**Conferences**
Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War: Social and Economic Costs of the Current Nuclear Weapons Buildup
Saturday, January 21
Addressing Climate Emergency for Small Islands States: The case of the Maldives
Monday, January 30
**Lecture Series**
Recanati-Kaplan Talks: Two Years After Insurrection: A Conversation with Dr. Barbara F. Walter & Farai Chideya
Wednesday, January 4
An Introduction to Nuclear Weapons
Fridays, January 6 through January 27
Beyond Plastics Webinar - Pollution by Chemicals and Plastics: The Stealth Threat to Planetary Health
Thursday, January 12
GreenGov Webinar Series — Advancing the Global Sustainable Development Goals in our Personal and Professional Spheres
Friday, January 13
Cool as a Cucumber: The food and climate nexus at MIT (an IAP series)
Wednesday, January 18 (More dates through February 1, 2023)
NECEC Emerging Trends Series: Decarbonizing Building Heating
Thursday, January 19
Space Food for the Final Frontier
Thursday, January 19, Friday, January 20, Friday, January 27
Computational modeling for clean, reliable, and affordable electricity
Monday, January 23 More dates through January 27, 2023
A Changing Planet Seminar by Sir James Bevan
Tuesday, January 24
MIT AgeLab Aging & Equity Series: Climate Change and Health: Age and Intergenerational Considerations
Friday, January 27
**Events**
SEA-CO2 Seminar: Sensing Exports of Anthropogenic Carbon through Ocean Observation, an upcoming ARPA-E program on mCDR MRV technology development
Monday, January 9
Gaming Climate Change: Challenges and More Challenges
Tuesday, January 10
Accelerate to Net Zero Europe: The Carbon Trust Event Series
Wednesday, January 11
Harvard Climate Justice Design Fellowship Virtual Showcase
Wednesday, January 11
US Green Building Council-LA Net Zero Accelerator Demo Day & Expo
Thursday, January 12
American Perceptions of Climate Change (IAP Workshop)
Thursday, January 12
What Magic Can Teach Us About Misinformation
Friday, January 13
Small-Scale Agricultural Climate Resiliency
Tuesday, January 17
How Low-Carbon Ammonia Can Help Fight Climate Change
Wednesday, January 18
The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal - Report launch
Thursday, January 19
Homelessness in The United States: Context, Scope, and Approaches
Friday, January 20
LDEO Earth Science Colloquium Dr. Jade D'Alpoim Guedes
Friday, January 20
At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth, with Madeline Ostrander
Tuesday, January 24
U.N. Perspective Series: Clean Water & Sanitation
Wednesday, January 25
Democracy and peace at stake? The rise of geo-strategy in energy transition
Wednesday, January 25
US Nuclear Weapons Accidents: A Brief History and the Evolution of Response
Thursday, January 26
Brian Eno and Donna Grantis: Arts’ Role in the Climate Crisis
Friday, January 27
Interspecies Attentiveness: An Artist Panel Discussion
Thursday, February 2
Wikipedia edit-a-thon on climate change
Friday, February 3
Housing as a Climate Lever, with Scott Wiener
Monday, February 6
—————
These kinds of events below are happening all over the world every day and most of them, now, are webcast and archived, sometimes even with accurate transcripts. Would be good to have a place that helped people access them.
This is a more global version of the local listings I did for about a decade (what I did and why I did it at http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-i-do-and-why-i-do-it.html) until September 2020 and earlier for a few years in the 1990s (https://theworld.com/~gmoke/AList.index.html).
A more comprehensive global listing service could be developed if there were enough people interested in doing it, if it hasn’t already been done.
If anyone knows of such a global listing of open energy, climate, and other events is available, please put me in contact.
Thanks for reading,
Solar IS Civil Defense,
George Mokray
gmoke@world.std.com
http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com - notes on lectures and books
http://solarray.blogspot.com - renewable energy and efficiency - zero net energy links list
http://cityag.blogspot.com - city agriculture links list
http://geometrylinks.blogspot.com - geometry links list
http://hubevents.blogspot.com - Energy (and Other) Events
http://www.dailykos.com/user/gmoke/history - articles, ideas, and screeds
These kinds of events below are happening all over the world every day and most of them, now, are webcast and archived, sometimes even with accurate transcripts. Would be good to have a place that helped people access them.
This is a more global version of the local listings I did for about a decade (what I did and why I did it at http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-i-do-and-why-i-do-it.html) until September 2020 and earlier for a few years in the 1990s (https://theworld.com/~gmoke/AList.index.html).
A more comprehensive global listing service could be developed if there were enough people interested in doing it, if it hasn’t already been done.
If anyone knows of such a global listing of open energy, climate, and other events is available, please put me in contact.
Thanks for reading,
Solar IS Civil Defense,
George Mokray
gmoke@world.std.com
http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com - notes on lectures and books
http://solarray.blogspot.com - renewable energy and efficiency - zero net energy links list
http://cityag.blogspot.com - city agriculture links list
http://geometrylinks.blogspot.com - geometry links list
http://hubevents.blogspot.com - Energy (and Other) Events
http://www.dailykos.com/user/gmoke/history - articles, ideas, and screeds
—————
**Conferences**
————
Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War: Social and Economic Costs of the Current Nuclear Weapons Buildup
Saturday, January 21
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/Ciay2o7gekuNmQ4K0x1pEg2
The 2023 “Reducing the Threat of Nuclear War” Conference will be held virtually on Saturday January 21, 1-6 pm (Eastern). This annual gathering is one of the major national conferences addressing this acute problem. Given the tragic events in Ukraine, tensions with China over Taiwan, and provocations from North Korea, we need to accelerate effort toward clear analysis, peaceful resolutions and nuclear disarmament. The subtheme this year will be “The Social and Economic Costs of the Nuclear Weapons Buildup”. Particular attention will be given to the destructive effect of excessive weapons spending on human needs. Attendees should sign up for one Breakout in the first set (3 pm) and one in the second set (4:30 pm).
1:00 pm Welcome and Tasks of the Day – Jonathan King
Ukraine, Taiwan and North Korea – Phyllis Bennis (Institute for Policy Studies)
Dangers of First Use – Elaine Scarry (Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security);
Nuclear Winter -Alan Robock (Rutgers University);
Extraordinary Costs of Nuclear Weapons Upgrades – William Hartung (Quincy Institute).
2:00 pm –Social and Economic Costs of the Nuclear Weapons Buildup (Rosemary Kean, Chair):
Poverty as a Byproduct of the War Economy Shailly Gupta Barnes (Kairos Center and Poor Peoples Campaign);
Starving Public Health -Deborah Burger (National Nurses United);
Unmet Housing Needs – MA State Rep Mike Connolly;
Weapons Budgets Undermined the Pandemic Response- Jonathan King (MIT & Fund Healthcare not Warfare).
2:55 pm Break.
3:05 pm First Set of Breakouts (See Details)
4:00 pm Keynote Addresses:
Archbishop of Santa Fe John C. Wester
Jeremy Corbyn (invited)
Representative Ayanna Pressley (Invited)
4:30 pm Second Set of Breakouts (See Details)
5:30 pm Opportunities for Progress (Marcy Winograd, Chair):
Poor People’s Campaign – Rev. Liz Theoharis;
Mobilizing Nurses and Frontline Health Workers -Sandy Eaton (Mass Nurses and MassCARE);
Broadening our Reach: Medea Benjamin (CodePINK).
Next Steps: Cole Harrison (MAPA)
6:00 pm Adjourn.
Breakouts Details: Two sets, allowing participation in two Breakouts:
Breakouts Group I (3:05 – 4:00 pm):
Advancing Back from the Brink -Dr. Joseph McCabe (GBPSR); Dr. Ira Helfand (PSR). Reporter Susan Entin.
