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
http://zeronetenrg.blogspot.com - 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
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Index
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ResilientMass Metrics Initiative Public Meeting
Thursday, May 30
2:30 PM in Eastern Time
Online
RSVP at https://cbi-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eubyqjlmR8-QnlCA1-qvWw
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Climate Change: What’s Happening and What Harvard is Doing About It
Friday, May 31
3 – 4 p.m.
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Askwith Hall, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge
RSVP at https://web.cvent.com/event/516b1881-e18e-4b6b-b160-771bfc4753da/regPage:126c5edf-8f2c-4a16-97d0-8a8e9eeeda4e
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Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island Welcome Meeting
Sunday, June 2
3:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kfuGurTkpHtCocGTXeF0iIQqvxXJgxMtc#/registration
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ClimaTech: Bringing together thinkers, leaders and innovators from around the world to the heart of Boston
Monday, June 3 - Wednesday, June 5
RSVP at https://climatech2024.advertisingweek.com/register/-delegate/?code=ClimaTech24
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Harmonizing Biodiversity Conservation with Agricultural Production Across Working Landscapes
Monday, June 3
2pm - 3pm ET [11:00am - 12:00pm PT]
UCSB, 1414 Bren Hall, Santa Barbara, CA
And online
RSVP at https://bren.ucsb.edu/events/harmonizing-biodiversity-conservation-agricultural-production-across-working-landscapes
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How to scale and finance industrial "hard" technologies: a view from venture capital
Monday, June 3
7:30pm ET [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Skilling Building, Skilling Auditorium, 494 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/the_energy_seminar_1831
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2024 Annual Metropolitan Area Planning Commission [MAPC] Council Meeting
Tuesday, June 4
9:00am - 11:30am
Commonwealth Museum, 220 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125
RSVP at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/g626mv9/lp/f0f937b8-6d62-47fb-a5f4-b1e816d2be5b
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Climate equality: a planet for the 99%
Tuesday, June 4
12pm EST [17:00 - 18:30 BST]
Online
RSVP at https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-Inequalities/Events/Climate-Equality-A-planet-for-the-99/Climate-Equality-A-planet-for-the-99
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Gastronomy And Beyond: The Event
Tuesday, June 4
3:00pm — 4:30pm ET
MIT Media Lab, E14 - 3rd Floor Atrium, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge, MA
More informaiton at https://www.media.mit.edu/events/gandbtheevent/
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Climate Justice and Mass Incarceration
Tuesday, June 4
4 PM ET
Online
RSVP at https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OPXHVNbpR_Ka8pR2pScuzA#/registration
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Living Longer, Better
Tuesday, June 4
5:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Online
RSVP at https://wgbh.zoom.us/webinar/register/5417054252432/WN_K4iw97xTS8Kni7isT4RWuA#/registration
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Earth Tech: 2050 Demo Day - Solving Canada’s Biggest Climate Challenges
Wednesday, June 5
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-tech-2050-demo-day-solving-canadas-biggest-climate-challenges-tickets-894477033887
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Want to electrify your home? These experts can help
Wednesday, June 5
2:00 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://forum.canarymedia.com/canary-media1/Home-electrification-real-talk
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The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots
Wednesday, June 5
6–7:30pm
MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Building E28, Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://tickets.mitmuseum.org/events/018f5969-3b76-d39a-caa3-0d05b903e831
Cost: $5
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Building Social Capital for Climate Resilient Communities
Thursday, June 6
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://climateadaptationforum.org/event/building-social-capital-for-climate-resilient-communities/
Cost: $15 - $45
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MIT CSAIL + Imagination in Action [IIA] Summit
Friday, June 7
7am - 5pm
MIT Stata, Cambridge, MA
RSVP at https://www.imaginationinaction.co/
RSVP for Start-Up Pitch and Demo at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLg3DXUMGL3la_zIT4_xN1K1zjS1Yy7IL7e9CNbmuw5aD0SQ/viewform
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The History of Technology: Past, Present, and Future
Friday, June 7
9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday, June 8
9am to 3pm
MIT, Building E51, 115 70 MEMORIAL DR, Cambridge, MA 02142
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What Works Climate Solutions Summit: how can research contribute to good climate policy?
Sunday, June 9– Wednesday, June 12
Technische Universität Berlin
And online
RSVP at https://whatworksclimate.solutions/registration/
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We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance
Tuesday, June 11
7:00 PM ET
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/mara_kardas-nelson/
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Developing a Health National Adaptation Plan - Overview
Wednesday, June 12
9:00 AM
Online
RSVP at https://who.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qdOqvqD0iGtV-Ofj0LT_AFNDMVMe12HBx#/registration
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Raising Our Ambitions for a Just Climate Future
Wednesday, June 12
4 – 5 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/event/2024-raising-our-ambitions-for-a-just-climate-future-virtual
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AI and Data Science: Integrating Artificial and Human Ecosystems
Thursday, June 13
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Harvard, 114 Western Avenue, 2nd Floor, Allston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-and-data-science-integrating-artificial-and-human-ecosystems-tickets-894494947467
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Saving Money and Supporting the Grid: How IRA Home Energy Rebates Enable Virtual Power Plants
Thursday, June 13
2-3 p.m. ET
Online
RSVP at https://rmi.org/event/saving-money-and-supporting-the-grid/
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Modernizing Siting for a Decarbonized Future
Friday, June 14
9:00 am-12:30 pm (Networking over breakfast refreshments 8:30-9:00)
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Blvd 17th Floor Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6-14-2024-new-england-electricity-restructuring-roundtable-tickets-881161757537?aff=oddtdtcreator
Cost: $0 - $110
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How to Fight the Climate Crisis and Militarism with Veterans For Peace
Monday, June 17
9 - 10pm EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-fight-the-climate-crisis-and-militarism-with-veterans-for-peace-tickets-882066593927
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The Invisible Rulers Turning Lies into Reality
Monday, June 17
9pm ET [6:00 PM PDT]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero. Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-17/renee-diresta-invisible-rulers-turning-lies-reality
Cost: $0-$10
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Playtime vs Screentime
Tuesday, June 18
5 pm
Online
RSVP at https://www.cambridgeforum.org/?p=10418
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Climate Action for Busy People
Tuesday, June 18
7:00pm
Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
RSVP at https://www.portersquarebooks.com/event/cate-mingoya-lafortune-author-climate-action-busy-people-conversation-david-sittenfeld
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GIS and risk mapping in climate change and health vulnerability & adaptation assessments
Wednesday, June 19
9:00 AM
Online
RSVP at https://who.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpdO-vrTIsG9CZYlm2_QMwTsOQJITIKTap#/registration
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Northeast Embodied Carbon Summit 2024
June 20th (Full Day) - June 21st (Half-Day)
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 600 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Photo ID required for entry
RSVP at https://www.architects.org/northeast-embodied-carbon-summit-2024
Cost: $75 - $500
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Accelerating Sustainable Finance: Ceres' Insights to Managing Climate Risks in Banking and Insurance
Thursday, June 20
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3095879936304771669
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The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians
Monday, June 24
7:00 PM ET
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/carlos_lozada/
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Climate Heroes in Your Neighborhood with Matt Scott
Tuesday, June 25
9pm ET [6:00 PM PDT]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-25/climate-heroes-your-neighborhood-matt-scott
Cost: $0 -$5
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Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps
Thursday, June 27
6:00 PM ET (Doors at 5:15)
First Parish Church, 1446 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jon-favreau-jon-lovett-tommy-vietor-at-first-parish-church-tickets-894423915007
Cost: $38.00 (book included)
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Green Cambridge's 20th Anniversary
Thursday, June 27
6 - 9pm EDT
Urban Park (UP) roof garden, 325 Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-cambridges-20th-anniversary-registration-900263070077
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How Earth Came Alive!
