” of a host of economic sectors marches on. Drawing on a rhetoric of revolution, empowerment, and community once associated with the political left, firms like Lyft, AirBnB, and TaskRabbit are remaking both production and consumption, transforming the way we live and work. And social media — over a quarter of humanity has an active Facebook account now - are transforming the way we communicate. What’s it all mean? How much of this is the hype that is an inevitable by-product of a bubble and how much is real? Do we have to bow down and worship the silicon gods in all their ruthlessness, or could they be humanized?  

Doug Henwood published the Left Business Observer, a newsletter on economics and politics, from 1986 to 2013 and has hosted the radio show “Behind the News” since 1995. He is the author of Wall Street: How It Works and For Whom, After the New Economy, and My Turn: Hillary Clinton Targets the Presidency, and is working on a book about the rot of the American elite. His writing has appeared in The Nation, Harper’s, BookForum, The Boston Review, and The New York Times. 

———————
Sunday, July 9
———————

Your compost heap wants YOU. Composting: A State of Mind
Sunday, July 9
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Potluck 6:00-7:00 p.m. followed by discussion 7:00-9:00 p.m. 
1 Fayette Park, Cambridge
Biodiversity for a Livable Climate is a small non-profit so a $10 donation is requested, but no one will be turned away based on ability to pay. 

Elizabeth Whitehouse is an environmental activist focused on restoring biodiversity from the soil up. She is a Master Gardener, graduate of Maine Compost School, certified in Permaculture Design and author of Spread it Around, a book about composting and going green through garbage, as well as A Better Way dealing with system change, not climate change.

"Perhaps most important of all, making and using compost develops a mind set that puts the good of the world above convenience. Composters practice the three R's - reduce, re-use and recycle, and they fight an active War on Waste." (Compost International)

This promises to be a lively presentation! 

————————
Monday, July 10
————————

Workshop: Restoring the Earth
Monday, July 10
10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
The Farm, 213 Hurley Street, Cambridge
Biodiversity for a LIvable Climate is a small non-profit so a $10 donation is requested, but no one will be turned away based on ability to pay. 

Elizabeth Whitehouse is a woman on a mission: to save the earth one compost heap at a time.  You can be part of that mission by setting up your own backyard heap or bin. Learn how easy it is to turn yard debris and kitchen scraps into nature’s primary soil builder. Learn what to compost, how to compost and, most importantly, why to compost.

"Making compost is as easy as piling up weeds, kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, leaves and so on and leaving them to rot quietly, or as complicated as manipulating the ingredients in your pile to make customized composts to suit individual plants." (Compost International)

This workshop will be a hands on learning experience, not to be missed! 

————————————— 

2017 Harvard vs. MIT Case Competition
Monday, July 10
2:00p–6:00p
MIT, Building E51-345, 2 Amherst Street, Cambridge

Now in its ninth year, the Case Competition is our largest event, put together each summer in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate Consulting Club (HGCC). Over the course of the 12-day event, participants will work in a team of four to tackle a real-world business case, networking throughout with representatives from top consulting and industry firms. You will have the opportunity to deliver your recommendation at the closing ceremony to the client and a panel of consultant judges; the winning three teams will receive a cash prize. This is an excellent opportunity to gain business experience and build your resume.

Open to: the general public
Sponsor(s): Consulting Club at MIT (CCM)
For more information, contact:  Chao Zhang

————————————— 

AI Now | 2017 Symposium:  Addressing the social impacts of artificial intelligence now to ensure a more equitable future
Mondy, July 10
5:30-8:30pm 
Webcast


————————————— 

Residential Green Building Committee Meeting with Guest Speaker Eric Wilkinson
Monday, July 10
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
50 Milk Street, 18th Floor "Hemingway" Conference Room, Boston

The Residential Green Building Committee is focused on improving the housing stock of the Commonwealth by championing green building practices in our communities. Join us on the second Monday of each month to be a part of the movement.