Resisting a New Cold War with China: John Ratliff (Mass Peace Action); Joseph Gerson (Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security); Wei Yu (CodePINK); Phyllis Bennis (IPS). Reporter-Steve Gallant
Cutting Budgets for Nuclear Weapons– David Borris (CAPA); Paul Shannon (AFSC); Savannah Wooten (People over the Pentagon); Sayre Sheldon (WAND); William Hartung (Quincy Institute). Reporter-Louise Coleman
Addressing the Housing Crises: Build Homes Not Bombs: Jodie Evans (CodePINK); Michael Kane (Alliance of HUD Tenants); Savina Martin (Mass Poor Peoples Campaign); State Rep Mike Connolly; Sr. Linda Bessom ( Pax Christi). Reporter Drew King.
No Wars No Warming: Vernon Walker (CREW-350MA); Ed Aguilar (CPA-PA); Rosalie Anders (MAPA); Teddy Ogborn (CodePINK); Giselle Herzfeld (Rocky Mt Flats Peace Center). Reporter-Pat Hynes
Promoting ND in the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Progressive Organizations – Elaine Scarry (CPDCS); Jackie Cabasso (Mayors for Peace); Vicki Elson; Russell Freedman (PDA); Cherrill Spencer (WILPF); Reporter-Cynthia MacBain.
Supporting Veterans: Bonnie Gorman (Veterans for Peace and MAPA); Gerry Condon (Veterans for Peace); Roger Quindell (WI Vets for Peace); Jim Anderson (PANYS). Reporter-Mike Van Elzakker
Contacting Young People Advocating for Peace. Alex Neilly (Northeastern University); Peter Bergel (Oregon); Emma Pike (Nuclear Age Peace Foundation); Emily Rubino (PANYS); Calla Walsh (MAPA). Reporter Merri Ansara
Breakouts Group II (4:30 – 5:30 pm):
Interplay of Racism and Militarism at Home and Abroad: Rosemary Kean (MAPA) ; Liz Bejjalieh (CAPA); Vaughn Goodwin (MA PPC); Jeff Klein (Dorchester People for Peace); Reporter –Bonnie Gorman
Promoting the TPNW within the US – Timmon Wallis (Nuclear Ban -US); Dave Pack (Peace Action Kansas City); Sally Jones (PANYS); Molly McGinity (IPPNW);Ray Acheson (WILPF). Reporter Kathy Malley-Morrison
Promoting Peace Between the Koreas – Colleen Moore (Women Across the DMZ); Mike van Elzakker (MAPA); Seung Hee Jeon(New England Koreans for Peace); Jeffrey Lewis (Middlebury Institute) Reporter-Joseph Gerson
Pressing for Negotiations in Ukraine – Marcy Winograd (CODEPINK); Susan Mirsky (MAPA); Phyllis Bennis (IPS); Cole Harrison (MAPA) Frances Jeffries (Rotary). Reporter- Danaka Katovich
Divestment and Direct Action focused on the Nuclear Weapons industry – David Swanson & Greta Zarro (World Beyond War); Rev. Paul Dordal (PA); Susi Snyder (Don’t Bank on the Bomb); Shea Lebow (CodePINK); Bill Glassmire (Corvallis Divests from War). Reporter- Paul Shannon.
Working with Nurses, Public Health Professionals and Healthcare Workers -Fund Healthcare not Warfare. Dr. Bob Gould (APHA); Sandy Eaton (MassCARE); Catherine DeLorey (Fund Health not War); Cate Henning (MAPA). Reporter – Anne Cheney.
Campus Education and Organizing- Invest in Minds not Missiles. Prof. Bob Redwine (MIT); Margaret Engel (PANYS), CAPA Student; Luissa Vahedi (Am Public Health Assn); Reporter-Steve Slaner.
Promoting Peace in Municipal and State Legislatures; MA State Rep Carol Doherty; Sen. Jamie Eldridge (Mass Legislature); Tara Currie (Brooklyn for Peace ); Dennis Carlone (Cambridge City Council); Reporter– Cherrill Spencer.
Engaging Communities of Faith /Promoting Pope Francis’ Encyclical -Mike Moran (Pax Christi); Keith Harvey (AFSC) Sofia Wollman (Peace Action Maine); John Bach (Cambridge Quakers). Reporter- Peter Metz
—————
Addressing Climate Emergency for Small Islands States: The case of the Maldives
Monday, January 30
9:00am to 5:00pm
MIT, Building 9-354, 9-354 MIT, at Samuel Tak Lee Building, 105 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Global sea levels rise at 3 to 4 millimeters a year; NASA scientists predict that with the current rate of global warming, almost 80% of low-lying island nations such as the Maldives will become uninhabitable by the year 2050. By understanding climate change mitigation, adaptation policies, and advocacy practices by the Maldives and other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), this workshop will discuss potential strategies to tackle current and emerging global climate change challenges for MIT's Climate Initiative.
Speakers:
Ms. Thilmeeza Hussain
Special Envoy of the President of the General Assembly. She is the Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, concurrent Ambassador of the Maldives to the United States, and non-resident High Commissioner to Canada, posts she assumed in 2019.
Mr. Ali Naseer Mohamed
Former Ambassador to United Nations, Chair of Alliance of Small Island State (AOSIS), Thought leader in crafting solutions of key issues at UNGA, G77 and SIDS Conferences. Led Maldives foreign policy implementation from 2013-2017
**Lecture Series**
——————
Recanati-Kaplan Talks: Two Years After Insurrection: A Conversation with Dr. Barbara F. Walter & Farai Chideya
Wednesday, January 4
7 pm ET
Online
RSVP at https://www.92ny.org/event/farai-chideya-and-barbara-f-walter
Since supporters of then President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, over 900 people have been charged — from assault, to destruction of government property.
Words like “Insurrection” continue to be featured on news outlets — and after the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar a Lago resort in August, Twitter references to “civil war” jumped 3,000%.
To unpack what is going on — and why — join us for a special conversation with Dr. Walter from the nationally syndicated radio show, Our Body Politic with the host, creator, and award-winning journalist, Farai Chideya.
Dr. Barbara F Walter has over 20 years of experience in the field, and in 2017 she joined the CIA Political Instability Task Force analyzing international data to predict where conflict might happen next. She’s the Rohr Chair of International Affairs at the School of Global Policy & Strategy at the University of California, San Diego and author of the New York Times bestselling book, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them.
—————
An Introduction to Nuclear Weapons
Fridays, January 6 through January 27
11:00am to 12:00pm
MIT, Building 32-155, 155 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
and Online
RSVP at https://calendar.mit.edu/event/introduction_to_nuclear_weapons
Is nuclear war possible? How close have we come? What can be done to prevent it?
These talks are will provide a broad overview of the ways in which nuclear weapons have impacted our world, and the ways in which they may bring it to ruin.
Lecture 1 (1/6): Nuclear weapons design, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, potential biological and societal effects, nuclear winter
Lecture 2 (1/13): The nuclear arms race, nuclear crises, Ukraine and Taiwan, accidental nuclear war
Lecture 3 (1/20): Nuclear proliferation, nuclear coercion, North Korea and Iran
Lecture 4 (1/27): Arms control, risk reduction, prospects for the future
No prerequisites, no homework, not for credit.
Content warning: 1st talk will cover bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with some graphic detail.
Editorial Comment: This is an MIT Independent Activities Period [IAP] program. IAP was started by students back in the 60s©™allrights reserved and allowed anyone from a janitor to a professor emeritus to teach a course. It’s what got me interested in events listing back in the 1970s.
—————
Beyond Plastics Webinar - Pollution by Chemicals and Plastics: The Stealth Threat to Planetary Health
Thursday, January 12
7pm
Online
RSVP at https://bennington.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlfuiorDktHNGKbqS9YQ9YwUf8hLngeUYk
Plastic is a paradox. It is at once the signature material of our age and also one of the greatest environmental and health threats we now face. Its production drives climate change, releasing massive quantities of greenhouse gasses, and during its use and degradation it releases an uninterrupted flow of chemicals and microplastics. Plastics and their additives have been found in every corner of the ecosystem, including human blood. But what is it doing there? It may be too soon to know precisely, but looking at the animal models and the known toxic effects of plasticizing chemicals, researchers can tell us a lot.