Thursday, June 27
9pm ET [6:00 PM PDT]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-27/how-earth-came-alive-ferris-jabr
Cost: $0 -$10
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Events
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ResilientMass Metrics Initiative Public Meeting
Thursday, May 30
2:30 PM in Eastern Time
Online
RSVP at https://cbi-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_eubyqjlmR8-QnlCA1-qvWw
Please join the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for a webinar on May 30 from 2:30 – 4:00 PM on the ResilientMass Metrics initiative. This initiative builds upon the Commonwealth’s Climate Assessment and ResilientMass Plan by developing statewide environmental justice- and equity-centered climate resilience metrics to assess progress in advancing the Commonwealth’s goals and prioritize future funding. This webinar will include an introduction to the ResilientMass Metrics initiative and time for participants to share feedback on draft high-level metrics of success.
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Climate Change: What’s Happening and What Harvard is Doing About It
Friday, May 31
3 – 4 p.m.
Harvard Graduate School of Education, Askwith Hall, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge
RSVP at https://web.cvent.com/event/516b1881-e18e-4b6b-b160-771bfc4753da/regPage:126c5edf-8f2c-4a16-97d0-8a8e9eeeda4e
The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability invites you for an interactive event as part of Harvard Alumni Day. Hear from an expert panel of Harvard faculty about the latest climate change science and research and delve into what comes next. Panelists will share how Harvard's climate research and expertise are driving real-world climate solutions and provide an exclusive preview of discussions planned for Harvard Climate Action Week. Following the panel, a Q&A session will close the event with feedback from you, the Harvard alumni community, about the ways you would like to see Harvard University and the Salata Institute engage on critical climate and sustainability issues.
SPEAKER(S) Emmanuel Akyeampong, Ellen Gurney Professor of History and Professor of African and African American Studies; Oppenheimer Faculty Director of the Harvard University Center for African Studies
Satchit Balsari, Associate Professor in Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Department of Global Health and Population at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health
Carrie Jenks, Executive Director of the Environmental & Energy Law Program, Harvard Law School
Dan Schrag, Sturgis Hooper Professor of Geology; Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering
Rob Stavins, A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy and Economic Development, Harvard Kennedy School
Dustin Tingley, Professor of Government in the Government Department; Deputy Vice Provost for Advances in Learning
Introductory remarks will be made by Jim Stock, Vice Provost for Climate and Sustainability; Director of the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability.
The panel discussion Q&A will be moderated by Lindi von Mutius
Director of the Climate Action Accelerator at the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability.
CONTACT INFO salatainstitute@harvard.edu
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Scientist Rebellion Turtle Island Welcome Meeting
Sunday, June 2
3:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kfuGurTkpHtCocGTXeF0iIQqvxXJgxMtc#/registration
Editorial Comment: Happens every month
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ClimaTech: Bringing together thinkers, leaders and innovators from around the world to the heart of Boston
Monday, June 3 - Wednesday, June 5
RSVP at https://climatech2024.advertisingweek.com/register/-delegate/?code=ClimaTech24
The ClimaTech conference brings together expert thinkers, leaders and innovators from around the world, each at the cutting-edge of the climate revolution, to the heart of Boston.
Working alongside Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and the City of Boston, our program will explore an emerging frontier at the intersection of climate action and economic opportunity in fields such as Artificial Intelligence, next-generation power grids, and the future of urban mobility.
Taking place amongst some of Boston’s most iconic venues, including Fenway Park and The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, we’ll be joined by the likes of MIT, Harvard, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and Greentown Labs.
ClimaTech is for anyone concerned with action-oriented innovations, breakthrough science, technology and AI, and shifting culture and society towards radical change to tackle the climate crisis.
Full schedule at https://climatech2024.advertisingweek.com/aw/schedule/
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Harmonizing Biodiversity Conservation with Agricultural Production Across Working Landscapes
Monday, June 3
2pm - 3pm ET [11:00am - 12:00pm PT]
UCSB, 1414 Bren Hall, Santa Barbara, CA
And online
RSVP at https://bren.ucsb.edu/events/harmonizing-biodiversity-conservation-agricultural-production-across-working-landscapes
Daniel Karp, Associate Professor, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, UC Davis
"Balancing food production with conservation of biodiversity is one of the most challenging topics in ecology and environmental science, broadly. Using an innovative combination of field and data science methods, Professor Karp’s research program yields invaluable insights into how biodiversity affects and is affected by agriculture both in the tropics and in the US.” Ashley Larsen, Associate Professor, Bren School
A critical challenge for this century is transitioning towards sustainable farming systems that simultaneously produce food and conserve wildlife. Yet conservation scientists and practitioners have traditionally fixated on protected areas and overlooked opportunities for conserving wildlife alongside us in working landscapes. The Karp Lab at UC Davis uses ecological research to develop strategies for co-managing agriculture for conservation, crop production, and food-safety outcomes, both in the tropics and here in California. For this talk, Daniel will first explore how habitat conversion is affecting bird communities in Costa Rica, discussing which species are likely to persist in farming landscapes and which are not. He will then consider how climate change may affect species’ abilities to thrive in agriculture looking forward. Finally, Daniel will shift his focus to California agricultural systems, where recent foodborne disease outbreaks have created strong pressure on produce farmers to reduce wildlife intrusion into crop fields by removing non-crop habitat. Specifically, he will evaluate not only how habitat removal affects potential food-safety risks from wildlife but also consider potential tradeoffs for conserving biodiversity, controlling pests, and maintaining high crop yields.
Daniel Karp is an associate professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology at the University of California, Davis. Daniel completed his Ph.D. in 2013 and undergraduate studies in 2009 at Stanford University’s Department of Biology. Following his graduate studies, Daniel became an inaugural NatureNet postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley and the Nature Conservancy. He then received a Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research at The University of British Colombia, before joining the faculty at UC Davis in 2016. Daniel’s interests center on developing innovative methods for harmonizing food production with the conservation of ecosystem services and biodiversity. His lab thus broadly focuses on developing innovative solutions for reconciling conservation activities with food production practices.