Guest Speaker:  Eric Wilkinson - Director of Energy and Climate Policy at ELM - will join us to discuss "The Point of Sale Home Energy Score Bill."
Eric joined ELM in 2016. Prior to joining ELM, Eric served as Senior External Affairs Representative at ISO New England, the entity responsible for managing the wholesale energy grid. Eric’s responsibilities included environmental, climate change and renewable energy issues. 

Eric served as the lead for External Affairs on both the ISO’s energy-efficiency and distributed generation forecasts. Eric also served as Policy Advisor to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, overseeing implementation of the Board’s smart growth main extension rules and providing guidance on smart growth issues. He was Policy Director at New Jersey Future and a senior contributor to their smart growth and sustainable development policy analysis and initiatives. 

Eric has also worked as director of the EPA’s Voluntary Standards Network, and as a member of the President’s Council on Sustainable Development. Eric holds a Juris Doctorate and a Masters in the Study of Environmental Law, cum laude from the Vermont Law School.

—————————————

Boston New Technology July 2017 Startup Showcase #BNT79
Monday, July 10
6:00 PM to 8:45 PM
Akamai Technologies, 150 Broadway, Cambridge

Akamai staff will be escorting attendees from the lobby up the stairs to the first floor, where you'll find our check-in table. Type the first few letters of your name on the screen and tap your name to print your name tag.
Free event! Come learn about 7 innovative and exciting technology products and network with the Boston/Cambridge startup community! 

Each presenter gets 5 minutes for product demonstration and 5 minutes for Q&A.

————————
Tuesday, July 11
————————

Weapons of Math Destruction, Cathy O'Neil!
Tuesday July 11
12PM - 1:30PM 
NERD, 1 Memorial Drive, 1st Floor/Horace Mann Room, Cambridge

Microsoft Research's Social Media Collective and Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society welcome author Cathy O'Neil to NERD. O'Neil will read from her award-winning book, Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy (2016). The reading will be followed by an informal lunch and mixer for MSR, NERD, Garage and BKC interns.

Please join us for a timely discussion of the role of data science in public life. All are welcome at this free event open to the public!

——————————— 

Tech, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll 2017
Tuesday, July 11
4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
BU, Metcalf Hall, George Sherman Union, 775 Commonwealth Avenue,Boston

Come together with over 500 of your fellow scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers, and investors.
Connect with more than 30 research groups presenting their latest research activity.
Vote for one of 9 Student Ventures in our Buzz Lab New Venture Competition.

There's more!
Innovator of the Year: The award will be presented by the Vice President and Associate Provost for Research of Boston University, Gloria Waters.
Music:  We are proud to announce that this year's band will be The Soul Provider.
Student Venture Competition:  TDRR 2017 will also feature a competition amongst BUzz Lab students working on their start- ups over the summer.

——————————

SEED: The Untold Story screening and fundraiser
Tuesday, July 11
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Loring-Greenough House, 12 South Street, Jamaica Plain
Cost:  $15

Please join us for a very special event benfitting The Food Project and the Loring Greenough House.
The evening will include a screening of the documentary SEED as well as a short introduction to the work done by The Food Project.

SEED: The Untold Story is a documentary that follows passionate seed keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. In the last century, 94% of our seed varieties have disappeared. As biotech chemical companies control the majority of our seeds, farmers, scientists, lawyers, and indigenous seed keepers fight a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food. In a harrowing and heartening story, these reluctant heroes rekindle a lost connection to our most treasured resource and revive a culture connected to seeds. SEED features Vandana Shiva, Dr. Jane Goodall, Andrew Kimbrell, Winona Laduke and Raj Patel.

Tickets for this event cost $16.29 each ($15 + ticket processing fee) with the option to add an additional donation to benefit The Food Project and the LGH.