Join Beyond Plastics at 7pm ET on Thursday, January 12 when pediatrician and toxicologist, Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, will summarize what we know, what we don’t know, and what researchers strongly suspect about the impact of plastics on human health and future generations.
—————
GreenGov Webinar Series — Advancing the Global Sustainable Development Goals in our Personal and Professional Spheres
Friday, January 13
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=QSiOQSgB1U2bbEf8Wpob3uaZYPQyDmVFlDP599RHvaVUMVdVTU1aVUxWR1BHRzNHUENWWjk0VlpaMi4u
Sustainability & Resilience in the Community, Part 2 – Food Systems (Friday, January 13) — Join Caryn Long Earl, Director, Bureau of Food Distribution, PA Dept. of Agriculture and Jane Clements, CEO, Feeding Pennsylvania, as they discuss food insecurity issues in Pennsylvania, how they have been affected by COVID and inflation over the last few years, and government and non-profit programs trying to address these systemic challenges of hunger.
—————
Cool as a Cucumber: The food and climate nexus at MIT (an IAP series)
Wednesday, January 18 (More dates through February 1, 2023)
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Please sign up for each session here: https://forms.gle/Cixxmv9m6z7eowUi9
How can the MIT community – with our research, projects, forks, and imagination - create a more just and sustainable food system in the age of climate change?
Sessions 1/2 will be dynamic opportunities to learn about research and design projects happening in and around campus related to food, agriculture, climate change, and justice. You may be asked for your input into how to make a project work on campus or join a conversation around imagining a future initiative. Session 3 will be a hands-on cooking session, where we will learn to cook a climate-friendly meal. More details to follow. Hosted by the MIT Office of Sustainability with partners from across MIT.
Dates and Times:
January 18, 2-4pm (zoom)
January 25, 2-4pm (zoom)
February 1, 2-4pm (in person, location tbd)
Please sign up for each session here: https://forms.gle/Cixxmv9m6z7eowUi9
We will update anyone on any scheduling changes. Email susyj@mit.edu with any questions.
—————
NECEC Emerging Trends Series: Decarbonizing Building Heating
Thursday, January 19
10:00-11:30am
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/necec-emerging-trends-series-decarbonizing-building-heating-tickets-483891330997
One of the toughest barriers to achieving net zero by is how to decarbonize thermal side of energy production (e.g. building heating). Electrification with heat pumps has been proposed as a broadly applicable solution, however electrification may not be a viable solution in many cases., and we need to consider biomass, RNG and/or green-hydrogen based solutions
At this event NECEC will convene leaders in the built environment along with technology experts and developers to discuss the pros and cons of each solution. This will cover a range of low carbon options utilizing many technologies such as (but not limited to) Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and District Energy.. We will also hear from local community representatives about their challenges and which solutions might deliver the best results for EJ communities.
Agenda
10.00 - Welcome remarks-Joe Curtatone, President, NECEC
10:10 - Panel
Mike Bakas, Executive Vice President Ameresco
Dr. David Dvorak, PhD, P.E.; Director, New England Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership
Jackie Bliss, Chief Customer officer, Vicinity
Zeyneb Magavi, Co-Executive Director, HEET
Michael Walsh, Founding Partner, Groundwork Data
Moderated by Alistair Pim, Vice President for Innovation and Policy, NECEC
11:10 - Q&A
11:30 - End
—————
Space Food for the Final Frontier
Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 10:00am to 1:00pm
Friday, January 20, 2023 at 10:00am to 1:00pm
Friday, January 27, 2023 at 10:00am to 1:00pm
MIT, Building 35, 35-308, 127 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Humans are returning to the Moon, and eventually Mars! But what will they eat on the way there? What role does food play in the success of a human spaceflight mission? With more humans embarking upon longer space missions, astronauts are no longer just concerned with eating; they want to eat well. Some of the world’s most talented chefs are working with cutting-edge deep tech startups to develop delicious steaks and fine chocolates for the next generation of space travelers. Providing food that meets strict nutritional requirements while being stable in a microgravity environment is no easy feat. Research shows that cooking and eating together strengthens astronauts' mental health and group dynamics, which in turn improves their performance in space. It requires both scientific expertise and creative thinking.
Hear from NASA experts and astronauts, award winning-chocolatiers and space nutrition innovators about the challenges and needs of space food systems for the next era of space exploration.
Learn about the challenges and innovations in space food for long-duration missions and how food science and culinary experiences are pushing the boundaries to overcome space constraints. And if you're a chocolate lover, you're in luck! We will feature a tasting of Space Truffles created by Astreas—the first commercial space food company—the future of functional foods designed for astronauts
—————
Computational modeling for clean, reliable, and affordable electricity
Monday, January 23 More dates through January 27, 2023
9:00am to 1:00pm
MIT, Building E51-335, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Register by January 20. Email Pablo Duenas (pduenas@mit.edu)
This 5-session hands-on learning experience introduces analysis techniques to model and understand the role of electric power systems within a carbon-constrained economy. The massive deployment of intermittent renewables energy resources, the anticipated surge of active demand response and batteries, the development of smart grids, or the reliability of supply are among the critical challenges that must be faced by mathematical models for optimization, analysis, and simulation of complex decision-making processes in electricity systems. Besides a theoretical description of models, the instructors will provide students with a collection of prototypes that will allow them to run study cases and to explore the effect of different mathematical formulations on the outcomes. The use of these models in some real-world applications is also presented.
January 23
Part 0: Why models? Operating and planning under ever-evolving conditions
Part 1: Daily operation under renewable uncertainty
1. Economic dispatch and unit commitment
2. Stochastic unit commitment
January 24
Part 2: Operation planning: getting ready within a year
3. Mid-term hydro-thermal coordination
4. Deterministic and stochastic model
January 25
Part 3: Investing in generation to supply a growing demand
5. Generation expansion planning
6. GenX model: an expansion model for studying low-carbon energy futures
January 26
Part 4: Investing in transmission lines to unlock renewable potential
7. Transmission expansion planning
8. openTEPES model: G&T operation and expansion planning with renewable and storage
January 27
Part 5: Empowering end consumers for a clean and affordable transition
9. A simplified model for scheduling a microgrid
10. DECARB model: enabling buildings responsiveness for decarbonization
Instructors
Andres Ramos – Professor at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, arght@mit.edu
Javier Garcia – Professor at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, javiergg@mit.edu
Pablo Duenas – Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative, pduenas@mit.edu
Tim Schittekatte – Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative, schtim@mit.edu
PREREQUISITES: None (some GAMS/Python familiarity is helpful)
LIMITED: Students welcome to individual sessions
—————
A Changing Planet Seminar by Sir James Bevan
Tuesday, January 24
6am - 7am EST [11-12pm GMT]
Imperial College, Lecture Theatre 1, Blackett Building, South Kensington Campus, London and
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-changing-planet-seminar-by-sir-james-bevan-tickets-483124226567
Nature and biodiversity have traditionally been thought of as part of our rural environment. However, we are realising more the critical role that the natural environment and green infrastructure play in our urban spaces and how they can support better outcomes for people, the environment and the economy. They can also help tackle the climate emergency and get us to Net Zero. The Environment Agency has a central role to play in all of these things. Environment Agency Chief Executive, Sir James Bevan, will talk about the Environment Agency’s work and the role that nature and biodiversity will play in our future cities.
About the speaker:
Sir James Bevan joined the Environment Agency (EA) as Chief Executive in late November 2015. Sir James has had a long career in government. His previous roles include UK High Commissioner to India, Chief Operating Officer at the UK Foreign Office, and as a visiting fellow at the Harvard University Center for International Affairs. He has also held a number of senior posts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office including in Washington, Paris and Brussels. Sir James has a BA Honours in Social Anthropology from the University of Sussex. He was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2006 and was awarded a Knighthood in 2012.
Joining the event
This will be a hybrid event, with the opportunity for Imperial staff and students to attend at one of two campus locations (South Kensington and Silwood Park).
Online
Guests can join the seminar remotely on zoom. Details to be sent to those who register.
