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 (http://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
_____
Index
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Picture + Panel: Grief and Loss with Tom Hart and Jesse Mechanic
Monday, January 5
7:00pm
Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143
RSVP at https://portersquarebooks.com/event/2026-01-05/picture-panel-grief-and-loss-tom-hart-and-jesse-mechanic
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What is Trump’s Golden Dome? Are We Paying for Ineffective Missile Defense and a Spiraling Nuclear Arms Race?
Monday, January 5
7pm - 8:30 pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://masspeaceaction.org/event/trumps-golden-dome/
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Allocating Electricity
Monday, January 5
7:30PM EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Building 370, 370, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-allocating-electricity-klass
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Thermal Energy Networks for Rapid Decarbonization of Campus, Neighborhood, and City Buildings
Wednesday, January 7; Wednesday, January 14; Wednesday, January 21; Wednesday, January 28
1:00pm to 5:00pm EST
Building N51, N51-310, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Cecily Parks, Author of The Seeds, and Elizabeth Bradfield, Author of Sofar
Wednesday, January 7
7:00pm
Cambridge Edition, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140-1413
RSVP at https://portersquarebooks.com/event/2026-01-07/cecily-parks-author-seeds-and-elizabeth-bradfield-author-sofar
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EBC Seventh Annual New England Climate Change and Resiliency SummitS.jpegS.jpeg
Thursday, January 8
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
University of Massachusetts Lowell, University Crossing Atrium & Moloney Ballroom
RSVP at https://ebcne.org/event/ebc-seventh-annual-new-england-climate-change-and-resiliency-summit-poster-session/
Cost: $30 - $210
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A Year In Review! Your 2025 Dose of Climate Hope
Thursday, January 8
12pm to 1pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-year-in-review-your-2025-dose-of-climate-hope-tickets-1902229382289
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Artist Carsten Höller in Conversation with Dream Scientist Adam Haar Horowitz
Friday, January 9
6:00pm to 7:30pm EST
MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Gambrill Center, Cambridge MA 02142
RSVP at https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/artist-carsten-h%C3%B6ller-in-conversation-with-dream-scientist-adam-haar-horowitz
Cost: $15 General Admission | $5 for MIT ID Holders
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Introduction to Nature Monitoring in the City
Saturday, January 10
2pm to 3:30pm EST
Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-nature-monitoring-in-the-city-tickets-1975242139411
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Decarbonizing Metallurgy from Extraction to 3D Printing
Monday, January 12
7:30pm EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford,450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-decarbonizing-metallurgy-leora-dresselhaus-marais
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Breaking the Polarization Trap: A New Approach to Political Cooperation
Monday, January 12
9pm EST [6:00 PM PST]
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2026-01-12/breaking-polarization-trap-new-approach-political-cooperation
Cost: $10 - $22
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Climate science for creators: Sharing accurate info about a warming world
Tuesday, Jauary 13
1pm to 2pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-science-for-creators-sharing-accurate-info-about-a-warming-world-tickets-1977382189358
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The Fundamentals of Climate Science and Policy
Tuesday, January 13 - 15
3:00pm to 5:00pm EST
Building E38 (MIT Welcome Center), MIT Innovation Headquarters, 7th Floor, 292 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeL0Z0WblJWruFY1QFc4k2FFGl6ZxzlNpbNljzo9IiGxVnT8A/viewform
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Risk Communication to Bridge the Generations of Tribal Voices
January 14
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Columbia, 2910 Broadway, Conference Room A, New York, NY 10025
And online
RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkWnSDiiH-7-plObEOR5vP3bjbiFM31Nw2Lt_yDCuNTcE8iA/viewform
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Boston Engineering, Energy & Transportation
Wednesday, January 14
7:00 PM EST
Bar Moxy, 240 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-engineering-energy-transportation-tickets-1967744405487
Cost: $20.70
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Planning for heat: what planning teams need to know about air source heat pumps
Thursday, January 15
8am - 9am EST [13:00 – 14:00 BST]
Online
RSVP at https://www.nesta.org.uk/event/planning-for-heat-what-planning-teams-need-to-know-about-air-source-heat-pumps/
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Using AI to analyze agrifood project design
Thursday, January 15
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
MIT, Building E38 (MIT Welcome Center), 292 MAIN ST, Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://sustainability.mit.edu/event/using-ai-analyze-agrifood-project-design
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Left & Right: The Psychological Significance of a Political Distinction
Thursday, January 15
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/692f1d76884c6a3515bb4e32
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Science Diplomacy in Crowded Orbits: The Global Challenge of a Sustainable Space Age
Thursday, January 15
6:00pm to 8:00pm EST
MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Gambrill Center, Cambridge MA 02142
RSVP at https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/science-diplomacy-in-crowded-orbits-the-global-challenge-of-a-sustainable-space-age
Cost: $15 General Admission | $5 for MIT ID Holders
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Policy & Power: New Nuclear in Massachusetts?