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How to scale and finance industrial "hard" technologies: a view from venture capital
Monday, June 3
7:30pm ET [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Skilling Building, Skilling Auditorium, 494 Lomita Mall, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/the_energy_seminar_1831
Abstract: "Crossing the Chasm" for a new technology into commercialization is difficult, notoriously difficult. This talk will focus on the perspective of one VC firm and the lessons we've learned in supporting and financing early-stage companies in the industrial technology and energy space.
Speaker Bio: Josh grew up in Portland, Oregon and attended UCSD where he earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. Following undergrad, he competed professionally in the sport of water polo in Australia (Perth) and Spain (Barcelona) for two years before continuing on to work for an R&D industrial materials start-up in San Jose for 4 years. At the materials startup Josh served as a senior engineer in materials development and worked on applications such as batteries, super-capacitors, conductive inks and an IoT sensing platform for explosive materials. At Anzu he is supporting several portfolio companies, while also conducting diligence and sourcing new technologies in the industrial materials and energy spac
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2024 Annual Metropolitan Area Planning Commission [MAPC] Council Meeting
Tuesday, June 4
9:00am - 11:30am
Commonwealth Museum, 220 Morrissey Blvd, Boston, MA 02125
RSVP at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/g626mv9/lp/f0f937b8-6d62-47fb-a5f4-b1e816d2be5b
Please join MAPC, council members, and your fellow municipal leaders and staff, for the 2024 Annual Council Meeting.
We are excited to have Secretary Rebecca Tepper of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) joining us as our Keynote Speaker!
Arrive at 9:00 a.m. for check-in, light breakfast fare, and mingling. The Secretary will be speaking right at 9:30 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)
Rebecca Tepper is the Secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). She was most recently the Chief of the Energy and Environment Bureau in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, where she served as Attorney General Healey’s chief advisor on energy and environmental policy. She was responsible for the office’s three environmental and energy divisions, including executing the statutory duties of the Commonwealth’s ratepayer advocate. She worked in the Attorney General’s Office from 2015-2023, and previously served as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities and Director of the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board. Before entering state government in 2009, Tepper worked in the private sector for 15 years as a Partner at Rubin and Rudman LLP. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin/Madison and Boston University Law School. She lives in Lexington with her husband and twin boys.
The meeting will be at the Commonwealth Museum. We encourage you to tour the various exhibits of the museum after the meeting. Come for the meeting, stay for the exploring!
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Climate equality: a planet for the 99%
Tuesday, June 4
12pm EST [17:00 - 18:30 BST]
Online
RSVP at https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-Inequalities/Events/Climate-Equality-A-planet-for-the-99/Climate-Equality-A-planet-for-the-99
The richest 1 percent of the world’s population produced as much carbon pollution in 2019 as the 5 billion people making up the poorest two-thirds of humanity.
This allows the wealthiest people to burn through the remaining limit of carbon that can be consumed if the planet is to limit warming to 1.5°C this century, leaving little for the development of less-wealthy populations.
Co-hosted by the International Inequalities Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Oxfam, SEI and Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity, this panel will convene global experts in a solutions-oriented conversation.
The topic is inspired by recent joint research by Oxfam and SEI, featured in the November 2023 report, “Climate equality: a planet for the 99%.”
Moderator
Nafkote Dabi, Climate Change Policy Lead, Oxfam International
Panellists
Sivan Kartha, Equitable Transitions Program Director, SEI
Madhumitha Ardhanari, climate and land justice advocate
Fadhel Kaboub, Associate Professor of Economics at Denison University and President of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity
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Gastronomy And Beyond: The Event
Tuesday, June 4
3:00pm — 4:30pm ET
MIT Media Lab, E14 - 3rd Floor Atrium, 75 Amherst Street, Cambridge, MA
More information at https://www.media.mit.edu/events/gandbtheevent/
The Gastronomy and Beyond series facilitated by the City Science group will host award-winning, 5 Michelin star chef Eneko Atxa; Joxe Mari Aizega (director of the Basque Culinary Center); and Adela Balderas (masters director at the Basque Culinary Center). They will discuss their contributions to gastronomy in the Basque region and beyond.
Gastronomy and Beyond (G+B) aims to unite individuals who contribute to innovation in the realms of culture, products, territories, sustainability, and community within the mission of expanding horizons, fostering creativity, and exploring a myriad of concepts.
The event will be a first encounter for the series beyond virtual boundaries.
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Climate Justice and Mass Incarceration
Tuesday, June 4
4 PM ET
Online
RSVP at https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OPXHVNbpR_Ka8pR2pScuzA#/registration
People who are incarcerated are disproportionately vulnerable to climate hazards, and this population is often ignored and/or excluded from conversations about climate change. Carceral institutions and public policy are largely unprepared for the environmental threats that persist as a result of our warming planet. Using the recent report, Hidden Hazards: The Impacts of Climate Change on Incarcerated People in California State Prisons, as a starting point for discussion, speakers will explore ways to address the potentially deadly challenges for those who are incarcerated, as well as areas for further study and action.
Harvard Radcliffe Institute gratefully acknowledges the Ethel and David Jackson Fund for the Future Climate, which is supporting this event.
Speakers
Alleen Brown, independent investigative journalist; senior editor, Drilled
Juan Haines, editor-in-chief, Solitary Watch, and senior editor, San Quentin News
Eric Henderson, coauthor, "Hidden Hazards: The Impacts of Climate Change on Incarcerated People in California State Prisons," and founder, Eric Henderson Consulting
Amika Mota, executive director, Sister Warriors
Ufuoma Ovienmhada, PhD student, Aeronautics and Astronautics Department, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and research assistant, MIT Media Lab
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Living Longer, Better
Tuesday, June 4
5:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Online
RSVP at https://wgbh.zoom.us/webinar/register/5417054252432/WN_K4iw97xTS8Kni7isT4RWuA#/registration
Join us for a discussion about ageism considering the many factors that make this a global issue of importance. It is as much about how the elderly see themselves as it is about how society views them, according to Professor Andrew Scott, author of the new book, The Longevity Imperative. Scott’s research focuses on the economics of longevity and ageing and is published in a wide range of leading academic journals. He has advised through a variety of roles a range of governments, institutions and companies. His award-winning book, The Hundred Year Life is a global bestseller having sold 1 million copies. Andrew J Scott is a Professor of Economics at London Business School, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research and a co-founder of The Longevity rum. He holds a PhD from Oxford University and previously held positions at Oxford University, Harvard University, and the London School of Economics.
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Earth Tech: 2050 Demo Day - Solving Canada’s Biggest Climate Challenges
Wednesday, June 5
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-tech-2050-demo-day-solving-canadas-biggest-climate-challenges-tickets-894477033887
Our 11 Earth Tech 2050 ventures are solving some of the world’s biggest climate challenges, including in critical areas like carbon capture, energy, agriculture, waste management, mining and minerals, and more!