A portion of the ticket sales for this event will be donated to The Food Project which is working "to create a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system." http://www.thefoodproject.org/

—————————————

MassRobotics: Robotics Education
Tuesday, July 11
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
MassRobotics, 12 Channel Street, Suite 503, Boston

Join us for another meeting of the Robotics Evolution and Development Initiative, Hosted by MassRobotics!
This event will be focused on robotics in education. We are going to focus both on how robots will play a role in educating future generations, and what needs to be done to better prepare the workforce for the upcoming robotics revolution, whether they are actual roboticists or simply users of robots.
We have some exciting presentations of cutting-edge initiatives to incorporate robotics into both primary school curriculums and training the future workforce, followed up by a panel discussion of local education and technology experts on the impact robotics will have on educating future generations, both inside and outside the classroom.
Schedule
6:30 PM - Doors Open
7:00 PM - Opening Remarks, overview of impact robotics will have on education
7:05 PM - Russell Nickerson from Collabots on Robots in the Classroom
7:20 PM - Dr. Charles Andrew Fritz on his Robotic Psychology high school course
7:45 PM - Panel Discussion
8:05 PM - Q&A
8:30 PM - Networking
Panelists:
Dr. Ethan Danahy, Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University Center for Engineering Education and Outreach (CEEO)
Lisa Freed, STEM Program Manager at iRobot
Dr. Charles Andrew Fritz

What is the READI?
The Robotics Evolution and Development Initiative (READI) is a new monthly event by MassRobotics to bring together various stakeholders from both within and outside the robotics community to focus on commercial opportunities in robotics. The READI was started to educate the general public on how the robotics industry is developing; to bring together leading roboticists with other outside experts to discuss opportunities for commercialization and collaboration; and to form a strong community to establish Massachusetts as the world leader for robotics.

*****************
----------------------
Upcoming Events
----------------------
***************** 

——————————
Wednesday, July 12
——————————

Get Smaaht: Grid Modernization in Mass
Wednesday, July 12
8:30 AM – 10:30 AM EDT
USGBC MA, 50 Milk Street, 16th Floor, Edison Room, Boston
Cost:  $30 – $55

Join us for a trip into the future. Learn about the electric grid that we see today and opportunities for investment on both the wires’ side and buildings’ side. Where is development is needed, planned, and in process? How do grid modernization technologies stack up against each other? How do smart buildings (green buildings) fit into the grid of the future and what opportunities might there be with time of use metering, energy storage financing, and data management?

Let's talk about electric vehicles and the demand/support that they can provide with a smart grid. How is this energy industry transforming? Is analytics as a service going to be a communication with office managers and facility staff or will a cloud-based service possibly control our building? Will batteries be used to level loads on stressed electricity feeders?

How does what we do in Massachusetts compare to progress in other states? California, Texas, and Illinois have the lead but what might happen in MA to make our grid the pacesetter?

This is part of our Market Leadership Series where we encourage the professional in the room to drive the conversation and share their questions and perspective for a robust session.

Breakfast and coffee will be provided.

Advisement: This conversation will be led by Chapter member Ben Pignatelli from the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). Ben's presentation will not reflect the views of the DPU nor will he be able to speak on behalf of the Department. His presentation will outline publically available information and the science supporting it.

About the Speaker - Ben Pignatelli:
As a technical staff member in the Electric Power Division at the DPU Ben works on regulatory and market issues associated with energy efficiency, grid modernization, and competitive electricity supply. He has evaluated the MassSave program, is reviewing public utility grid modernization plans, and reviews municipal electricity aggregation plans. Ben also manages regulatory relations with electricity supply companies through investigations, licensing, and market animation initiatives. He has held previous roles with the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the City of Boston. Ben is a Certified Measurement and Verification Professional (CMVP) and holds an MBA from Boston University and a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire in Political Science.

——————————————

Green Line Partners - Green Line Extension DBE Outreach Event
Wednesday, July 12
12:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
Holiday Inn Boston Bunker Hill Area, 30 Washington Street, Somerville

Come meet with Green Line Partners (GLP) to learn more about the upcoming Green Line Extension project for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). The Green Line Extension project will add new light rail service on two new branches of the existing rail line that will extend service from Lechmere Station in Cambridge, MA to Union Square Station in Somerville, MA and to College Avenue Station in Medford, MA. The project includes a new Vehicle Maintenance Facility (“VMF”), six (6) new stations, and the replacement or rehabilitation of several bridges.
Lunch will be provided. Free parking. 
RSVP by: Friday, July 7, 2017 - Space is Limited
GLP's website: http://www.glpjv.com/