Thursday, January 15
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (Eastern)
Online
RSVP at https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001NUYg7IAH&mapLinkHref=
—————
Climate & Immigration
Friday, January 16
12pm to 3pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-immigration-tickets-157305114833
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Science and Social Justice in a Changing World
Tuesday, January 20
2:00pm to 3:15pm EST
MIT, Building 68, 181, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
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IAP Infinite Corridor Speed of Light Measurement
Tuesday, January 20
4:00pm to 5:00pm EST
MIT, Building 7, 3rd Floor - Entrance to Infinite Corridor, 77 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, Cambridge, MA 02139
https://project-manus.libcal.com/event/16034845
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Spotlight on Marketing: How to minimise the risk of greenwash and maximise the impact of green messagingDate
Tuesday, January 20
6:00 - 07:00 EST
Online
RSVP at https://webinars.businessgreen.com/how-to-minimise-the-risk-of-greenwash-and-maximise-the-impact-of-green-messaging/register
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Living Between Worlds—with Courage, Dignity, and Power
Wednesday, January 21
3:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvf-mvrD8qGNUBS287pVRGQr77bUBhKQF4#/registration
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Has the Economy Outgrown the Planet?: a workshop series on degrowth, limits, and wellbeing
Thursday, January 22; Friday, January 23; Monday, January 26; Tuesday, January 27
10:30am to 12:00pm EST
Building 9, 105 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Awe & Wonder Through the Lens of Empathy: Photographing Hope in a Fractured World
Thursday, January 22
1:30pm to 3:00pm EST
MIT, Building 4, 158, 182 MEMORIAL DR (REAR), Cambridge, MA 02139
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Making Democracy Interesting: Tips from TV, Podcasts, Science Fiction, and Online Creators
Thursday, January 22
2:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Online
RSVP at https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f-sSIbV1Q9utrySi7cyeuQ#/registration
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University: A Reckoning
Thursday, January 22
6:30pm
WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
RSVP at https://www.wbur.org/events/1058054/university-a-reckoning-lee-bollinger
—————
When It's Darkness on the Delta: How America's Richest Soil Became Its Poorest Land
Thursday, January 22
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/w-ralph-eubanks
—————
Glaciers: Meanings and Mythologies
Friday, January 23
1 PM ET
Online on Zoom
RSVP at https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/event/2026-glaciers-meanings-and-mythologies-virtual
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Modeling energy systems for a data-center-driven future
Monday, January 26 - Friday, January 30
9:00am to 1:00pm EST
MIT, Building 4, 231, 182 Memorial Drive (rear), Cambridge, MA 02139
Register by January 24. Email Pablo Duenas (pduenas@mit.edu)
—————
Physiological Sensing in the Built Environment Izzi Waitz
Monday, January 26; Tuesday, January 27; Wednesday, January 28; Thursday, January 29; Friday, January 30
9:00am to 5:00pm EST
MIT, Building 12, 3216, 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
RSVP at https://mitnano.mit.edu/mitnano-2026-iap-courses
—————
Confronting Unknowns
Monday, January 26
1:00pm to 5:00pm EST; Tuesday, January 27; Friday, January 30, 1:00pm to 3:00pm EST
MIT, Building 32-155, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
—————
Beyond the Headlines: AI and Historical Newspapers
Monday, January 26, 2026
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/692f0f4b163b292f004eb1d6
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The Rise and Fall of Rational Control: The History of Modern Political Philosophy
Monday, January 26
6:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harvey-c-mansfield-at-the-cambridge-public-library-tickets-1976634523068
Cost: $0.00 (Free RSVP Required) - $37.19 (book included)
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Behind the Lines: Unpacking Africa’s 600 million Electricity Access Gap
Monday, January 26
7:30pm EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Building 370, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-michael-jordan
——————
Climatetech Deployment Exchange: Startups × MWBEs,CUBs
Tuesday, January 27
11am to 1pm EST
Greentown Labs, 444 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
RSVP at https://luma.com/43dc6lpa
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The Invention of the Future: A History of Cities in the Modern World
Tuesday, January 27
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/bruno-carvalho
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Changing the Conversation: Intro to Effective Climate Change Communication
Wednesday, January 28
3pm to 4pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/changing-the-conversation-intro-to-effective-climate-change-communication-registration-1978197446815
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The Opinionated University: Academic Freedom, Diversity, and the Myth of Neutrality in American Higher Education
Wednesday, January 28
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/brian-soucek
—————
Stories to Watch 2026
Thursday, January 29
9:00 - 10:30am EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.wri.org/events/2026/1/stories-watch-2026#register
—————
Stockholm Environmental Institute [SEI] Currents 2026
Which trends will shape 2026? And what will shape these trends?
Thursday, January 29
9am - 10 am EST [15:00 CET ending at 16:00 CET]
Online
RSVP at https://www.sei.org/events/sei-currents-2026-event/
—————
Accelerating climate adaptation after COP30
Thursday, January 29
11.00 AM - 12.30 PM
Online
RSVP at https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/events/2026/after-cop30.html
—————
GovScape: Multimodal Search and Discovery for 10+ Million Government PDFs
Thursday, January 29
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Harvard Law School, Lewis Hall, 5th floor at the Berkman Klein Center's Multi-Purpose Room 515, 1557 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://hls.harvard.edu/events/govscape-multimodal-search-and-discovery-for-10-million-government-pdfs/
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The Future of Special Education Amid Federal Cuts
Thursday, January 29
3:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Online
RSVP at https://bostonu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CaSFAJC7SwOZVFdNGoY2hg#/registration
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The Death and Life of Gentrification: A New Map of a Persistent Idea
Thursday, January 29
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/japonica-brown-saracino
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The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us
Friday, January 30
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue. Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/rebecca-newberger-goldstein
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Alice Hill, Council on Foreign Relations
Monday, February 2
7:30pm EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Building 370, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-alice-hill-council-foreign-relations
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Monthly Dose of Climate Hope! With Hannah Ritchie
Tuesday, February 3
11am to 12pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monthly-dose-of-climate-hope-with-hannah-ritchie-tickets-1867333076499
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The Sealed Envelope: Toward an Intelligent Utopia
Tuesday, February 3
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/george-scialabba
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Environment, Atmosphere, Feeling Keynote: Naomi Paik
Thursday, February 5
4pm to 6pm
Northeastern, 716 Columbus Place, 6th Floor, Boston, MA, Boston
More information at https://calendar.northeastern.edu/event/environment-atmosphere-feeling-keynote-naomi-paik
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EnergyBar: Looking Ahead Together
Thursday, February 5
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Greentown Labs,444 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143
RSVP at https://greentownlabs.com/event/energybar-looking-ahead-together/
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Events
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Zero Carbon Deadline
Wednesday, December 31
6:59pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/net-zero-tickets-146172268189
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2018 report predicts change at a 2º temperature increase globally.