Register here today! https://foresightcac.com/event/2024/earth-tech-demo-day
Foresight Canada and Social Innovation Canada’s Earth Tech 2050 accelerator supercharges Canada’s top climate tech startups with the potential to each reduce or remove half a gigatonne of CO2e by 2050. Join us on Wednesday June 5th, 10:00am - 11:30 am PT for Earth Tech 2050 Demo Day, and get energized about the net zero future through:
Virtual elevator pitches from Cohort 1 companies
Breakout sessions with ventures positioned to massively reduce emissions
Personalized introductions to ventures after the event
Through increased adoption and investment into made-in-Canada climate solutions like these, we can reach our net zero targets by 2050 and build a more resilient and prosperous economy.
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Want to electrify your home? These experts can help
Wednesday, June 5
2:00 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://forum.canarymedia.com/canary-media1/Home-electrification-real-talk
Electrifying your home gives you the opportunity to be healthier and more comfortable and also do your part to fight climate change. But making the switch to an electrified life can be tricky: Can you afford a heat pump? What about solar panels or an induction stove? Will you need to get electrical work done first? Can you find a contractor who knows how to do the job?
Despite the challenges, there’s never been a better time to go electric — new rebates and incentives are reducing costs, and a wealth of resources is now available to guide you. This free forum, co-hosted by Canary Media and Generation180, will help you along on your own electrification journey.
Alison F. Takemura - Moderator, Staff Writer, Canary Media
Alison is staff writer at Canary Media. She authors Electrified Life, a column that demystifies how we can ditch fossil fuels and electrify our homes.
DR Richardson, CEO, Elephant Energy
DR is the founder of Elephant Energy, a company on a mission to make upgrading to a climate-friendly home as easy as possible.
Nica Mendoza, Ambassador, Generation180
Nica Mendoza recently finished her master’s degree in branding and experience design at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Bob Soule, Electrific Coach, Rewiring America
Bob Soule retired from a four-decade career as a national security analyst and executive in 2022.
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The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots
Wednesday, June 5
6–7:30pm
MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Building E28, Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://tickets.mitmuseum.org/events/018f5969-3b76-d39a-caa3-0d05b903e831
Cost: $5
Leading robotics and computer scientist Daniela Rus, MIT Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics David Mindell, and science writer Gregory Mone explore how we can use a new generation of smart machines to help humankind. There is a robotics revolution underway. A record 3.1 million robots are working in factories right now, doing everything from assembling computers to packing goods and monitoring air quality and performance. A far greater number of smart machines impact our lives in countless other ways ―improving the precision of surgeons, cleaning our homes, extending our reach to distant worlds―and we’re on the cusp of even more exciting opportunities.
Join The Heart and the Chip authors Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone for a conversation on the interconnected fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The discussion will be moderated by David Mindell. Copies of The Heart and the Chip will be available for purchase onsite from the MIT Press Bookstore.
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Building Social Capital for Climate Resilient Communities
Thursday, June 6
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://climateadaptationforum.org/event/building-social-capital-for-climate-resilient-communities/
Cost: $15 - $45
As the climate crisis unfolds, we are also facing an epidemic of loneliness. While most climate resilience public investment has been in physical infrastructure, research and experience tell us that it is people and relationships that matter when a crisis hits. Strong webs of trusting relationships, community control of local infrastructure, and spaces for communities to practice governance roles are essential ingredients for successful climate outcomes. That is why, increasingly, climate adaptation funding sources historically reserved for physical projects are opening up for investments in social resilience. But how do we know where these investments are most needed and what kinds of interventions can have the most impact?
This forum will explore the connection between social capital and disaster response and recovery outcomes, how communities are putting social resilience at the forefront of their climate adaptation efforts, and specific strategies for building social resilience in priority communities.
Forum Speakers
Dr. Daniel Aldrich, Professor, Political Science and Public Policy, Director of the Resilience Studies Program, Co-Director of the Global Resilience Institute. Northeastern University
Montanna Cassel, Sustainability Planner & Grant Coordinator, Town of Cohasset
Lydia Lowe, Executive Director, Chinatown Community Land Trust
Peyton Siler Jones, Urban Planner, Siler Climate Consulting
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MIT CSAIL + Imagination in Action [IIA] Summit
Friday, June 7
7am - 5pm
MIT Stata, Cambridge, MA
RSVP at https://www.imaginationinaction.co/
RSVP for Start-Up Pitch and Demo at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLg3DXUMGL3la_zIT4_xN1K1zjS1Yy7IL7e9CNbmuw5aD0SQ/viewform
There are those who innovate and those who imaginate.
Bold and unafraid to break the model and turn the possible into the real, the challenge into the solution.
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The History of Technology: Past, Present, and Future
Friday, June 7
9:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday, June 8
9am to 3pm
MIT, Building E51, 115 70 MEMORIAL DR, Cambridge, MA 02142
The MIT Program in Science, Technology, and Society will host an exploratory symposium on “The History of Technology: Past, Present, and Future.”
Over twenty scholars will make brief presentations about their view of the field and what they consider needs and opportunities for its future development.
Ranging from distinguished senior scholars to recently minted Ph.D.'s, the participants promise to bring fresh perspectives to the history of technology as an academic discipline. The time is ripe to take stock of the field, assess where it currently stands, and ask what next steps might be taken to advance it further.
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What Works Climate Solutions Summit: how can research contribute to good climate policy?
Sunday, June 9– Wednesday, June 12
Technische Universität Berlin
And online
RSVP at https://whatworksclimate.solutions/registration/
Registration is open now! MCC-hosted event “What Works Climate Solutions Summit” will be a great opportunity for scientific exchange, policy dialogue, and networking.
With little room for error and delay in delivering climate solutions, it is critical that we generate knowledge through rigorous evidence synthesis. The aim is to understand which climate policies work, under what conditions, why, and for whom. The hybrid MCC-hosted event What Works Climate Solutions Summit is a high-level conference for evidence-based climate policy. The event aims to promote and catalyse synthetic evidence on climate solutions for climate policy assessments (such as the IPCC’s 7th Assessment Report, the annual UNEP Emissions Gap Report and the Lancet Countdown on health and climate change) as well as other forms of scientific policy advice.
The summit brings together leading experts on climate solutions, key institutions curating scientific policy advice on the climate crisis (such as science assessment bodies and science academies), evidence synthesis communities (the Campbell Collaboration, Cochrane, Collaboration for Environmental Evidence, Evidence Synthesis International, the Evidence-Based Research Network) as well as policymakers, research funders, and other stakeholders and users of evidence. We aim to make progress on three major goals:
Advance and catalyse rigorous, transdisciplinary evidence synthesis work, and climate policy evaluation across the scientific community, involving all relevant stakeholders, to support upcoming assessment reports.
Build evidence synthesis capacity.
Form new collaborations and communicate the need for change.