——————————————

The Downtown Harvard Club Presents: Author Series with Gautam Mukunda - 'Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter'
WHEN  Wednesday, July 12, 2017, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE  The Downtown Harvard Club of Boston, 1 Federal Street, 38th Floor, Boston
GAZETTE CLASSIFICATION Business, Education, Humanities, Lecture, Social Sciences
ORGANIZATION/SPONSOR The Harvard Club of Boston
SPEAKER(S)  Gautam Mukunda, Assistant Professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit of Harvard Business School and a Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Schwarzman Scholarship
COST Complimentary with registration
CONTACT INFO Matt Hegarty
DETAILS   Two weeks after the 2016 election, the Washington Post said that Gautam Mukunda’s book "Indispensable: When Leaders Really Matter" reads like “he had a time machine.” In his research, Prof. Mukunda explores “Unfiltered” leaders – the very best leaders, ones who tend to transform the organizations they lead, for better or worse. He identifies where they come from, how they can be identified, and what the implications of such leaders are for the organizations they govern, with a focus on the U.S. Presidency.

Professor Gautam Mukunda is an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Behavior Unit of Harvard Business School and a Distinguished Visiting Professor for the Schwarzman Scholarship. His research focuses on leadership, international relations, and the political and economic implications of technological change.
He is a Principal Investigator on the National Science Foundation’s Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and The Chief of Naval Operation’s Executive Advisory Panel, and a Jeopardy Champion.

Registration is required for this complimentary event.

—————————— 

Who we are and how we got here: Ancient DNA and the new science of the human past
Wednesday, July 12
6:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge

The Eliana Hechter Memorial Lecture

David Reich, Professor, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Sr. Associate Member, Broad Institute
In 2010, the first genome-wide data from ancient humans was published. Since that time, extraordinary amounts of new data are making it possible to understand how ancient human populations are related to each other. Studies have demonstrated surprise after surprise, including the existence of a previously unknown human population called the Denisovans and interbreeding between Neanderthals and modern humans. Broad senior associate member David Reich will describe his laboratory’s work in the area of ancient DNA and the prospects for further discoveries about the past from this burgeoning field.
  
About Midsummer Nights' Science
Midsummer Nights' Science is an annual lecture series that explores key advances in genomics and medicine. This lecture series is held each summer, and is free and open to the general public. Midsummer Nights' Science at the Broad Institute takes place at 415 Main Street, in Kendall Square in Cambridge.

———————————

Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too:  A Book
Wednesday, July 12
6:00 PM (Doors at 5:30)
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge
Cost:  $5.00 

Harvard Book Store welcomes artist, illustrator, award-winning playwright, comedy writer, and Twitter personality JONNY SUN and Harvard graduate ALEXANDER TANG for a presentation of Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too: A Book, by Jomny Sun (the aliebn).

About Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too
Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too is the illustrated story of a lonely alien sent to observe Earth, only to meet all sorts of creatures with all sorts of perspectives on life, love, and happiness, all while learning to feel a little better about being an alien—based on the enormously popular Twitter account, @jonnysun.
Here is the unforgettable story of Jomny, a lonely alien who, for the first time ever, finds a home on our planet after learning that earthlings can feel lonely too. Jomny finds friendship in a bear tired of other creatures running away in fear, an egg struggling to decide what to hatch into, an owl working its way to being wise, a tree feeling stuck in one place, a tadpole coming to terms with turning into a frog, a dying ghost, a puppy unable to express itself, and many more.

Through this story of a lost, lonely and confused alien finding friendship, acceptance, and love among the creatures of Earth, we will all learn how to be a little more human. And for all of us earth-bound creatures here on this planet, we can all be reminded that sometimes, it takes an outsider to help us see ourselves for who we truly are.