The Changing Planet seminar series is run by students and staff on the Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet (SSCP) Doctoral Training Partnership. It offers the chance to hear the latest in understanding, adapting to and mitigating environmental problems, complementing the diversity of environmental research at Imperial College London and beyond. Please be aware that our seminars are recorded. If you do not wish to appear on the recording please alert a member of staff. For any further enquiries regarding the Changing Planet seminar series, please contact us atgrantham.events@imperial.ac.uk.
Sign up to receive the Grantham Institute's Weekly Update email, featuring the latest news and events about climate change and the environment at Imperial.
—————
MIT AgeLab Aging & Equity Series: Climate Change and Health: Age and Intergenerational Considerations
Friday, January 27
2:00pm
Online
RSVP at https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0ottiePNQXq1DsO3AYmssw
featuring Dr. Latrica Best
Children and older people are often the focus of research and policies related to climate change and health. However, previous research and public health endeavors have often examined these two groups in isolation, without fully considering the ways in which climate change is impacting the health of these groups from an intergenerational perspective. This talk will consider the importance of age in discussions regarding climate change and highlight the need to incorporate intergenerational approaches to climate-related health inequities. Join the MIT AgeLab in this IAP session in hearing from Dr. Best!
**Events**
Recanati-Kaplan Talks: Two Years After Insurrection: A Conversation with Dr. Barbara F. Walter & Farai Chideya
Wednesday, January 4
7 pm ET
Online
RSVP at https://www.92ny.org/event/farai-chideya-and-barbara-f-walter
Since supporters of then President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021, over 900 people have been charged — from assault, to destruction of government property.
Words like “Insurrection” continue to be featured on news outlets — and after the FBI raid on Trump’s Mar a Lago resort in August, Twitter references to “civil war” jumped 3,000%.
To unpack what is going on — and why — join us for a special conversation with Dr. Walter from the nationally syndicated radio show, Our Body Politic with the host, creator, and award-winning journalist, Farai Chideya.
Dr. Barbara F Walter has over 20 years of experience in the field, and in 2017 she joined the CIA Political Instability Task Force analyzing international data to predict where conflict might happen next. She’s the Rohr Chair of International Affairs at the School of Global Policy & Strategy at the University of California, San Diego and author of the New York Times bestselling book, How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them.
—————
An Introduction to Nuclear Weapons
Fridays, January 6 through January 27
11:00am to 12:00pm
MIT, Building 32-155, 155 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
and Online
RSVP at https://calendar.mit.edu/event/introduction_to_nuclear_weapons
Is nuclear war possible? How close have we come? What can be done to prevent it?
These talks are will provide a broad overview of the ways in which nuclear weapons have impacted our world, and the ways in which they may bring it to ruin.
Lecture 1 (1/6): Nuclear weapons design, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, potential biological and societal effects, nuclear winter
Lecture 2 (1/13): The nuclear arms race, nuclear crises, Ukraine and Taiwan, accidental nuclear war
Lecture 3 (1/20): Nuclear proliferation, nuclear coercion, North Korea and Iran
Lecture 4 (1/27): Arms control, risk reduction, prospects for the future
No prerequisites, no homework, not for credit.
Content warning: 1st talk will cover bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with some graphic detail.
Editorial Comment: This is an MIT Independent Activities Period [IAP] program. IAP was started by students back in the 60s©™allrights reserved and allowed anyone from a janitor to a professor emeritus to teach a course. It’s what got me interested in events listing back in the 1970s.
—————
Beyond Plastics Webinar - Pollution by Chemicals and Plastics: The Stealth Threat to Planetary Health
Thursday, January 12
7pm
Online
RSVP at https://bennington.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlfuiorDktHNGKbqS9YQ9YwUf8hLngeUYk
Plastic is a paradox. It is at once the signature material of our age and also one of the greatest environmental and health threats we now face. Its production drives climate change, releasing massive quantities of greenhouse gasses, and during its use and degradation it releases an uninterrupted flow of chemicals and microplastics. Plastics and their additives have been found in every corner of the ecosystem, including human blood. But what is it doing there? It may be too soon to know precisely, but looking at the animal models and the known toxic effects of plasticizing chemicals, researchers can tell us a lot.
Join Beyond Plastics at 7pm ET on Thursday, January 12 when pediatrician and toxicologist, Dr. Philip J. Landrigan, will summarize what we know, what we don’t know, and what researchers strongly suspect about the impact of plastics on human health and future generations.
—————
GreenGov Webinar Series — Advancing the Global Sustainable Development Goals in our Personal and Professional Spheres
Friday, January 13
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=QSiOQSgB1U2bbEf8Wpob3uaZYPQyDmVFlDP599RHvaVUMVdVTU1aVUxWR1BHRzNHUENWWjk0VlpaMi4u
Sustainability & Resilience in the Community, Part 2 – Food Systems (Friday, January 13) — Join Caryn Long Earl, Director, Bureau of Food Distribution, PA Dept. of Agriculture and Jane Clements, CEO, Feeding Pennsylvania, as they discuss food insecurity issues in Pennsylvania, how they have been affected by COVID and inflation over the last few years, and government and non-profit programs trying to address these systemic challenges of hunger.
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Cool as a Cucumber: The food and climate nexus at MIT (an IAP series)
Wednesday, January 18 (More dates through February 1, 2023)
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Please sign up for each session here: https://forms.gle/Cixxmv9m6z7eowUi9
How can the MIT community – with our research, projects, forks, and imagination - create a more just and sustainable food system in the age of climate change?
Sessions 1/2 will be dynamic opportunities to learn about research and design projects happening in and around campus related to food, agriculture, climate change, and justice. You may be asked for your input into how to make a project work on campus or join a conversation around imagining a future initiative. Session 3 will be a hands-on cooking session, where we will learn to cook a climate-friendly meal. More details to follow. Hosted by the MIT Office of Sustainability with partners from across MIT.
Dates and Times:
January 18, 2-4pm (zoom)
January 25, 2-4pm (zoom)
February 1, 2-4pm (in person, location tbd)
Please sign up for each session here: https://forms.gle/Cixxmv9m6z7eowUi9
We will update anyone on any scheduling changes. Email susyj@mit.edu with any questions.
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NECEC Emerging Trends Series: Decarbonizing Building Heating
Thursday, January 19
10:00-11:30am
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/necec-emerging-trends-series-decarbonizing-building-heating-tickets-483891330997
One of the toughest barriers to achieving net zero by is how to decarbonize thermal side of energy production (e.g. building heating). Electrification with heat pumps has been proposed as a broadly applicable solution, however electrification may not be a viable solution in many cases., and we need to consider biomass, RNG and/or green-hydrogen based solutions
At this event NECEC will convene leaders in the built environment along with technology experts and developers to discuss the pros and cons of each solution. This will cover a range of low carbon options utilizing many technologies such as (but not limited to) Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and District Energy.. We will also hear from local community representatives about their challenges and which solutions might deliver the best results for EJ communities.
Agenda
10.00 - Welcome remarks-Joe Curtatone, President, NECEC
10:10 - Panel
Mike Bakas, Executive Vice President Ameresco
Dr. David Dvorak, PhD, P.E.; Director, New England Combined Heat and Power Technical Assistance Partnership
Jackie Bliss, Chief Customer officer, Vicinity
Zeyneb Magavi, Co-Executive Director, HEET
Michael Walsh, Founding Partner, Groundwork Data
Moderated by Alistair Pim, Vice President for Innovation and Policy, NECEC
11:10 - Q&A
11:30 - End
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Space Food for the Final Frontier
Thursday, January 19, 2023 at 10:00am to 1:00pm
Friday, January 20, 2023 at 10:00am to 1:00pm
Friday, January 27, 2023 at 10:00am to 1:00pm
MIT, Building 35, 35-308, 127 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Humans are returning to the Moon, and eventually Mars! But what will they eat on the way there? What role does food play in the success of a human spaceflight mission? With more humans embarking upon longer space missions, astronauts are no longer just concerned with eating; they want to eat well. Some of the world’s most talented chefs are working with cutting-edge deep tech startups to develop delicious steaks and fine chocolates for the next generation of space travelers. Providing food that meets strict nutritional requirements while being stable in a microgravity environment is no easy feat. Research shows that cooking and eating together strengthens astronauts' mental health and group dynamics, which in turn improves their performance in space. It requires both scientific expertise and creative thinking.