1.7 billion more people experience severe heatwaves at least once every five years. Seas rise—on average—another 10 centimetres.
Up to several hundred million more people become exposed to climate-related risks and poverty. The coral reefs that support marine environments around the world could decline as much as 99 percent. Global fishery catches could decline by another 1.5 million tonnes.
Human activities have already caused 1º of global warming which will keep rising no matter what we do. For limiting global warming to below 2°C CO2 emissions are projected to decline by about 25% by 2030 in most pathways (10–30% interquartile range) and reach net zero around 2070 (2065–2080 interquartile range).
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MIT 6.S191Introduction to Deep Learning
Monday January 5 - Friday, January 9, 2026
1-4pm ET
MIT Building 32-123, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge
Lottery for class open to MIT people & the public until January 4, 2026
RSVP at https://introtodeeplearning.com/
MIT's introductory program on deep learning methods with applications in language, and more!
2026 lottery is now open! Signup today!20d 14h 25m 36s Current MITMIT Students only EveryoneAll: Public and MIT students
An efficient and high-intensity bootcamp designed to teach you the fundamentals of deep learning as quickly as possible!
MIT's introductory program on deep learning methods with applications to natural language processing, computer vision, biology, and more! Students will gain foundational knowledge of deep learning algorithms, practical experience in building neural networks, and understanding of cutting-edge topics including large language models and generative AI. Program concludes with a project proposal competition with feedback from staff and panel of industry sponsors. Prerequisites assume calculus (i.e. taking derivatives) and linear algebra (i.e. matrix multiplication), we'll try to explain everything else along the way! Experience in Python is helpful but not necessary.
Listeners to the class are welcome!
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Picture + Panel: Grief and Loss with Tom Hart and Jesse Mechanic
Monday, January 5
7:00pm
Boston Figurative Art Center, 285 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143
RSVP at https://portersquarebooks.com/event/2026-01-05/picture-panel-grief-and-loss-tom-hart-and-jesse-mechanic
Porter Square Books is excited to collaborate with the Boston Comic Arts Foundation (BCAF) and Boston Figurative Arts Center to bring Picture + Panel. This month, Picture + Panel confronts the weight of loss with Tom Hart and Jesse Mechanic. Discussing two beautiful graphic memoirs, we explore how comics can transform unspeakable loss into art that remains.
ABOUT PICTURE + PANEL
Picture + Panel is a monthly conversation series that brings fantastic graphic novel creators to the Greater Boston area. Discover terrific authors and fascinating stories that combine text and art through conversational confabulation. Produced in partnership by the Boston Comic Arts Foundation, Porter Square Books, and the Boston Figurative Arts Center, Picture + Panel provides thought-provoking discussions for adults about this unique form of expression.
All BCAF events are free to attend. If you wish to pay it forward, a $5 suggested donation helps sustain BCAF's comics advocacy and educational programming in the Greater Boston area.
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Tom Hart is a critically acclaimed Eisner-nominated cartoonist and the Executive Director of The Sequential Artists Workshop in Gainesville, Florida. He is the creator of Daddy Lightning and the Hutch Owen series of graphic novels and books. The Collected Hutch Owen was nominated for best graphic novel in 2000 and has received a Xeric Grant. Tom has taught sequential art at the University of Florida and at NYC's School of Visual Arts.
Jesse Mechanic is an opinion columnist, essayist, and artist. He has published work in Mother Jones, In These Times, HuffPost, Truthout, and other publications. Jesse enjoys woodworking, the television show Cheers, and working diligently to dismantle the various oppressive systems that define our world. The Last Time We Spoke is his debut graphic novel.
Editorial Comment: Tom Hart’s Rosalie Lightning is a beautiful, heartfelt book about a little girl gone too soon.
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What is Trump’s Golden Dome? Are We Paying for Ineffective Missile Defense and a Spiraling Nuclear Arms Race?
Monday, January 5
7pm - 8:30 pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://masspeaceaction.org/event/trumps-golden-dome/
Missile Defense, as the term implies, is defending against enemy missiles carrying an explosive payload. The origin of these anti-missile systems dates back to the Cold War space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, an era when intercontinental ballistic missiles could be deployed in space to launch satellites to orbit or travel thousands of miles carrying nuclear weapons. Missile defense systems were deployed by both superpowers in the 1960s, but proved to be technically infeasible and prohibitively expensive. They were ultimately abandoned.
Feasibility and cost notwithstanding, the U.S. military and weapons contractors succeeded in pursuing these systems during the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush administrations. Now, Donald Trump has launched the ambitious Golden Dome project, yet another missile defense program based on technologies and space-based interceptors proven to be unworkable.
In this webinar, we will hear three experts discuss the technical and policy aspects of Golden Dome.
Ted Postol, professor emeritus at MIT, is an internationally known analyst and long-time critic of the missile defense program. He has held positions at the Argonne National Laboratory, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, and the Pentagon, where he functioned as scientific advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations and technical and policy advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. At Stanford, he helped build a weapons technology training program for development and arms control policy. His awards include the 1995 Hilliard Roderick Prize in Science, Arms Control, and International Security from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) which lauded him as “by-far the strongest, technically-trained, independent arms control analyst of his generation” and the mentor of “a whole generation of independent arms control policy analysts.” He has been awarded for whistle-blowing about governmental false claims about missile defenses like the Patriot system in the 1991 Gulf War. He is a member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations, a board member of The Committee for the Republic, and a former editor of the journal International Security.