———————————

Mass Innovation Nights #100!
Wednesday, July 12
6pm-9:30pm
Museum of Science, 1 Science Park, Boston

There is more to celebrate this July than just Independence Day - Mass Innovation Nights is having its 100th event, yes 100 (meaning over 1,000 products have showcased). This is an event that will be "out of this world"! Draper's Sembler office  is sponsoring MIN #100, hosted by the Museum of Science and the Museum of Science Innovators! MIN #100 will have a SPACE TECHNOLOGY theme with many space technology related companies showcasing.

In addition to the showcasing, many special surprises are planned (think Theater of Electricity and so much more). Since it is MIN's 100th event there will also be a MINi-retrospective of the last 100 events -- bringing back some Mass Innovation Nights' alumni. Special occasions require some things to change, so expect a few differences from our normal event (like the extra hour we can spend at the Museum of Science and no need to vote because each company will have 2 minutes to talk about what they do).

———————————

Resilience and Resistance: Stories of Survival from the Holocaust
Wednesday, July 12
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Temple Beth Zion, 1566 Beacon Street, Brookline

The testimony of Holocaust survivors is an expression of the universal human capacity for resilience in the face of state-sponsored persecution and murder. During this unique program, survivors will explore the internal and external factors that allowed them to persist and to live, even as so many others could not.

We invite you to join an interfaith, multigenerational gathering to bear witness to these wrenching stories and the disturbing history they represent.

Sponsored by Center Communities of Brookline (Hebrew SeniorLife) and Temple Beth Zion with generous support from the Association of Jewish Aging Services

—————————
Thursday, July 13
————————— 

Cambridge Climate Protection Action Committee 
Thursday, July 13
6:00 pm 
City Hall Annex, 2nd floor, 344 Broadway, Cambridge

This meeting will focus on the climate action plan vision statement and other committee business.  The agenda for the meeting will be posted on the Community Development Department website at http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/climateandenergy/climatechangeplanning/climateprotectionactioncommittee

————————
Sunday, July 16
————————

SWAPFEST
Sunday, July 16
9:00a–2:00p
MIT, Albany Street Garage and Lots, Cambridge

MIT's monthly Hi Tech, Computer, Electronics and Ham Radio Fleamarket. 
Buy Sell or Swap all things nerdly. 
Held the third Sunday of each month April thru October. 
Rain or Shine covered space is available for all sellers. 
In the Albany St Garage and adjacent lot. 
On Albany St between Mass Ave and Main St, Cambridge. 
$6 Buyers admission from 9AM to 2PM. 
Free for MIT and Harvard Undergraduates with current ID

Web site: www.swapfest.us
Open to: the general public
Cost: $6
This event occurs on the 3rd Sunday of every month through October 15, 2017.
Sponsor(s): MIT Radio Society, Electronic Research Society, MIT, UHF Repeater Assn. W1XM, MIT
For more information, contact:  Mitchell Berger
617-253-3776

************
----------------
Opportunity
----------------
************

New Climate CoLab Contests:
Adaptation
Buildings
Carbon Pricing
Energy Supply
Land Use Change
Shifting Attitudes & Behaviors
Transportation

More information at https://www.climatecolab.org/

——————————— 

Discounted Solar for Somerville

As part of the State’s Solarize Mass program, local volunteers and the City of Somerville recently launched the Solarize Somerville campaign to make it easier and cheaper for residents and small businesses to install solar panels.

The program, which is offering information and guidance, free site consultations, and solar panel discounts through November, has set an ambitious goal to inspire at least 200 property owners to sign up for solar —and each of those private solar installations will also benefit the community directly. For every 400 kW in signed private contracts through the program, the program’s solar vendor SolarFlair will donate a system of up to 5 kW for a public or community purpose. All are invited to the program kickoff at a Meet the Installer event on Tuesday, July 26 at 6-7:30 p.m., 167 Holland St. Additional events on topics such as solar basics, financing, and solar for multifamily homes will be announced.

Unique to the program is its neighbor-to-neighbor approach: trained resident volunteers and a designated volunteer Solar Coach are available essentially as mentors. They can, for example, walk anyone through the process, provide general loan program and tax incentive information, and share their own solar experiences. The campaign’s webpage and blog offers useful information, tips, and a link to websites where you can estimate the solar potential of your home and roughly calculate how much solar could save you on your energy bills at www.somervillema.gov/sustainaville/solarize.