Keynote speakers will include Jim Skea (Chairman of the IPCC, and Professor at Imperial College London), Rohini Pande (Professor at Yale University, and The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab), Julian Elliott (Co-Founder and CEO Future Evidence Foundation; Alliance for Living Evidence (ALIVE), and Professor at Cochrane Australia), Winston Chow (IPCC Co-Chair Working Group II on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerabilities, and Professor at Singapore Management University), Samantha Cheng (Director of Conservation Evidence, WWF), Cheikh Mbow (Director General Centre de Suivi Ecologique), Marina Romanello (Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown, and Professor at University College London) as well as a contribution by the SDG Synthesis Coalition.
We are grateful to our international partner network: Technische Universität Berlin, The Campbell Collaboration, Evidence Synthesis International, 3ie, Cochrane, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Pan-African Collective for Evidence (PACE), The Evidence-Based Research Network, Collaboration for Environmental Evidence, Global Commission on Evidence and the El-Erian Institute at the University of Cambridge. We are further grateful to our co-sponsors: the Wellcome Trust, the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) as well as the International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
Free trainings are offered following the event on 13–14 June at the same venue. The purpose of the workshop is to assist you in developing a systematic review protocol for a topic of your interest. You will receive free, state-of-the-art training in evidence synthesis methodologies from leading international experts from the Campbell Collaboration and related organisations: Ruth Garside (University of Exeter), Jan Minx (MCC), Hugh Sharma Waddington (LSHTM), Wolfgang Viechtbauer (Maastricht University), and more. Trainings will cover a broad range of qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods systematic review as well as systematic mapping/ evidence gap mapping methodologies.
Further information:
Register: https://whatworksclimate.solutions/registration/
Apply for training: https://whatworksclimate.solutions/training/
Learn more about the event: https://whatworksclimate.solutions/about/
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We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance
Tuesday, June 11
7:00 PM ET
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/mara_kardas-nelson/
Harvard Book Store welcomes MARA KARDAS-NELSON—award-winning independent journalist—for a discussion of her new book We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky: The Seductive Promise of Microfinance. She will be joined in conversation by QUINN SLOBODIAN—author of Crack-up Capitalism and Globalists, and professor of the history of ideas at Wellesley College.
About We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky
In 2005, pop star Bono proclaimed, “Give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day. Give a woman microcredit, she, her husband, her children and her extended family will eat for a lifetime.” By the mid-2000s, it had become international development dogma that microfinance—very small, high-interest loans—was the way to end poverty. The UN had dubbed 2005 the year of microcredit. A year later, when Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on microfinance, he proclaimed that tiny loans would “put poverty in museums.”
It was a beautiful vision. But there was just one problem: microfinance doesn’t work – at least not as promised.
Mara Kardas-Nelson's We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky is a story about unintended consequences, blind optimism, and the decades-long ramifications of seemingly small policy choices that reverberate around the world. It is a story of poor women doing their best to make ends meet under the toughest circumstances, and of international development workers, funders and advocates —from Bono to Bill Gates to Bill Clinton—who promise a brighter future with a quick-fix solution that may ultimately trap poor people in poverty. The book is deeply rooted in the deeply immersive narratives of women who take out microfinance loans in Sierra Leone; their stories are set against a detailed history of the meteoric rise of Muhammad Yunus’ lofty vision and the gradual shift from a small non-profit program to a booming for-profit industry. We Are Not Able to Live in the Sky puts in harsh relief the questions we all should have been asking for decades: who makes money off microfinance—and more importantly, who, and what, gets left behind?
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Developing a Health National Adaptation Plan - Overview
Wednesday, June 12
9:00 AM
Online
RSVP at https://who.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qdOqvqD0iGtV-Ofj0LT_AFNDMVMe12HBx#/registration
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Raising Our Ambitions for a Just Climate Future
Wednesday, June 12
4 – 5 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/event/2024-raising-our-ambitions-for-a-just-climate-future-virtual
Join us for an interdisciplinary panel of Harvard Radcliffe Institute fellows—experts in environmental law, policy, and planning—who will explore how collaboration among researchers and policymakers can raise ambitions for climate action and climate justice while effecting change. The speakers will share perspectives from their particular areas of expertise on how best to raise our collective ambitions for a just climate future.
SPEAKER(S) Fushcia-Ann Hoover, RI ’24, assistant professor of environmental planning, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte; faculty affiliate, Central Arizona–Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research site, Arizona State University; and founder, EcoGreenQueen, LLC
Jennie C. Stephens, RI ’24, Dean’s Professor of Sustainability Science and Policy, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, Northeastern University
Leah Stokes, RI ’24, Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics, Department of Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara
Robert Verchick, RI ’24, Gauthier-St. Martin Eminent Scholar and chair in environmental law, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and senior fellow in disaster resilience, Tulane University
CONTACT INFO events@radcliffe.harvard.edu
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AI and Data Science: Integrating Artificial and Human Ecosystems
Thursday, June 13
9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Harvard, 114 Western Avenue, 2nd Floor, Allston
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-and-data-science-integrating-artificial-and-human-ecosystems-tickets-894494947467
An exciting series of talks and panel discussions devoted to AI presented by a group of Harvard Data Science Review’s editors and authors. The symposium will kick off with a fascinating presentation by an historian of science on the history of AI since the French Revolution and will conclude in the afternoon by the Director of the MIT Laboratory for Financial Engineering at Sloan School of Management on the use of generative AI for providing financial investment advice. Other topics will include AI and data science education, AI and ethical considerations, and the impact of the generative AI revolution on AI policy and governance.
SPEAKER(S) John Shaw, Vice Provost, Harvard University
Stephanie Dick, Simon Fraser University
Mengdi Wang, Princeton University
Francine Berman, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
David Banks, Duke University
Michael Jordan, University of California, Berkeley
Sabina Leonelli, University of Exeter
Martha Minow, Harvard University
David Leslie, Queen Mary University of London
Bin Yu, University of California, Berkeley
Julia Lane, New York University
Nancy Potok, New York University and George Washington University
Emilda Rivers, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) at the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Andrew Lo, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
CONTACT INFO datasciencereview@harvard.edu
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Saving Money and Supporting the Grid: How IRA Home Energy Rebates Enable Virtual Power Plants
Thursday, June 13
2-3 p.m. ET
Online
RSVP at https://rmi.org/event/saving-money-and-supporting-the-grid/
The Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Efficiency Rebates (HOMES) and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) provisions will help tens of millions of households make their homes more energy efficient. They will save consumers money and make their homes more comfortable, but it has the potential for so much more — by enabling virtual power plants (VPPs), it can help the grid decarbonize while making it more resilient, affordable, and equitable. As customers adopt heat pumps, other home electrification technologies, and implement holistic home retrofits, they can support the evolution of VPPs to make investments go further, increase bill savings, and support the grid by reducing building energy use during times of peak grid demand. As states, tribes, and territories implement the home energy rebates, they have the option of utilizing a market-based approach based on measuring actual efficiency gains. This approach, known as the measured approach, provides a foundation for VPPs to reduce peak demand, improve grid reliability, and reduce infrastructure costs. Please join RMI and the Flex Coalition on Thursday, June 13th, from 2-3 p.m. EST to learn about the intersection of VPPs and the IRA’s home energy rebates. Industry stakeholders and policy experts discuss how investments in energy efficient homes and buildings can prepare the industry for flexible energy management and create more resilient and responsive homes.