Daryl Kimball is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA), Washington, DC, where since 2001 he has led the organization’s advocacy campaigns on major issues including cancellation of new nuclear weapons programs, the 2010 New START agreement, the 2015 P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran, the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and strengthening the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. He is publisher of the organization’s monthly journal, Arms Control Today, a frequent expert source for reporters and policymakers, and has written and spoken extensively about all matters related to nuclear arms control. Previously, he was the executive director of the Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers, and the Director of Security Programs for Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR). There, he helped to expose and accelerate the cleanup of a toxic, Cold War-era nuclear weapons production site in his hometown of Oxford, Ohio, led the advocacy for the 1992 nuclear test moratorium in Congress and for the U.N.’s endorsement of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Subrata Ghoshroy, a former Senior Defense Analyst for the Government Accountability Office (GAO), was the lead Technical Evaluator for its investigation into allegations of fraud in the missile defense program. When the GAO tried to cover up his discovery that contractors were lying about a $100-million test, he blew the whistle and quit the GAO shortly afterwards. He then joined MIT as a Research Affiliate with the Program in Science, Technology, and Society.
Linda Pentz Gunter, moderator, is the curator and editor of Beyond Nuclear International and the international specialist at Beyond Nuclear. Prior to her work in anti-nuclear advocacy, she was a journalist for 20 years in print and broadcast, working for USA Network, Reuters, The Times (UK) and other US and international outlets.
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Allocating Electricity
Monday, January 5
7:30PM EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Building 370, 370, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-allocating-electricity-klass
About the talk
The U.S. electricity system is premised on the ideas that utilities have a duty to serve all customers in their service territories and that electricity supply should always meet demand. Until recently, there has been little reason to question these foundational premises. Now, however, electricity experts predict massive load growth—most notably from data centers to power artificial intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrency—and building new power plants has financial and environmental risks. In this presentation, based on a forthcoming paper, Professor Klass will discuss law and policy frameworks developed for other resources—natural gas and water—for which short- or long-term scarcity is or was the norm rather than the exception, to reevaluate electricity law’s foundational principles, like the duty to serve, and to propose new approaches to meeting electricity demand. She will lay out a new regulatory framework for regulating data centers called “demand-side connect-and-manage” that can reduce the likelihood of overbuilding energy generation plants, allocate risks to and encourage innovation from major data center companies, and accelerate data center grid interconnection.
Alexandra B. Klass is the James G. Degnan Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School. She teaches and writes primarily in the areas of energy law, environmental law, and natural resources law. In 2022 and 2023, she served in the Biden-Harris administration as Deputy General Counsel for Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Demonstrations at the U.S. Department of Energy. Professor Klass’s recent scholarly work, published in many of the nation’s leading law journals, addresses regulatory and permitting challenges to integrating more renewable energy into the nation’s electric transmission grid, siting and eminent domain issues surrounding interstate electric transmission lines and oil and gas pipelines, and applications of the public trust doctrine to modern environmental law challenges. Before joining the Michigan Law faculty in 2022, Professor Klass was a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota Law School, where she was a member of the faculty from 2006 to 2022. She has been a visiting professor at Stanford Law School, Harvard Law School, Uppsala University (Sweden), and the University of Arizona Rogers College of Law. Prior to her academic career, Professor Klass was a partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis, where she specialized in environmental law and land use litigation.
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Thermal Energy Networks for Rapid Decarbonization of Campus, Neighborhood, and City Buildings
Wednesday, January 7; Wednesday, January 14; Wednesday, January 21; Wednesday, January 28
1:00pm to 5:00pm EST
Building N51, N51-310, 265 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
Provides a technical introduction to campus/district building decarbonization using 5th & 6th Generation Thermal Energy Networks. Introductory lectures (1 hour/week) plus field trips (3 hours/week) to four Low/Zero Carbon sites in the Boston area provide first-hand experience with the technologies, design and planning involved in campus/district decarbonization. All field trips take place during class sessions. (Transportation is arranged and free). The class has four sessions.
Attend for 1 unit of credit by registering for EC.735 (Undergrad) or EC.795 (Grad), "Thermal Energy Networks for Rapid Decarbonization of Campus, Neighborhood, and City Buildings”
This IAP class offers students an excellent foundation which can be further expanded through the Spring 2026 D-Lab: Thermal Energy Networks class (EC.716/EC.786) and/or joining the Geo@MIT student group.
Editorial Comment: Also open to the public
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Cecily Parks, Author of The Seeds, and Elizabeth Bradfield, Author of Sofar
Wednesday, January 7
7:00pm
Cambridge Edition, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140-1413
RSVP at https://portersquarebooks.com/event/2026-01-07/cecily-parks-author-seeds-and-elizabeth-bradfield-author-sofar
Porter Square Books is excited to welcome Cecily Parks and Elizabeth Bradfield for the release of their recent poetry books.
ABOUT THE SEEDS
The Seeds confronts the ecological paradox of homemaking in an environment domesticity rejects--one of mess, disease, and everyday violence--to explore the equal distress and delight entangled in caring for a family, a new home, and the earth that sustains them.
Cecily Parks draws on literary sources ranging from nursery rhymes to The Odyssey to examine how we form relationships with the natural world. The lessons of these poems are in processes that underscore humanity's power to alter nature and powerlessness to control it: an epiphyte's fall from a live oak, an urban creek's response to drought, or a roof rat's nest-building in the attic of the poet's home. Motherhood positions the speaker to revisit her girlhood relation to the earth, and as her two young daughters exemplify the ease with which children can become nature's intimates, the speaker must confront the ecological disturbances that arise from her own attempts to prevent upset to the garden through aggression by weeds, animals, and weather.