Somerville is one of the most urban communities ever to participate in Solarize Mass, which makes the neighbor-to-neighbor approach especially helpful due to some of the unique challenges here such as multi-family houses with more than one owner. Winter Hill resident Mary Mangan, the program’s volunteer Solar Coach, went through that process and is ready to share helpful tips.

"I'm excited to work with our eager volunteers to help our neighbors understand the benefits of solar power. As a co-owner of a two-family home with solar, I can also offer some insights about how that process went for us," said Mangan.

Also key to the program is the selection of a designated vendor, which allows the program to offer reduced cost installation through bulk purchasing. Through a competitive process, SolarFlair, based in Ashland, MA, was selected. They were also the selected installer for the communities of Arlington, Hopkinton, Mendon, Brookline, Carlisle-Chelmsford, Newton, and Quincy.

"We're excited to be the selected installer for Solarize Somerville, and look forward to speaking with any home or business owners that are interested in reducing their electric bills while also making a great investment," said Matt Arner, the owner and President of SolarFlair.

Quick facts:
Solar systems can be purchased outright (with a payback of about 4-5 years). The Mass Solar Loan program offers rates of 3.25% or less. 
Or, for no money down owners can choose a power purchase agreement (PPA), where the system is owned and maintained by a third party, and residents buy back the electricity at a discounted price.   
More on-site renewable energy is critical to reducing carbon emissions.  It also saves money for residents.

Tax incentives for solar installations include:
Federal Tax Credit: A 30 percent federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is available for qualified residential and commercial projects
Massachusetts Personal Income Tax Credit: The lesser of 15% of the total cost of the solar electric system or $1,000, for qualified clean energy projects
Five-year Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS): Business owners can depreciate solar electric systems over a five-year schedule

For more information or to sign up for a free site consultation:

Visit the Solarize Somerville webpage at www.somervillema.gov/sustainaville/solarize for
Helpful information and FAQs
To contact a volunteer or Solar Coach Mary Mangan to discuss solar options and incentives
To set up an appointment for a free site consultation directly with SolarFlair
To find out about events
To volunteer for Solarize Somerville

———————————

Where is the best yogurt on the planet made? Somerville, of course!
Join the Somerville Yogurt Making Cooperative and get a weekly quart of the most thick, creamy, rich and tart yogurt in the world. Members share the responsibility for making yogurt in our kitchen located just outside of Davis Sq. in FirstChurch.  No previous yogurt making experience is necessary.

For more information checkout.

——————————

Free solar electricity analysis for MA residents

Solar map of Cambridge, MA

———————————

Sunny Cambridge has just launched! Sunny Cambridge is the city-wide initiative that makes it easy for all types of residents to get solar power for their homes. Cambridge has lined up local solar installers through the EnergySage Solar Marketplace, which helps you request, receive, and compare solar quotes 100% online with support available every step of the way.

The City of Cambridge is working on many levels to reduce energy use and GHG emissions to make the city more sustainable. As a semifinalist in the nationwide competition for the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize, Cambridge Energy Alliance is encouraging residents to take actions to save energy, save money, and protect the environment. Get involved by signing up for a no-cost home energy assessment at the Cambridge Energy Alliance home page (www.cambridgeenergyalliance.org/winit)
and going solar at http://www.sunnycambridge.org 

————————— 

Cambridge Coalition Solar Access Campaign is part of the DOE SunShot Solar in Your Community Challenge with a goal of 40 new solar electric systems installed in Cambridge, with a focus on serving low-to-moderate income communities.

Coalition partners include Green Cambridge, which works to create a more sustainable city and to protect the environment for the health and safety of all, Resonant Energy, a community-based solar developer, Solstice, helping every single household in America go solar, and Sunwealth, a solar investment firm.


hat tip Cambridge Civic Journal 

*********
------------
Resource
------------
*********

"Greening Our Grid" Report Released April 24, 2017

MAPC is excited to announce the release of “Greening Our Grid,” a fact sheet and a case study detailing MAPC’s strategy to use municipal aggregation to help build new renewable energy in New England. 