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Modernizing Siting for a Decarbonized Future
Friday, June 14
9:00 am-12:30 pm (Networking over breakfast refreshments 8:30-9:00)
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Blvd 17th Floor Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6-14-2024-new-england-electricity-restructuring-roundtable-tickets-881161757537?aff=oddtdtcreator
Cost: $0 - $110
Moderator: Janet Gail Besser
Siting Energy Infrastructure: New National and Local Approaches
Gretchen Kershaw, Transmission Senior Advisor, US DOE Grid Deployment Office
Penni Conner, Executive VP, Customer Experience & Energy Strategy, Eversource Energy
Rev. Mariama White Hammond, Chief of Environment Energy, and Open Space, City of Boston
Multiple studies and analyses have found that the Northeast, and the nation as a whole, will need to invest in and build significant new electricity resources, as well as transmission and distribution infrastructure, to meet our clean energy and carbon reduction requirements while continuing to ensure the reliability of the electricity system. Siting needed infrastructure will be a herculean and critical path item. How can the federal government help?
But ultimately all siting is local. Generation and storage will be built in individual communities and neighborhoods, while transmission projects will pass through multiple towns and cities. New approaches to community engagement in the siting process that better integrate community objectives and priorities with broader system needs from the start, are essential to enable timely and efficient construction to meet clean energy requirements.
This panel will explore how federal siting innovations can help, and discuss how utilities, developers and community leaders can pilot innovative ways to develop shared solutions to the local challenges of siting and building electricity infrastructure.
Gretchen Kershaw, Transmission Senior Advisor, US DOE Grid Deployment Office, will present DOE’s findings from its recent National Transmission Needs and Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission studies. She will also discuss how federal siting initiatives, including designation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) backstop siting authority, as well as federal Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorizations and Permitting, could aid in ensuring that needed infrastructure can be built in time.
Penni Conner, EVP Customer Experience and Energy Strategy, Eversource Energy, will speak to new ways her company is thinking about engaging local stakeholders and neighborhoods to envision – and deliver – the benefits that infrastructure investment can provide in host communities. She will share how Eversource is revamping its siting process in partnership with community leaders given its substantial grid modernization plans.
Rev. Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space, in the City of Boston, will present the community perspective on siting electricity infrastructure based on both her experience at the City of Boston and as a leader in her local community. She will describe what is needed for communities to better engage with developers and utilities to ensure that local needs are addressed throughout the siting process, including site selection and design, and that direct community benefits are paired with infrastructure siting.
State Siting Reform and Innovation
Michael Judge, Undersecretary of Energy, MA Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Adam Chapdelaine, Executive Director, Massachusetts Municipal Association
Michelle Manion, VP of Policy and Advocacy, Massachusetts Audubon Society
Advanced Energy United
Massachusetts, like other states in the region and across the country, has established ambitious decarbonization targets to be achieved through electrification of transportation, buildings, and industry. Meeting these targets will require substantial increases in clean energy resources and the transmission and distribution infrastructure to deliver them. Recognizing that current siting processes are “inadequate to enable the clean energy transition,” the Commonwealth established the Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting, which recently completed a comprehensive review of its siting laws and regulations, culminating in recommendations for changes to reduce permitting timelines while ensuring that communities are meaningfully engaged, and that the benefits of the clean energy transition are equitably shared. The Siting Commission’s recommendations are now being translated into draft legislation that will be considered during this Legislative session and could result in significant changes to how clean energy resources and related infrastructure are sited and permitted in the Commonwealth.
This panel, comprising the Chair and organizational members of the Siting Commission, will take a deep dive into how siting and permitting need to be reformed in the Commonwealth and throughout New England if we are to meet our clean energy and climate mandates. This work could serve as a national model (if and) when successfully implemented.
Michael Judge, Undersecretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and Chair of the Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting (Siting Commission), will present the recommendations of the Commission, describing proposed state regulatory reforms, local permitting process changes, and complementary reforms, including requirements for greater community engagement.
Adam Chapdelaine, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, will present the municipalities’ view on the Siting Commission recommendations and the respective roles and authorities of the state and individual cities and towns.
Michelle Manion, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, Massachusetts Audubon Society, will share findings from their recent study “Grow Solar, Preserve Nature,” and her perspective on the Siting Commission’s recommendations, both as a member of the Commission and as a representative of an environmental organization that has been deeply engaged in clean energy and infrastructure siting.
Jeremy McDiarmid, Managing Director and General Counsel, Advanced Energy United, will offer the perspective of clean energy developers and technology providers, bringing a national as well as state lens to the challenges of siting the infrastructure needed to meet customer demand and our clean economy policy goals.
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How to Fight the Climate Crisis and Militarism with Veterans For Peace
Monday, June 17
9 - 10pm EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-fight-the-climate-crisis-and-militarism-with-veterans-for-peace-tickets-882066593927
The climate crisis and militarism are strongly connected. Learn how deep it goes — and what you can do to fight both.
The Climate Crisis and Militarism Project of Veterans For Peace is part of a worldwide movement to mitigate the climate crisis and promote peace and expansive justice — climate, racial, and economic justice.
This program will focus on damage to the climate caused by U.S. militarism, including its:
Vast and largely unreported greenhouse gas emissions
Role as military protection for oil corporations
Spending of trillions needed for addressing climate needs
Promotion of war — a human, climate, and environmental disaster.
Please join presenter Vince Dijanich, Climate Reality Bay Area member and co-founder of Veterans For Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism Project, to learn more about the military’s role in worsening the climate crisis — and how you can take action.
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The Invisible Rulers Turning Lies into Reality
Monday, June 17
9pm ET [6:00 PM PDT]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero. Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-17/renee-diresta-invisible-rulers-turning-lies-reality
Cost: $0-$10
Just what is the machinery that powers hugely influential propaganda? How does it work? Who’s behind it? And what can people do about it?
Renée DiResta, a writer and researcher with Stanford’s Internet Observatory, comes to Commonwealth Club World Affairs to share her research into the way power and influence have been profoundly transformed, how a virtual rumor mill of niche propagandists increasingly shapes public opinion. She says that while propagandists position themselves as trustworthy Davids, their reach, influence, and economics make them classic Goliaths—invisible rulers who create bespoke realities to revolutionize politics, culture, and society. Their work is driven by a simple maxim: if you make it trend, you make it true.
By revealing the machinery and dynamics of the interplay between influencers, algorithms, and online crowds, DiResta vividly illustrates the way propagandists deliberately undermine belief in the fundamental legitimacy of institutions that make society work. This alternate system for shaping public opinion, unexamined until now, is rewriting the relationship between the people and their government in profound ways. It has become a force so shockingly effective that its destructive power can seem limitless. Scientific proof is often powerless in front of it. Democratic validity is bulldozed by it. Leaders are humiliated by it.