Hear from NASA experts and astronauts, award winning-chocolatiers and space nutrition innovators about the challenges and needs of space food systems for the next era of space exploration.
Learn about the challenges and innovations in space food for long-duration missions and how food science and culinary experiences are pushing the boundaries to overcome space constraints. And if you're a chocolate lover, you're in luck! We will feature a tasting of Space Truffles created by Astreas—the first commercial space food company—the future of functional foods designed for astronauts
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Computational modeling for clean, reliable, and affordable electricity
Monday, January 23 More dates through January 27, 2023
9:00am to 1:00pm
MIT, Building E51-335, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Register by January 20. Email Pablo Duenas (pduenas@mit.edu)
This 5-session hands-on learning experience introduces analysis techniques to model and understand the role of electric power systems within a carbon-constrained economy. The massive deployment of intermittent renewables energy resources, the anticipated surge of active demand response and batteries, the development of smart grids, or the reliability of supply are among the critical challenges that must be faced by mathematical models for optimization, analysis, and simulation of complex decision-making processes in electricity systems. Besides a theoretical description of models, the instructors will provide students with a collection of prototypes that will allow them to run study cases and to explore the effect of different mathematical formulations on the outcomes. The use of these models in some real-world applications is also presented.
January 23
Part 0: Why models? Operating and planning under ever-evolving conditions
Part 1: Daily operation under renewable uncertainty
1. Economic dispatch and unit commitment
2. Stochastic unit commitment
January 24
Part 2: Operation planning: getting ready within a year
3. Mid-term hydro-thermal coordination
4. Deterministic and stochastic model
January 25
Part 3: Investing in generation to supply a growing demand
5. Generation expansion planning
6. GenX model: an expansion model for studying low-carbon energy futures
January 26
Part 4: Investing in transmission lines to unlock renewable potential
7. Transmission expansion planning
8. openTEPES model: G&T operation and expansion planning with renewable and storage
January 27
Part 5: Empowering end consumers for a clean and affordable transition
9. A simplified model for scheduling a microgrid
10. DECARB model: enabling buildings responsiveness for decarbonization
Instructors
Andres Ramos – Professor at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, arght@mit.edu
Javier Garcia – Professor at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, javiergg@mit.edu
Pablo Duenas – Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative, pduenas@mit.edu
Tim Schittekatte – Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative, schtim@mit.edu
PREREQUISITES: None (some GAMS/Python familiarity is helpful)
LIMITED: Students welcome to individual sessions
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A Changing Planet Seminar by Sir James Bevan
Tuesday, January 24
6am - 7am EST [11-12pm GMT]
Imperial College, Lecture Theatre 1, Blackett Building, South Kensington Campus, London and
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-changing-planet-seminar-by-sir-james-bevan-tickets-483124226567
Nature and biodiversity have traditionally been thought of as part of our rural environment. However, we are realising more the critical role that the natural environment and green infrastructure play in our urban spaces and how they can support better outcomes for people, the environment and the economy. They can also help tackle the climate emergency and get us to Net Zero. The Environment Agency has a central role to play in all of these things. Environment Agency Chief Executive, Sir James Bevan, will talk about the Environment Agency’s work and the role that nature and biodiversity will play in our future cities.
About the speaker:
Sir James Bevan joined the Environment Agency (EA) as Chief Executive in late November 2015. Sir James has had a long career in government. His previous roles include UK High Commissioner to India, Chief Operating Officer at the UK Foreign Office, and as a visiting fellow at the Harvard University Center for International Affairs. He has also held a number of senior posts in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office including in Washington, Paris and Brussels. Sir James has a BA Honours in Social Anthropology from the University of Sussex. He was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2006 and was awarded a Knighthood in 2012.
Joining the event
This will be a hybrid event, with the opportunity for Imperial staff and students to attend at one of two campus locations (South Kensington and Silwood Park).
Online
Guests can join the seminar remotely on zoom. Details to be sent to those who register.
The Changing Planet seminar series is run by students and staff on the Science and Solutions for a Changing Planet (SSCP) Doctoral Training Partnership. It offers the chance to hear the latest in understanding, adapting to and mitigating environmental problems, complementing the diversity of environmental research at Imperial College London and beyond. Please be aware that our seminars are recorded. If you do not wish to appear on the recording please alert a member of staff. For any further enquiries regarding the Changing Planet seminar series, please contact us atgrantham.events@imperial.ac.uk.
Sign up to receive the Grantham Institute's Weekly Update email, featuring the latest news and events about climate change and the environment at Imperial.
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MIT AgeLab Aging & Equity Series: Climate Change and Health: Age and Intergenerational Considerations
Friday, January 27
2:00pm
Online
RSVP at https://mit.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_0ottiePNQXq1DsO3AYmssw
featuring Dr. Latrica Best
Children and older people are often the focus of research and policies related to climate change and health. However, previous research and public health endeavors have often examined these two groups in isolation, without fully considering the ways in which climate change is impacting the health of these groups from an intergenerational perspective. This talk will consider the importance of age in discussions regarding climate change and highlight the need to incorporate intergenerational approaches to climate-related health inequities. Join the MIT AgeLab in this IAP session in hearing from Dr. Best!
**Events**
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SEA-CO2 Seminar: Sensing Exports of Anthropogenic Carbon through Ocean Observation, an upcoming ARPA-E program on mCDR MRV technology development
Monday, January 9
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
MIT, Building 3-370, 33 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Presenters: Simon Freeman (ARPA-E) & Daniel Rogers (ARPA-E)
This seminar is an outreach effort seeking to inform the ocean sciences and sensor development community about ARPA-E and the upcoming SEA-CO2 program. This program seeks to accelerate the development of the marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR) industry through the development of Measurement, Reporting and Validation (MRV) technologies.
More information at https://calendar.mit.edu/event/sea-co2_seminar_sensing_exports_of_anthropogenic_carbon_through_ocean_observation_an_upcoming_arpa-e_program_on_mcdr_mrv_technology_development#.Y6izMy2ZOiI
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Gaming Climate Change: Challenges and More Challenges
Tuesday, January 10
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gaming-climate-change-challenges-and-more-challenges-tickets-415467844507
Ed McGrady will discuss climate change gaming for professional use and the associated challenges.
Georgetown University Wargaming Society
Climate change games are often a welcome break from our natural focus on games of war and destruction. However they present significant challenges to the aspiring designer. These challenges can be divided into those of mechanics, science, and culture. But, wait, a lot of these challenges may not be what you expect! The challenge with mechanics is being able to represent in the game everything you need to represent in order to allow the players to address climate issues. It's a lot. The challenge with science is not that you do not have it, rather its the large abundance of science you do have, your ability to distill it down into something manageable, and the need to get disparate climate change experts to agree on something. Finally, the culture of climate change advocacy, politics, and processes does have a huge impact on your ability to design the game. But not because of climate deniers, rather the culture of the climate science and response community can itself present challenges. This can even extend to your own workforce. All of these challenges can be overcome, but for those of us seeking to build simulation games, vice “toy” or “educational” games, these challenges can present a big barrier to successful climate change game design. This talk will discuss each of these issues, from the perspective of someone who has had to address them, and overcome them (sometimes surrender to them), in multiple climate simulation games. When possible I will offer solutions, at least solutions I have found useful.
Dr. ED McGrady, Principal, MonksHood Media LLC, Senior Adjunct at CNAS
Dr. McGrady writes, speaks, and teaches on the design of professional games. He is an adjunct senior fellow in gaming at CNAS, teaches and manages game design courses for MORS/Virginia Tech, and runs a business devoted to using games and game techniques to bring innovative experiences in new areas. His recent book, Roll to Save: Gaming Disease Response, describes designing games in support of public health professionals. In the past Dr. McGrady built and directed a team of 10-20 analysts at CNA devoted to the design and execution of professional games. Dr. McGrady has deployed as an analyst with US Forces in Haiti during operation Uphold Democracy, onboard USS Nimitz for Desert Storm and with operational E-2C squadrons. Dr. McGrady holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He has published extensively and is widely cited for his work on the mathematics of aggregation and fragmentation.