“Greening Our Grid” highlights MAPC's work with the City of Melrose as a case study for MAPC's innovative green municipal aggregation strategy. Melrose recently completed its first year of implementation. The city’s results demonstrate that economic and environmental goals can be met simultaneously, and provide a compelling example for others to follow. 

The case study and fact sheet further describe the renewable energy strategy overall, why it can have a real impact on our electricity grid, and MAPC’s program to help other municipalities follow Melrose's lead. Arlington, Brookline, Gloucester, Hamilton, Millis, Somerville, Sudbury, and Winchester are poised to roll out their green aggregations within the year. 

MAPC believes that municipal aggregation offers an opportunity for communities to leverage the collective buying power of their residents and businesses to transform our electric grid to cleaner sources of energy, while also providing cost savings and price stability for electricity. The fact sheet and case study will be useful tools for cities and towns that are exploring green municipal aggregation, as well as for those that already have active aggregation programs.

Check out “Greening Our Grid” today at http://www.mapc.org/greening-our-grid, and contact Patrick Roche, MAPC Clean Energy Coordinator, at proche@mapc.org for more information about MAPC's program.

—————————— 

Cambridge Climate Change Game

Extending our work on face-to-face games, the MIT Science Impact Collaborative has developed a digital game on the health impacts of climate change that you can play alone on your computer or on your mobile phone. The game should take about 10-20 minutes. We would appreciate it if you could play the game at your convenience.


Any and all feedback on the game should be directed to Ella Kim at ella@mit.edu.  

Thank you for your time and consideration!

———————————— 

Sustainable Business Network Local Green Guide
SBN is excited to announce the soft launch of its new Local Green Guide, Massachusetts' premier Green Business Directory!
To view the directory please visit: http://www.localgreenguide.org
To find out how how your business can be listed on the website or for sponsorship opportunities please contact Adritha at adritha@sbnboston.org

————————————

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

———————————

The Boston Network for International Development (BNID) maintains a website (BNID.org) that serves as a clearing-house for information on organizations, events, and jobs related to international development in the Boston area. BNID has played an important auxiliary role in fostering international development activities in the Boston area, as witnessed by the expanding content of the site and a significant growth in the number of users.
The website contains:
A calendar of Boston area events and volunteer opportunities related to International Development - http://www.bnid.org/events
A jobs board that includes both internships and full time positions related to International Development that is updated daily - http://www.bnid.org/jobs
A directory and descriptions of more than 250 Boston-area organizations - http://www.bnid.org/organizations
Also, please sign up for our weekly newsletter (we promise only one email per week) to get the most up-to-date information on new job and internship opportunities -www.bnid.org/sign-up
The website is completely free for students and our goal is to help connect students who are interested in international development with many of the worthwhile organizations in the area.
Please feel free to email our organization at info@bnid.org if you have any questions!

——————————

Boston Maker Spaces - 41 (up from 27 in 2016) and counting:  https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zGHnt9r2pQx8.kfw9evrHsKjA&hl=en
Solidarity Network Economy:  https://ussolidarityeconomy.wordpress.com
Bostonsmart.com's Guide to Boston:  http://www.bostonsmarts.com/BostonGuide/

****************************************
------------------------------------------------------

Links to events at over 50 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
MIT Events:  http://events.mit.edu
MIT Energy Club:  http://mitenergyclub.org/
Sustainability at Harvard:  http://green.harvard.edu/events
Microsoft NERD Center:  http://microsoftcambridge.com/Events/
Startup and Entrepreneurial Events:  http://www.greenhornconnect.com/events/
Cambridge Civic Journal:  http://www.rwinters.com
Cambridge Happenings:   http://cambridgehappenings.org
Cambridge Community Calendar:  https://www.cctvcambridge.org/calendar
Take Action MA:  http://takeactionma.com


If you have an event you would like to see here, the submission deadline is 12 PM on Sundays, as Energy (and Other) Events is sent out Sunday afternoons.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)