But they need not be. Join us as DiResta not only predicts the consequences of these online propagandists but offers ways for leaders to rapidly adapt and fight back.
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Playtime vs Screentime
Tuesday, June 18
5 pm
Online
RSVP at https://www.cambridgeforum.org/?p=10418
Researchers are learning more and more about the detrimental effects of too much screentime on our mental health, especially for children. What we are gaining a deeper appreciation of is the importance of playtime for all animals, including humans.
Two great minds will bat around the evidence including supporting the upside of boredom for kids: Dr Michael Rich, in conversation with Professor David Toomey from the University of Massachusetts Amherst who has just written a wonderful book on why animals play.
with Michael Rich and David Toomey
Dr. Michael Rich is Director of the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital. He’s Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. He’s author of The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World
David Toomey is a professor of English at UMass-Amherst and co-director of the English Department’s Professional Writing and Technical Communication Program. He’s author of Kingdom Of Play about “What Ball-bouncing Octopuses, Belly-flopping Monkeys, and Mud-sliding Elephants Reveal about Life Itself.”
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Climate Action for Busy People
Tuesday, June 18
7:00pm
Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge, MA 02140
RSVP at https://www.portersquarebooks.com/event/cate-mingoya-lafortune-author-climate-action-busy-people-conversation-david-sittenfeld
Porter Square Books is thrilled to welcome Cate Mingoya-LaFortune for the release of her book Climate Action for Busy People! David Sittenfeld, Director of The Center for the Environment at the Museum of Science, Boston will join Mingoya-LaFortune in conversation. This event will take place on Tuesday, June 18 at 7pm at Porter Square Books (25 White St. Cambridge, MA 02140).
As unprecedented heat waves, storms of the century, and devastating fires impact cities across the country, the time to create climate resilient communities is now. While large-scale innovations in policy and technology are necessary to preserve the planet, the wisest and most lasting adaptation solutions originate at the local level. However, with something as large as the climate crisis, it can be hard to know where to begin.
Climate Action for Busy People is a hopeful and realistic roadmap for individuals and groups who want to boost climate preparedness and move the needle towards environmental justice. Drawing from her professional and personal success in climate adaptation and community organizing, Cate Mingoya-LaFortune begins with a brief history of why our communities look the way they do (spoiler, it’s not an accident!) and how that affects how vulnerable we are to climate risks. Each chapter will help readers scale up their actions, from identifying climate solutions that an individual or small group can pull off in a handful of weekends, like tree plantings or depaving parties, to advocating for change at the municipal level through coalition-building and data collection. It’s not too late for people of all ages and skill levels to create climate safe neighborhoods.
Climate Action for Busy People is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to make lasting and equitable improvements that will make their communities climate resilient.
Cate Mingoya-LaFortune is a people-centered climate adaptation planner, community organizer, educator, parent, and cautious optimist. Raised in an environmental justice neighborhood, she is committed to furthering a future where all people live in clean, thriving communities. She received a BA in biology from Reed College, a Master of Science Education from CUNY Lehman, and a Master of City planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She currently serves as the Chief Officer of Climate Resilience and Land Use at Groundwork USA. She lives with her family and community in New England.
David Sittenfeld serves as Director for the Center for the Environment at the Museum of Science, Boston. Dr. Sittenfeld has been an educator at the Museum of Science for approximately 25 years, overseeing special projects and network-scale activities pertaining to issues that lie at the intersection of science and society. David served as principal investigator for the NOAA-funded Citizen Science, Civics and Resilient Communities project and co-PI for the Science Center Public Forums project, which implemented community-based science-to-civics activities at 30 US science centers on extreme heat, drought, extreme precipitation, and sea level rise. He currently serves as Principal Investigator for the NSF-funded Building Capacity for Co-Created Public Engagement with Science project, which works to embed community and civic priorities into the design and implementation of public engagement activities. David led the Wicked Hot Boston and Wicked Hot Mystic projects which identified heat and air quality related vulnerabilities in over 20 communities in and around Boston through community-engaged participatory science. He has overseen the Museum’s work on projects for NOAA, NASA, NSF, the Department of Energy, the Sloan Foundation, and the United Nations. David holds a PhD in Public Policy with a concentration in Sustainability and Resilience from Northeastern University, where he researched and implemented participatory methods and geospatial modeling and visualization techniques for environmental health assessment and public engagement about climate related hazards.
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GIS and risk mapping in climate change and health vulnerability & adaptation assessments
Wednesday, June 19
9:00 AM
Online
RSVP at https://who.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIpdO-vrTIsG9CZYlm2_QMwTsOQJITIKTap#/registration
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Northeast Embodied Carbon Summit 2024
June 20th (Full Day) - June 21st (Half-Day)
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 600 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02210
Photo ID required for entry
RSVP at https://www.architects.org/northeast-embodied-carbon-summit-2024
Cost: $75 - $500
This summit marks five years since the BSA held the Embodied Carbon in Buildings Conference which led to the development of the EC 101 Series and the creation of the CLF Boston / Northeast Hub. In the past five years, great strides have been made through advocacy, research, education, outreach, and implementation - nationally and regionally. There have been advances on many fronts including policy, concrete, biogenic materials, adaptive reuse and more case studies. The goal of this summit is to come together to learn from each other, provide resources to the broader AEC community, and to advance our collective efforts.
Please join us June 20-21, 2024 for a series of panels, discussions, and workshops. Day One will bring everyone together again for networking and knowledge-sharing through a series of three 90-minute panel discussions focused on topics around Policy and Advocacy, our Practice, and Pushing Forward. We will conclude with a celebratory reception where our partners BE+ and MassCEC will announce the winners of the Embodied Carbon Challenge.
Day Two will offer six focused 90-minute workshops on topics of Policy and Advocacy, Mass Timber design, Concrete & Steel, Reuse and Circularity, Bio-Based Materials, and LCA Case Studies to continue the conversations and harness collective engagement.
Full schedule at https://www.architects.org/northeast-embodied-carbon-summit-2024/schedule
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Accelerating Sustainable Finance: Ceres' Insights to Managing Climate Risks in Banking and Insurance
Thursday, June 20
1:15 PM - 2:00 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3095879936304771669
Climate change poses unprecedented risks to the banking and insurance industries, with far-reaching consequences for businesses, governments, and individuals. Rising sea levels, devastating wildfires, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events threaten financial stability and impact loan portfolios, insurance premiums, and investment strategies. These disruptions can trigger a domino effect, shaking global markets, undermining business growth, and straining government resources. Effectively managing these risks is crucial for the resilience of financial institutions and essential for the security and prosperity of our economies, communities, and livelihoods. Through its Accelerator for Sustainable Capital Markets, Ceres engages with the banking and insurance industries by providing critical research and policy analysis and convening stakeholders to address these challenges. Join us for this vital conversation with Steven Rothstein, Managing Director of the Ceres Accelerator, and the Security and Sustainability Forum's Edward Saltzberg to learn how Ceres is helping the financial sector navigate climate risks, accelerate sustainable finance, and safeguard the future. We'll start with a 25-minute interview with Steven Rothstein by Edward Saltzberg, Executive Director of the Security and Sustainability Forum and a 20-minute live Q&A session. You can ask Steven your questions directly and gain deeper insights into managing climate risks and accelerating sustainable finance.