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Accelerate to Net Zero Europe: The Carbon Trust Event Series
Wednesday, January 11
3am - 5:30am [9:00 AM – 11:30 AM CET]
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/accelerate-to-net-zero-europe-the-carbon-trust-event-series-tickets-451747497927
Accelerate to Net Zero: Europe live event will share insights and discussion on the challenges and opportunities ahead as we accelerate efforts to reach for Net Zero.
Learn from climate leaders in your region and be inspired to take action in your organisation. Join us to learn more about:
How to develop a plan for your organisation to reach Net Zero
How to seize the business opportunities from the climate transition
How to be prepared for a low-carbon future
Join the decision makers looking to align with Net Zero. Confirmed speakers include representative from Carlsberg, Ørsted, RISE, BASF, the European Commission and more. Discover the full agenda at https://assets.foleon.com/eu-west-2/uploads-7e3kk3/48218/eu_agenda_a2n0.4f9f3ee783a6.pdf
We're pleased to offer subtitles in 27+ languages.
Please note this event is for Carbon Trust clients and stakeholders only and is not suitable for consultancies or competitors. We reserve the right to decline your registration in order to ensure an appropriate event audience.
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Harvard Climate Justice Design Fellowship Virtual Showcase
Wednesday, January 11
12:00 PM EST
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harvard-climate-justice-design-fellowship-virtual-showcase-tickets-495251850617
What does the landscape of climate injustice look like across the United States?
Join us for a virtual project showcase of the inaugural Climate Justice Design Fellowship of the Harvard University Climate+Data Initiative. The projects of the seven fellows explore stories of climate displacement, impacts of hazardous waste contamination, opportunities to build adaptive infrastructure, visions for urban futures, and other aspects of environmental justice from around the country.
The CJDF fellows are leaders in civil society and government institutions in Portland, OR; New Orleans, LA; Philadelphia, PA; Los Angeles, CA; Ann Arbor, MI; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; and Harlem, NY. They have powerful insight into the most important issues facing these diverse locales. Supported by scholars and engineers from the Harvard University Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Graduate School of Design, and Salata Institute, their work uses the tools of data, design, and web technology to analyze patterns, visualize effects, and share individual stories of historical decisions, present day injustice, and alternative futures in a changing climate.
Please register to access the link to the livestream.
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US Green Building Council-LA Net Zero Accelerator Demo Day & Expo
Thursday, January 12
9am - 11:30am EST [12:00 PM – 2:30 PM PST]
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/usgbc-la-net-zero-accelerator-demo-day-expo-tickets-465362019327
Let's jump into 2023 with inspiration, innovation, and action!
This annual event is one of our most compelling, featuring live and interactive demonstrations from our NZA 2023 cohort, updates from NZA alumni, and an intro to companies in our SoCal CleanTech Express program with the Consulate General of Canada. A panel discussion on "Sustainable ROI" with investors partners will follow our opening keynote, and we'll wrap up with interactive, virtual breakouts for solution-focused deep dives as well as future opportunities to connect directly on pilot projects via our first-ever Flight Manual.
Save the date for Thursday, January 12, 2023 from 12p - 2p PST with extended networking from 2p to 2:30p PST and start your new year inspired!
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American Perceptions of Climate Change (IAP Workshop)
Thursday, January 12
10:00am to 11:30am
Online
RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrLcUn0Zm2DxJTgXsCz1vM_jecm6zPw82rKX8TNxJYfMUxDQ/viewform
Over 50% of Americans are worried about climate change – but why is the rest of the country not? Are they duped by misinformation and corporate propaganda... and/or is there something else going on? And how do we get more Americans to support action on climate change?
In this workshop, we will review academic literature and real-world projects on understanding and engaging with Americans across the ideological spectrum on the topic of climate change.
Weaving presentation and discussion, we will draw upon learnings from the fields of political science, psychology, sociology, and communications to unpack how – and why – Americans think the way they do about climate change and how to effectively engage them on science and solutions.
Led by Laur Hesse Fisher, Program Director, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI). She leads ESI's program on climate change engagement and communication, which includes a journalism fellowship, the MIT Climate Portal, the MIT Climate Primer and TILclimate podcast. She also is the Lead for Learning & Assessment at DEPLOY/US, an organization working to elevate climate leadership in the political right-of-center.
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What Magic Can Teach Us About Misinformation
Friday, January 13
12 – 1 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ejj7s4sid7ee6b90&oseq=&c=&ch=
SPEAKER(S) Introduction: Carmel Shachar, Executive Director, Petrie-Flom Center
Moderator: Stephen P. Wood, MS, ACNP-BC. Visiting Fellow, Harvard Law School: Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics
Jeanette Andrews, Magician, Artist, and Speaker (Affiliate Alumni, metaLAB (at) Harvard)
Dr. Ross McKinney, Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Medical Scientist, Association of American Medical Colleges
Jay Olson, PhD, Behavioural Science Fellow, Government of Canada
This panel joins together the fields of medicine, magic, and ethics. We will explore how misinformation and disinformation about health is created and spread, and how expectation violation theory, a theory of communication that analyzes how individuals respond to unanticipated violations of social norms and expectations, can help to counteract these narratives. The panel will also discuss what can be learned from magicians, who are often seen as ethical disinformation designers. Panelists will point to how magic acts as fertile ground to approach the topics of misinformation and disinformation in safe, gentle ways. Finally, we will dive into how illusions shed light on the larger implications of neuroethics and epistemic injustice in the future.
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Small-Scale Agricultural Climate Resiliency
Tuesday, January 17
1:00pm to 2:00pm
MIT, Building E51, E51-376, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Sarah Coughlin (J-PAL)
Jack Ellington (J-PAL)
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How Low-Carbon Ammonia Can Help Fight Climate Change
Wednesday, January 18
12 - 1pm
Online
RSVP at https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6DOoY4VnS56q1eaCpUiP1g
Modern society depends on ammonia (NH3), a chemical compound that plays a central role in modern agriculture, delivering nitrogen essential for soil fertility. Ammonia is also a key feedstock in plastics, rubber, and other products.
Current methods for making ammonia produce significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions—almost 2% of the global total. Low-carbon production methods can dramatically reduce these emissions. Low-carbon production of ammonia also creates a fuel that could help decarbonize a range of sectors.
In November, a team including several scholars from the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs released the ICEF Low-Carbon Ammonia Roadmap, which explores a number of topics including low-carbon ammonia production options, infrastructure needs, potential uses for low-carbon ammonia, and policy options.
Please join us for a discussion with the report’s co-authors as they present their findings and recommendations.
Moderator:
David Sandalow, Inaugural Fellow, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA and Chair, ICEF Innovation Roadmap Project
Panelists:
Zhiyuan Fan, Ph.D. student and Research Associate, Columbia University
Dr. Julio Friedmann, Chief Scientist and Chief Carbon Wrangler, Carbon Direct
Ann-Kathrin Merz, Industry Analyst, First Ammonia and Research Assistant, Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia SIPA
This webinar will be hosted via Zoom. Advance registration is required. Upon registration, you will receive a confirmation email with access details. The event will be recorded and the video recording will be added to our website following the event.
This event is open to press, and registration is required to attend. For media inquiries or requests for interviews, please contact Natalie Volk (nv2388@columbia.edu).
For more information about the event, please contact energypolicyevents@columbia.edu
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The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal - Report launch
Thursday, January 19
11am - 12:30pm [16:00 – 17:30 GMT]
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-state-of-carbon-dioxide-removal-report-launch-registration-450547779537
Join us at the launch of a significant new report, The State of Carbon Dioxide Removal – a first-of-its kind, independent, scientific assessment, tracking the development of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) globally.