The Seeds deconstructs what it means to love nature, especially when the natural world challenges our desires for beauty, abundance, and safety. Looking to more-than-human guides with an open mind and heart, Parks' third book is a collection of unconventional contemporary environmental histories, in which places become biological and emotional primers for those who will inherit them.
ABOUT SOFAR
In SOFAR, poet-naturalist Elizabeth Bradfield, one of our most important writers on the natural (especially the maritime) world, explores her longtime queer love, her midlife body, and a lifetime working on the water with wit, yearning, and linguistic delight.
In SOFAR, poet-naturalist Elizabeth Bradfield attends our current ecological and historic moment, her decades-long queer love, a life time of work on boats, and her body’s shifting currents with wry yearning and linguistic delight. SOFAR is an acronym for the “sound frequency and ranging channel,” a deep layer of oceanic water that enables sound to travel vast distances, and, drawing upon her deep knowledge and experience of the sea, Bradfield plumbs what can be heard by listening across the vast distances of our lives—within our memories and larger histories, between strangers and beloveds, and to the more-than-human world. Bradfield’s work as a naturalist gives an earned intimacy and nuanced authority to her eco-grief, field observations, and metaphoric leaps as she regards whales, cusk eels, and storm petrels. These are the poems of a woman unafraid of navigating the depths and rip currents she moves through.
ABOUT THE POETS
Cecily Parks is the editor of the anthology The Echoing Green: Poems of Fields, Meadows, and Grasses, and the author of three poetry collections, including most recently The Seeds, published by Alice James Books. Her poems appear in the New Yorker, A Public Space, the New Republic, The Best American Poetry, and elsewhere. She teaches in the MFA Program at Texas State University and lives in Austin, Texas.
Poet/naturalist Elizabeth Bradfield’s most recent book is SOFAR: Poems, which includes poems that were published in The Atlantic Monthly, The Sun, Poetry, and Orion. She is also author of Interpretive Work, which won the Audre Lorde Prize in Lesbian Poetry, and co-creator of Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry, winner of a Pacific Northwest Book Award among other honors. She is also author of the poetry collections Approaching Ice, Once Removed, and Toward Antarctica, and her awards include a Stegner Fellowship and a Bread Loaf Scholarship. Liz works as a naturalist and field assistant on Cape Cod, directs the Poetry Concentration for the low-residency MFA at Western Colorado University, and edits Broadsided (www.broadsidedpress.org). When asked about her multiple interests, she says, "I am an aspiring generalist." Forever queer, forever curious, you can learn more at www.ebradfield.com
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EBC Seventh Annual New England Climate Change and Resiliency SummitS.jpegS.jpeg
Thursday, January 8
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
University of Massachusetts Lowell, University Crossing Atrium & Moloney Ballroom
RSVP at https://ebcne.org/event/ebc-seventh-annual-new-england-climate-change-and-resiliency-summit-poster-session/
Cost: $30 - $210
How is New England addressing the rapidly changing climate?S.gif
The seventh annual EBC New England Climate Change and Resiliency Summit will bring together leaders from across the region to address that critical question: how do we prepare for the new norm? Each New England state is invited to discuss their programs and priorities for adaptation and resiliency and discuss among themselves and with attendees the challenges and opportunities.
New this year, the Summit will also feature a poster session highlighting climate adaptation and resiliency plans and projects from across the New England region.The poster session offers a chance to explore on-the-ground initiatives, share ideas, and connect with practitioners and researchers leading innovative work to build climate resilience in their communities.
For those on the frontlines of adaptation and resiliency efforts, the Summit is a forum to listen, learn, network, and ask questions related to rapidly developing policy and programs connected to climate change. Attendees will leave the event invigorated by the community of professionals and the diverse ways New England is addressing the challenge of climate change.
Agenda:
State Leadership Panel & Moderated Discussion
Massachusetts
Katherine Antos, Undersecretary of Decarbonization & Resilience, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Vermont
William (Billy) Coster, Director of Policy and Planning, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Maine
Hilary Landfried, Climate Policy Advisor, Governor’s Office of Policy and Innovation and the Future, State of Maine
Rhode Island – speaker to be announced
New Hampshire & Connecticut – invited
Lunch
Poster Session & Networking
Closing Keynote Discussion
Dr. David Cash, Director, Climate Action Accelerator, Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, Harvard University
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A Year In Review! Your 2025 Dose of Climate Hope
Thursday, January 8
12pm to 1pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-year-in-review-your-2025-dose-of-climate-hope-tickets-1902229382289
All year, we've tracked hopeful climate news. Join us for this hopeful review of the world's 2025 climate progress!
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Artist Carsten Höller in Conversation with Dream Scientist Adam Haar Horowitz
Friday, January 9
6:00pm to 7:30pm EST
MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Gambrill Center, Cambridge MA 02142
RSVP at https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/artist-carsten-h%C3%B6ller-in-conversation-with-dream-scientist-adam-haar-horowitz
Cost: $15 General Admission | $5 for MIT ID Holders
Growing research suggests that we may be able to alter and even guide our dreams through subtle communication with the sleeping brain.
Created by Höller in collaboration with Haar Horowitz and light artist Seth Riskin of the MIT Museum Studio and Compton Gallery, Hotel Room #2: Communal Dreams (2025) puts this emerging research into practice. The installation invites three sleepers to share a dream through synchronized patterns of light, sound, and motion.
Join us to experience Hotel Room #2 firsthand, on view through August 2026 as part of Lighten Up: On Biology and Time, and explore the science, ethics, and untapped potential of dream engineering in this evening of conversation between Höller and Haar Horowitz.