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The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians
Monday, June 24
7:00 PM ET
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/carlos_lozada/
Harvard Book Store welcomes CARLOS LOZADA—Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times—for a discussion of his new book The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians. He will be joined in conversation by GEOFF EDGERS—national arts reporter at The Washington Post and author of Walk This Way.
As a long-time book critic and columnist in Washington, Carlos Lozada dissects all manner of texts: commission reports, political reporting, Supreme Court decisions, and congressional inquiries to understand the controversies animating life in the capital. He also reads copious books by politicians and top officials: tell-all accounts by administration insiders, campaign biographies by candidates longing for high office, revisionist memoirs by those leaving those offices behind. With this provocative essay collection, Lozada argues that no matter how carefully political figures sanitize their experiences, positions, and records, no matter how diligently they present themselves in the best and safest and most electable light, they almost always let slip the truth. They show us their faults and blind spots, their ambitions and compromises, their underlying motives and insecurities. Whether they mean to or not, they tell us who they really are.
In his memoirs and speeches, Barack Obama constantly invoked the power and meaning of his life story, Lozada notes, a sign of how the former president capitalized on his personal symbolism, trying to transform it from inspiration on the campaign trail into an all-purpose governing tool. In a soliloquy about his hair in a self-help book published two decades ago, Donald Trump revealed not just his vanity, Lozada explains, but his utter isolation from the world, long before he entered the bubble of the White House. In deft and lacerating prose, Lozada interprets the unresolved tensions of Hillary Clinton’s ideological beliefs. He imagines the wonderful memoir George H.W. Bush could have given us but instead left scattered in throughout various books and letters. He explores why Kamala Harris has struggled to carve out a distinctive role as vice president. He explains how Ron DeSantis’s pitch to America is just a list of enemies. And he even glimpses what Vladimir Putin fears the most, and why he seeks conflict with the West. He does so all through their own books, and their own words.
Lozada reads these books so you don’t have to. The Washington Book is the perfect guide to the state of our politics, and then men and women who dominate the terrain. It explores the construction of personal identity, the delusions of leadership, and that mix of subservience and ambition that can define a life in politics. The more we read the stories of Washington, Lozada contends, the clearer our understanding of the competing visions of our country.
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Climate Heroes in Your Neighborhood with Matt Scott
Tuesday, June 25
9pm ET [6:00 PM PDT]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-25/climate-heroes-your-neighborhood-matt-scott
Cost: $0 -$5
There are climate heroes among us everywhere, but many go unnoticed in the thrum of everyday life. Matt Scott, director of storytelling and engagement at the global nonprofit climate solutions resource Project Drawdown, has been shining a light on the work of such people in cities across the country in his documentary short series “Drawdown’s Neighborhood.” In Atlanta, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and more, Scott lifts up underrepresented voices of those engaging in climate issues directly in their communities. And that diversity of voices—of women, Black people, Indigenous people, and people of color—is itself the point. “By passing the mic to underrepresented people working on the frontlines of climate change, we hope to share as many of these stories as possible while reshaping who society sees as climate heroes,” says Scott.
The San Francisco Bay Area is the latest region in "Drawdown’s Neighborhood," with full episodes premiering in August 2024. Join us for this unique Climate One event, as Matt Scott hosts a live conversation with local climate heroes and showcases the diversity of people taking action all across the country to meaningfully address climate change.
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Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps
Thursday, June 27
6:00 PM ET (Doors at 5:15)
First Parish Church, 1446 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jon-favreau-jon-lovett-tommy-vietor-at-first-parish-church-tickets-894423915007
Cost: $38.00 (book included)
Harvard Book Store welcomes JON FAVREAU, JON LOVETT, and TOMMY VIETOR—former White House aides during the Obama administration and hosts of the widely popular podcast Pod Save America—for a discussion of their new book Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps.
If you’re looking to navigate the chaotic, dunce-infested waters of American politics, Democracy or Else is here to help you tackle what might be the greatest question of our time: How do you get involved in the political process and make a real difference without giving in to the sense of impending dread that hangs over our society like a nameless stench? Each chapter will take readers step-by-step through the perilous journey of
Getting informed when you don’t know which influencer to trust (all of them!)
Donating and volunteering where you can have the biggest impact
Organizing, protesting, and even running for office yourself
Staying engaged in politics without losing hope or your mind or all of your friends
Democracy or Else is a resource for everyone—from political junkies following every turn of the news cycle to young people getting ready to vote for the first time. And it's filled with practical advice from some of the smartest experts and least annoying politicians around. The stakes and average global temperatures have never been higher—but there have also never been so many opportunities to join the fight. It’s an age of contradictions!
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Green Cambridge's 20th Anniversary
Thursday, June 27
6 - 9pm EDT
Urban Park (UP) roof garden, 325 Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/green-cambridges-20th-anniversary-registration-900263070077
Welcome to the Green Cambridge 20th Anniversary celebration! Join us on Thursday, June 27th, 2024 at 6:00 PM at the Urban Park (UP) Roof Garden in Kendall Square for an evening of fun, food and drink, celebrating our past and looking toward the future. Don't miss out on this special event filled with music, guest speakers and activities!
At the event, we’ll also honor former City Councilor and departing board member Quinton Zondervan and his wife Radhika, who have been foundational in ensuring Green Cambridge is robust and strategic in its work over the past 13 years!
See you there!
Note: This event is open to the public and tickets are an RSVP, but are not required. Any and all are invited! We are asking each guest to contribute $20-$200 as a donation to allow us to continue the work we do in the community for another two decades. Thank you!
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How Earth Came Alive!
Thursday, June 27
9pm ET [6:00 PM PDT]
The Commonwealth Club of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2024-06-27/how-earth-came-alive-ferris-jabr
Cost: $0 -$10
Ferris Jabr, Author, Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came To Life; Contributing Writer, The New York Times Magazine
We, and all living things, are more than inhabitants of Earth—we are Earth! Life and its environment have coevolved for billions of years, transforming a lump of orbiting rock into a cosmic oasis that supports and is shaped by life.. . .
Join acclaimed science writer Ferris Jabr as he reveals a radical new vision of Earth where lush forests spew water, pollen and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea; and humans alter more layers of the planet in less time than any other species, pushing Earth into a crisis.
Jabr will draw on the work in his new book Becoming Earth, which delves into the hidden workings of our planet and its many lifeforms and invites us to reexamine our place in it. What we do next will determine what kind of Earth our descendants inherit for millennia to come . .