At this launch event, lead authors will discuss key findings from the report. They will present the global state of CDR development, tracking progress on its scale up, public perceptions, policies and innovation.
After short presentations, the authors will be joined by expert contributors and will answer audience Q&A.
Presenting authors:
Oliver Geden, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)
Jan Minx, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC)
Gregory Nemet, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Steve Smith, University of Oxford
Special guest speaker:
Jen Wilcox, US Department of Energy
The event will be chaired by Catherine Brahic, Environment Editor at The Economist.
To find out more about the report and receive a copy of the report directly to your inbox on 19 January, visit our website.
Organised in collaboration with CO2RE, the Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub.
Please note that this is an online only event. You will be sent a Zoom link ahead of the event.
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Homelessness in The United States: Context, Scope, and Approaches
Friday, January 20
10:00am to 11:00am
MIT, Building E51, E51-376, 70 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
Sara van Nes (J-PAL)
Anisha Sehgal (J-PAL)
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LDEO Earth Science Colloquium Dr. Jade D'Alpoim Guedes
Friday, January 20
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://events.columbia.edu/cal/event/showEventMore.rdo;jsessionid=8RZ92sjI5W2sOTWU8-tUEmJsFx_jbYe9n4oillMD.calprdapp06
Dr. Jade Alpoim Guedes, Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego.
Dr. D’Alpoim Guedes is an environmental archaeologist and ethnobiologist who employs an interdisciplinary research program to understand how humans adapted their foraging practices and agricultural strategies to new environments and have developed resilience in the face of climatic and social change.
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At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth, with Madeline Ostrander
Tuesday, January 24
6 - 7pm
Online
RSVP at https://boston-public-library.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fS3mJifISJyjUDikGPpfKA
As part of the Boston Public Library's Central Author Talk Series, science journalist and author Madeline Ostrander will discuss her recently published book At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth as part of the Boston Public Library's theme of climate justice activism. Acting as interlocutor for this conversation is Greg M. Epstein, Humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT, Convener for Ethical Life at MIT's Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life, and New York Times bestselling author. Following their discussion, there will be time for audience Q&A.
Porter Square Books will be supplying books for this event, and all books ordered through them will come with a bookplate signed by the author. Order at https://www.portersquarebooks.com/book/9781250620514, and put in BPLEVENT23 as a coupon code in your order.
About the book
From rural Alaska to coastal Florida, a vivid account of Americans working to protect the places they call home in an era of climate crisis.
How do we find a sense of home and rootedness in a time of unprecedented upheaval? What happens when the seasons and rhythms in which we have built our lives go off-kilter?
Once a distant forecast, climate change is now reaching into the familiar, threatening our basic safety and forcing us to reexamine who we are and how we live. In At Home on an Unruly Planet—a book lauded as "marvelous" by bestselling author Bill McKibben and a work of "searching intelligence and uncommon empathy" by Pulitzer prize-winner Elizabeth Kolbert—science journalist Madeline Ostrander reflects on this crisis not as an abstract scientific or political problem but as a palpable force that is now affecting all of us at home.
Ostrander offers vivid accounts of people fighting to protect places they love from increasingly dangerous circumstances. A firefighter works to rebuild her town after catastrophic western wildfires. A Florida preservationist strives to protect one of North America's most historic cities from rising seas. An urban farmer struggles to transform a California city plagued by fossil fuel disasters. An Alaskan community heads for higher ground as its land erodes.
She pairs deeply reported stories of hard-won optimism with lyrical essays on the strengths we need in an era of crisis. The book is required reading for anyone who wants to make a home in the twenty-first century.
“A hopeful, urgent, and universal message about our collective ability to face the climate changes we can no longer ignore.”
—Kirkus starred review
About the author
Madeline Ostrander is a science journalist and the author of At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth. Her work has appeared in the NewYorker.com, The Nation, Sierra Magazine, PBS's NOVA Next, Slate, and numerous other outlets. Her reporting on climate change and environmental justice has taken her to locations such as the Alaskan Arctic and the Australian outback. She's received grants, fellowships, and residencies from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Artist Trust, the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Jack Straw Cultural Center, the Mesa Refuge, Hedgebrook, and Edith Cowan University in Australia. She is the former senior editor of YES! magazine and holds a master's degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She lives in Seattle with her husband. To learn more, please visit her website: https://madelineostrander.com/.
About the interlocutor
Greg M. Epstein serves as the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, as well as the president of the Harvard Chaplains, Harvard University’s corps of over forty chaplains from more than 20 different religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions. Greg also serves the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as humanist chaplain and as Convener for Ethical Life at the MIT Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life. For nearly two decades, he has built a unique career as one of the world’s most prominent humanist chaplains—professionally trained members of the clergy who support the ethical and communal lives of nonreligious people. To learn more, visit this link: https://linktr.ee/gregmepstein.
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U.N. Perspective Series: Clean Water & Sanitation
Wednesday, January 25
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The Foundry, 101 Rogers Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/un-perspective-series-clean-water-sanitation-tickets-473414444347
The U.N. Perspective Series are free events aiming to build community and convene global and local perspectives on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Presented by the United Nations Association of Greater Boston (UNAGB), each U.N. Perspective Series focuses on a specific SDG and opens dialogue between global experts, local leaders, and the Greater Boston community.
This January, in anticipation of the 2023 UN Water Conference in New York next March, we will be focusing on SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation to learn from leaders, both local and global, who are championing water equity in the Boston community and beyond.
UN Water shares that “water is inextricably linked to the three pillars of sustainable development, and it integrates social, cultural, economic and political values. It is crosscutting and supports the achievement of many SDGs through close linkages with climate, energy, cities, the environment, food security, poverty, gender equality and health, amongst others. With climate change profoundly affecting our economies, societies and environment, water is indeed the biggest deal breaker to achieve the internationally agreed water-related goals and targets, including those contained in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”
This event is free, but registration is required. Please note that the event is open to all ages, but the lecture is tailored to adult audiences.
Meet Our Panel:
Our panel of experts is still being determined. Check back in soon!
Agenda:
5:00-5:45pm: Networking and Registration
5:45-6:45pm: Panel Q+A Facilitated by Youth Moderator
6:45-7:00pm: Open Networking
7:00pm: End of Event
Interested in sponsoring this event or the U.N. Perspective Series?
Reach out to UNAGB’s Director of Development, Alex Bostian, at alex.bostian@unagb.org to learn more.
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Democracy and peace at stake? The rise of geo-strategy in energy transition
Wednesday, January 25
12pm - 2pm EST [18:00 – 20:00 CET]
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/democracy-and-peace-at-stake-the-rise-of-geo-strategy-in-energy-transition-tickets-481550018067
Join us for Olivia Lazard's NGO Academy Online Keynote on the ecological and geopolitical implications of the ongoing energy transition!
What are the ecological and geopolitical implications of the worldwide ongoing energy transition and industrial revolution? Will the energy transition really lead to a more peaceful world? There are reasons to question this assumption. As the world races to extract more mineral resources needed for clean and digital techs, the reality is that geo-economic forces keen on upending the rules based order are at work. They come from various geographies, although a lot of them tend to arise from China and Russia. The extraction revolution at the heart of the industrial process to create the clean tech economy is often connected to highly corrupt and predatory behaviours that threaten the stability of countries at the heart of the scramble for resources, and by the same token, threaten the integrity and solidity of democratic societies.
The keynote will give a global picture of what is at play, and some of the threats unleashing at present and looming on the horizon. This will provide the basis for a discussion over how these threats may impact regions like the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe.
Olivia Lazard is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe. Her research focuses on the geopolitics of climate, the transition ushered by climate change, and the risks of conflict and fragility associated to climate change and environmental collapse. Lazard is an environmental peacemaking and mediation practitioner as well as a researcher. With an original specialization in the political economy of conflicts, she has worked for various NGOs, the UN, the EU, and donor states in the Middle East, Latin America, Sub-Saharan and North Africa, and parts of Asia. In her fieldwork, her focus was to understand how globalization and the international political economy shaped patterns of violence and vulnerability patterns as well as how they formed new types of conflict systems that our international governance architecture has difficulty tackling with agility. It is also through fieldwork that she came to observe the ways in which the plundering of ecosystems feeds conflict systems across the world and contributes to climate disruptions. Prior to joining Carnegie Europe, Lazard set up her own consultancy firm, Peace in Design Consulting, which remains exclusively active in conflict and fragile zones.