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Introduction to Nature Monitoring in the City
Saturday, January 10
2pm to 3:30pm EST
Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-nature-monitoring-in-the-city-tickets-1975242139411
Part of the EwA Urban Nature Participatory Science collection
The EwA naturalist team introduces how to document and help urban plant and insect communities. Join us!
Join Earthwise Aware (EwA)'s participatory scientists. We'll guide you through monitoring phenology and biodiversity, including insect activity at our sites. These observation events contribute to biodiversity and climate science while enjoying the outdoors in our beautiful garden. No expertise required – beginners are welcome!
The Growing Center will be our gracious host, and we look forward to spending quality time together exploring its habitats and inhabitants. In preparation for such a wonderful opportunity, we invite you to read our short Acknowledgement of Biodiversity, Land, and People. Thanks!
To record with us, install a few free apps to get started. We use smartphones as data recording tools. If you don't have a smart device, don't worry – we'll pair you with someone who does. Here are the apps: EwA Survey projects » Instructions– install our app platform, then search for and join EwA Pheno Lite and EwA Buggy.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE DO NOT BE A NO-SHOW!!! Our offerings are free and frequently waitlisted, so if you cannot attend, please tell us a few days before the events so we can give your spot to another person who wants to participate. Thanks for your understanding and courtesy!
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Decarbonizing Metallurgy from Extraction to 3D Printing
Monday, January 12
7:30pm EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford,450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-decarbonizing-metallurgy-leora-dresselhaus-marais
The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more.
About the talk
Metals are critical to technology, but their supply chain includes antiquated techniques with large carbon emissions. A sustainable economy requires new science to connect science to engineering needs across the supply chain – from metal extraction to part fabrication. My group uses and develops advanced characterization techniques to study the science underlying barriers to decarbonize today’s technology. In this talk, I will introduce our work at the earliest and latest parts of the supply chain. I will begin my talk explaining our work studying approaches for sustainable metals extraction, including approaches to develop and scale technologies to decarbonize steelmaking and approaches to create new extraction methods for rare earth elements. I will then turn to the critical challenges of making efficient parts to reduce the energy of vehicles and machines. Metal 3D printing is revolutionizing technology, as its layer-by-layer fabrication that can fabricate parts with strength-to-weight ratios not possible otherwise. However, the defects and structural properties from printed parts are highly variable due to the poorly understood evolution of defects at many scales. I will share my group’s work developing models to understand defects of a few types during metal 3D printing, enabled by synchrotron and new XFEL techniques we developed to directly measure those dynamics in real time. This view of science across the supply chain illustrates the important science opportunities for metallurgy to offer unique insights for a sustainable future.
Dr. Leora Dresselhaus-Marais started as an Assistant Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University in September 2021, with a courtesy appointment in Mechanical Engineering and a term appointment in Photon Science at the SLAC National Accelerator Lab. Leora’s work focuses on using modern X-ray and optical tools to establish the fundamental science underlying sustainable metals manufacturing – from metals extraction to metal 3D printing and structure-property relations of the components. Leora was recently awarded the Sidhu Award by the Pittsburgh Diffraction Society and was a LCLS Young Investigator Award finalist in 2024. She was awarded a DOE Early Career Award and a Young Investigator Prize from AFOSR in 2023. Prior to her time at Stanford, she was a Lawrence Fellow at LLNL, a PhD student at MIT, and a BA/MA student at the University of Pennsylvania.
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Breaking the Polarization Trap: A New Approach to Political Cooperation
Monday, January 12
9pm EST [6:00 PM PST]
Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California, 110 The Embarcadero, Taube Family Auditorium, San Francisco, CA 94105
And online
RSVP at https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2026-01-12/breaking-polarization-trap-new-approach-political-cooperation
Cost: $10 - $22
Political polarization has become a top concern for Americans, surpassing issues such as immigration, inflation or crime, according to an October 2025 poll by The New York Times and Siena University. This is a major shift from before the 2024 election, when it "barely registered" as an issue. Most voters now doubt the country's divisions can be overcome.
Still, Americans also say they want leaders to cooperate across party lines. So what should be done? Liam deClive-Lowe believes that part of the answer is to make it less risky for politicians to collaborate across the aisle. He’s the president and co-founder of American Policy Ventures (APV), a nonpartisan organization that works with members of Congress, philanthropists and policy leaders to “de-risk cross-partisan collaboration and pragmatic governance.”
The APV team, including former Republican and Democratic staffers, seeks to achieve this by changing the incentive structures that deepen polarization. When politicians are seen working with the other side, they are often demonized by their own base. DeClive-Lowe wants cooperation to become something that is rewarded, not punished.
APV is just one of a number of recently formed groups in the nation’s capital looking to promote bipartisanship and solve the polarization crisis. DeClive-Lowe will join Commonwealth Club World Affairs to discuss the growing movement, APV’s efforts, and actions ordinary citizens can take.
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Climate science for creators: Sharing accurate info about a warming world
Tuesday, Jauary 13
1pm to 2pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-science-for-creators-sharing-accurate-info-about-a-warming-world-tickets-1977382189358
A masterclass for creators and journalists on trustworthy sources of climate and weather information
News Creator Corps and Climate Central are teaming up on a masterclass for content creators, community messengers, and journalists on the essentials of climate science and how a warming world is already shaping daily life—from extreme weather and health impacts to rising costs and even favorite pastimes like sports. You’ll leave with practical, ready-to-use skills: how and when to weave relevant climate information into your stories, and access to science-backed tools and resources you can start using right away. Whether you’re new to climate topics or looking to sharpen your climate IQ, this session will help you tell richer, more accurate stories that resonate—empowering your audience to connect the dots between everyday experiences and a warming world.