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US Nuclear Weapons Accidents: A Brief History and the Evolution of Response
Thursday, January 26
1:00pm
MIT, Building E40-496 Pye Conference Room, 1 Amherst Street, Cambridge
Abstract: Officially, there have been more than 30 accidents involving US Nuclear Weapon since 1945 (but none since 1980!). How do these happen? What types of controls are in place to prevent or mitigate them? How does the US Government respond to these incidents? During this session, we will use historical examples (Damascus, AR Accident and others), and draw on personal experiences, to examine this important topic.
Speaker: John D. Turner
Lieutenant Colonel John Turner earned his BS in American Politics with a Minor in Nuclear Engineering from The United States Military Academy. Commissioned in 2002, Lt Col Turner has held various staff and leadership positions within the Department of Defense, including three combat tours as a Field Artillery Officer before transitioning to his current role as a Nuclear and Counter WMD Officer. Other notable assignments include time spent at Headquarters, US European Command and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. John earned his Master of Business Administration from the College of William and Mary and a graduate certificate in Nuclear Weapons Effects, Policy, and Proliferation from the Air Force Institute of Technology. Prior to MIT, John served as a Policy and Plans Officer at Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) at Ft. Bragg, NC.
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Brian Eno and Donna Grantis: Arts’ Role in the Climate Crisis
Friday, January 27
1pm - 2pm EST [12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CST]
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brian-eno-and-donna-grantis-arts-role-in-the-climate-crisis-tickets-466594485667
A talk with Brian Eno and Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis as they grapple with this moment and arts' role in tackling climate change.
British musician, producer, and artist Brian Eno is a fierce advocate for our collective future in the midst of climate change.
Eno recently shared with Pitchfork, “I’m more and more convinced that our only hope of saving our planet is if we begin to have different feelings about it: perhaps if we became re-enchanted by the amazing improbability of life; perhaps if we suffered regret and even shame at what we’ve already lost; perhaps if we felt exhilarated by the challenges we face and what might yet become possible. Briefly, we need to fall in love again, but this time with Nature, with Civilisation and with our hopes for the future.”
He founded EarthPercent to direct funding to the frontlines of climate justice while reducing the environmental impact of the music industry as a way for artists and music organizations to pledge a percentage of their income to support combating the climate crisis.
Join us for a conversation between Brian Eno and EarthPercent member and Canadian guitarist Donna Grantis (Prince, 3rdeyegirl) as they grapple with this moment and the arts’ role in tackling climate change.
About the panelists:
Brian Eno - musician, producer, visual artist, and activist first came to international prominence in the early 70s as a founding member of British band, Roxy Music, followed by a series of solo albums and collaborations. His work as producer includes albums with Talking Heads, Devo, U2, Laurie Anderson, James, Jane Siberry, and Coldplay, while his long list of collaborations include recordings with David Bowie, Jon Hassell, Harold Budd, John Cale, David Byrne, Grace Jones, Karl Hyde, James Blake, and recently with his brother, Roger, on Mixing Colours. In August 2021, they performed together for the very first time, to a rapturous audience at the Acropolis in Athens.
Brian Eno’s visual experiments with light and video continue to parallel his musical career, with exhibitions and installations all over the globe. To date he has released more than 40 albums of his own music and exhibited extensively, as far afield as the Venice Biennale, St. Petersburg’s Marble Palace, Ritan Park in Beijing, Arcos de Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, and the sails of the Sydney Opera House. He is a founding member of the Long Now Foundation, a trustee of Client Earth and patron of Videre est Credere. In April 2021, he launched EarthPercent, which raises money from the music industry for some of the most impactful environmental charities working on the climate emergency.
His latest album, ‘FOREVERANDEVERNOMORE’ was released on October 14, 2022.
Donna Grantis is an artist, guitarist, and composer from Toronto. From 2012 to 2016 she performed and recorded with Prince as a member of his funk-rock trio 3RDEYEGIRL, and supergroup New Power Generation. In 2019, Grantis fronted a 5-piece electric jazz quintet and released her critically acclaimed debut album, DIAMONDS & DYNAMITE. She was named one of the greatest female guitarists of all time by Guitar Player Magazine.
Her newest creative project, Culture vs Policy, fuses the emotive power of music with thought-provoking dialogue about the climate and ecological crises. In collaboration with climate scientists, activists, Indigenous leaders, policymakers, researchers, and sociologists, Grantis seeks to highlight in her art narratives that are at once existential and empowering. She aims to utilize sound to evoke feelings in the listener, while exploring how we relate to human impacts on planet Earth.
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Interspecies Attentiveness: An Artist Panel Discussion
Thursday, February 2
6:00pm to 7:30pm
MIT, Bartos Theater, 20 Ames Street Building E15, Cambridge
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/interspecies-attentiveness-an-artist-panel-discussion-tickets-484363292647
Alan Michelson, Špela Petrič, and Miriam Simun, exhibiting artists in Symbionts: Contemporary Artists and the Biosphere, will convene in a panel discussion exploring interspecies communication and symbiosis.
Whether it is trees offering nectar to tempt bees (Simun), tobacco and its role in human ritual (Michelson), or plants and their gardeners (Petrič), many species engage with the vegetal and offer a form of what Petrič calls “vegetal consciousness.” Exhibition curators Natalie Bell and Caroline A. Jones will guide the discussion to explore human collaborations with varied species and the role of digital media and technologies in facilitating our exploration and pursuit of these ways of knowing, thinking, or communicating beyond the human.
Access the livestream on Thursday, February 2 from 6–7:30 PM EDT. Video recording will with Closed Captions will be available at a later date.
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Wikipedia edit-a-thon on climate change
Friday, February 3
1:00pm to 3:00pm
MIT, Building 14, 14N-132 (DIRC), 160 Memorial Drive, Cambridge
RSVP at https://libcal.mit.edu/calendar/events/wikipedia_iap2023
Wikipedia is now 22 years old and is the largest encyclopedia ever written, providing a free and reliable reference on hundreds of thousands of topics. But it's still incomplete! Come learn how the collaborative website works and how to make contributions. We'll cover how to make edits and improve articles and read Wikipedia with a critical eye, with a focus on climate change information. Articles related to climate change range from articles about technology, to policy and laws, to impacts on particular geographies or environments. We'll go over some areas to get started, how to work with other editors interested in this topic, tips for using the libraries to find reliable sources, and some considerations for writing scientific articles on Wikipedia.
No prior experience with Wikipedia is needed, and contributions in languages other than English are welcome. We will start with a tutorial and overview, and then use the second half of the workshop for hands-on work. Use the computers in the room, or bring your laptop.
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Housing as a Climate Lever, with Scott Wiener
Monday, February 6
3pm EST [6:00 PM PST]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco and
Online
RSVP at https://commonwealthclub.secure.force.com/ticket/?&_ga=2.248747970.417910296.1671998998-149928173.1643172478#/instances/a0F3j00001c6MuwEAE
Cost: $5
California’s attempt to increase housing and reduce carbon pollution is upsetting the power balance between local and state officials. With new laws empowering Sacramento to require more home construction, cities and counties are scrambling to decide what to build where. It’s getting messy and fraying friendships and alliances.
Would you agree to increased housing density in your neighborhood? How about in the next neighborhood over? Infill development that increases urban density tends to decrease reliance on cars and cut carbon footprints. At the same time, multi-story apartments in urban cores usually cost more per square foot to build than one or two-story houses where land is cheaper. So how do we balance environmental concerns with “neighborhood preservation”? How do racial exclusion and displacement play into the situation?
Join Climate One Host Greg Dalton in conversation with California State Senator Scott Wiener, followed by a panel discussion, as we unpack the connections between housing, climate and justice.