About News Creator Corps
News Creators Corps is a movement to ensure everyone has access to accurate and trustworthy information. We invest in content creators and community messengers so they can better share facts, debunk misinformation, and empower their audiences with information.
News Creator Corps' flagship program is a training fellowship for information-focused content creators. Our cohorts are made up of independent creators who provide a service to their community, whether that’s restaurant openings, public health information, parenting discussions, or local stories. The fellowship teaches tactical skills like fact-checking, sourcing, and interviewing to ensure the creators are disseminating accurate information and connects content creators with news organizations, nonprofits, and other institutions to expand the reach of accurate and trustworthy information. We pay the creators for their time.
About Climate Central
Climate Central is an independent group of scientists and communicators who research and report the facts about our changing climate and how it affects people's lives. Using science, data, visuals, and technology, they help storytellers, meteorologists, and journalists make climate change personal and show what can be done about it.
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The Fundamentals of Climate Science and Policy
Tuesday, January 13 - 15
3:00pm to 5:00pm EST
Building E38 (MIT Welcome Center), MIT Innovation Headquarters, 7th Floor, 292 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeL0Z0WblJWruFY1QFc4k2FFGl6ZxzlNpbNljzo9IiGxVnT8A/viewform
Please join MIT’s Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy (CS3) during IAP 2026 to learn more about the science of climate change and policies aimed at stabilizing the global climate.
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Risk Communication to Bridge the Generations of Tribal Voices
January 14
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Columbia, 2910 Broadway, Conference Room A, New York, NY 10025
And online
RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkWnSDiiH-7-plObEOR5vP3bjbiFM31Nw2Lt_yDCuNTcE8iA/viewform
The Columbia Climate School Research Seminar Series presents Risk Communication to Bridge the Generations of Tribal Voices. This seminar will examine emerging approaches to disaster risk communication in partnership with U.S. Tribal Nations. The seminar will be offered in a hybrid format, with light refreshments provided for in-person participants.
This session will introduce a new one-year grant to advance culturally grounded, community-driven strategies for disseminating and receiving time-sensitive emergency information. The project centers on the co-development of multi-directional communication tools that enable Tribal communities and emergency managers to exchange actionable information during crisis events. A core component of the seminar will be a demonstration of two-way text based cell phone technologies designed to support evacuation decision-making and facilitate real-time communication between Tribal households and emergency managers. Presenters will outline how this initiative expands upon NCDP’s prior research work in disaster risk communication and addresses documented gaps in conventional systems that often overlook Tribal Nation priorities, cultural contexts, language needs, and historical barriers to trust. The seminar will further highlight the disproportionate impacts of floods, wildfires, and severe storms on Tribal communities and the need for communication strategies that reflect Tribal governance structures and values.
Presenters: Thomas Chandler, PhD, Managing Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Climate School, Columbia University, focuses on post-disaster housing and economic recovery, mass care, pandemic preparedness and response, and risk communication. He is also the Director of NCDP’s education and training programs.
Dan Osgood, PhD, Director of the Financial Instruments Sector Team at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Climate School, Columbia University, has conducted research on uncertainty in decision-making, environmental valuation, remote sensing proxies, information, and work specific to index insurance and economic development.
Marty Antone, former Director of Homeland Security for the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin has held Tribal law enforcement leadership positions to build relationships, liaison, and development of coordination of public safety, including communication network technologies and resources.
Dion Tapahe, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University student researcher and member of the Diné / Navajo Nation focuses on COVID-19 virus hotspots. Before starting her graduate studies, she served as the Program Coordinator at NavajoStrong, a nonprofit organization that provides healthcare and technology resources to the Navajo Nation.
If you have any issues please contact facultyaffairs@climate.columbia.edu
Contact Information
Gabby Cohen
gcohen@climate.columbia.edu
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Boston Engineering, Energy & Transportation
Wednesday, January 14
7:00 PM EST
Bar Moxy, 240 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-engineering-energy-transportation-tickets-1967744405487
Cost: $20.70
SUM OF FIVE Professional Networking Events stand as the pinnacle of stylish gatherings for professionals in Engineering, Energy and Transportation. We hope to empower our attendees by facilitating meaningful connections. We have an unwavering commitment that lies in fostering genuine relationships among peers, cultivating an environment where professionals can seamlessly connect and engage in a purposeful manner. We aspire to aid participants in their journey of expanding their businesses and advancing their careers by providing a platform to engage with individuals who share similar aspirations.
Demographic
Our networking events bring together professionals from the engineering, energy, environment and transportation industries in a forward-thinking and collaborative space. These gatherings are exclusively for individuals of legal drinking age, as they take place at venues that include a bar. The average age range of attendees is typically 24–38, with most being established professionals or rising innovators in technical and infrastructure-related fields. Here are some of the individuals you may meet at our events:
Engineers & Technical Experts – Civil, mechanical, electrical, and environmental engineers working across infrastructure, utilities, and innovation projects.
Energy Professionals – Specialists in renewable energy, oil & gas, nuclear, and emerging clean technologies leading the global energy transition.
Environmental Specialists – Sustainability consultants, climate scientists, and ESG professionals promoting decarbonization, conservation, and responsible development.
Transportation & Infrastructure Leaders – Planners, transit operators, logistics professionals, and policymakers shaping the future of urban mobility.
Project Managers & Developers – Industry professionals overseeing large-scale energy, infrastructure, and construction projects.
Innovators & Entrepreneurs – Start-ups developing technologies in green energy, electric vehicles, recycling, and smart infrastructure.
Technology & Sustainability Innovators – Entrepreneurs and researchers developing smart city, EV, and green energy solutions.
Government & Policy Representatives – Officials and advisors from ministries, municipalities, and regulatory agencies focused on energy, transit, and infrastructure development.
Investors & Corporate Partners – Venture capitalists, institutional investors, and strategic partners funding the next generation of energy and engineering ventures.
Academics & Researchers – University professors, graduate students, and think-tank members focused on sustainable design and transportation innovation.
Students & Emerging Talent – Recent graduates and young professionals (Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate) eager to contribute to global engineering and energy solutions.
This event offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas with leaders and innovators driving the future of engineering, energy, and transportation.
Join Us for an Exclusive Engineering, Energy & Transportation Networking Event!
Step into a space where innovation, sustainability, and infrastructure converge — bringing together leading engineers, energy experts, environmental innovators, and transportation professionals for an evening of collaboration, insight, and opportunity.
This exclusive event is designed for engineers, project developers, renewable energy specialists, urban planners, environmental consultants, and infrastructure leaders eager to expand their networks, exchange ideas, and explore solutions driving the future of sustainable development.
Engage in thought-provoking discussions on clean energy, green engineering, sustainable mobility, and resilient infrastructure.
Connect with engineers, policymakers, environmental scientists, and industry executives to discover new partnerships and opportunities for collaboration.
Gain insights into emerging technologies in renewable energy, electric mobility, climate adaptation, and smart city design.
Whether you’re an established professional, a sustainability advocate, or an emerging engineer, this event is your gateway to high-impact connections and forward-thinking innovation in engineering, energy, environment, and transportation.
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Planning for heat: what planning teams need to know about air source heat pumps
Thursday, January 15
8am - 9am EST [13:00 – 14:00 BST]
Online
RSVP at https://www.nesta.org.uk/event/planning-for-heat-what-planning-teams-need-to-know-about-air-source-heat-pumps/
Planning for heat: what planning teams need to know about air source heat pumps - 15 Jan 2026 13:00 – 14:00
Many local authorities across England are working towards ambitious carbon neutrality targets, often well ahead of national goals. However, with reduced council budgets, planning and environmental health officers frequently lack clear guidance on heat pumps. This can lead to uncertainty regarding regulations and concerns about potential increases in complaints, which could strain already busy teams. Planning permission, in particular, can be a significant hurdle for homeowners looking to install a heat pump, with noise often emerging as a contentious issue.
Join us on Thursday 15 January 13:00-14:00 BST for an online session to learn more about the latest guidance and innovative approaches to heat pump planning.
Hear a summary of the recently updated planning rules and why they are crucial for fostering greater confidence in heat pump installations.
We will then invite expert speakers to discuss the practical application of these rules, exploring how to simplify the planning process, address common concerns like sound and make swift, informed decisions. They will share insights on the opportunities and challenges this presents and how to ensure consistent and effective implementation across local authorities.
This online event will focus on how planning and environmental health officers can proactively support the transition to low-carbon heating and will be of interest to policymakers, housing developers, and those in the energy sector working on heat pump deployment.
Register today to receive the event link, reminders and updates straight to your inbox.
Speakers
Katy King
She/Her
Katy is deputy director on Nesta's mission to create a sustainable future, which focuses on decarbonisation and economic recovery. Her team focuses on setting up innovation projects and partnerships that reduce carbon emissions from homes, which is a key part of the UK reaching net zero. Katy has a background in energy efficiency and behavioural science. Katy joined Nesta from the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT), where she worked across a number of policy areas including household energy efficiency, consumer issues and COVID-19. Prior to working at BIT, Katy worked as a strategist for a leading advertising agency. Katy holds a first class degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge.
Jack Harvie-Clark
He/Him
Jack graduated from Cambridge University in 1994 with a degree in mechanical engineering, specialising in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. He worked initially in the power generating industry and started working in acoustics consultancy in 2000, and established Apex Acoustics in 2006. Jack collaborated across the industry to undertake a review for the Welsh Government into potential acoustic constraints to the roll-out of ASHPs in Wales and PDR, in 2023. Jack subsequently contributed to the DESNZ review in 2024 and has continued to develop, publish and present the research in this area. Jack is a member of the Institute of Acoustics - Renewable Energy Advisory Group, which is developing planning guidance in collaboration with CIEH.
Scott McBride
He/Him
Scott is the Technical Manager at MCS, the UK’s quality mark for small-scale renewable technologies that are installed in home and small businesses. In this role, Scott and his team develop and maintain technical standards for technologies such as heat pumps, solar panels, and battery storage, ensuring high-quality installations by defining how renewable energy technologies should be designed, manufactured, and installed. Scott is currently working on an outreach project to assist local authorities in understanding heat pump permitted development rights in the UK and the MCS 020 a) standard. Before joining MCS, Scott worked as a heating design engineer for ten years, designing heat pumps, solar panels, and unvented hot water systems for both domestic and commercial applications for two leading UK manufacturers and suppliers.
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Using AI to analyze agrifood project design
Thursday, January 15
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
MIT, Building E38 (MIT Welcome Center), 292 MAIN ST, Cambridge, MA 02142
RSVP at https://sustainability.mit.edu/event/using-ai-analyze-agrifood-project-design
Jaron Porciello (Cornell University) will give a talk at MIT's Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab (J-WAFS) on the use of AI to analyze agrifood project design documents from across six international financial institutions. The seminar will be based on the recent paper “Do international financial institutions facilitate agrifood systems transformation? A textual analysis of design documents” (Global Food Security, 2025). Porciello's work integrates social-science frameworks with inductive coding and use of large language models to work with “small datasets” to assess how global investments respond to international priorities.
Jaron Porciello is a researcher and strategist working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, international development, and agrifood systems. She partners with organizations that want to make better use of their program data and currently leads a development-donor capacity-building program and helpdesk designed to help donors learn from the global community about effective AI implementation.
The seminar is open to the MIT community as well as community members from surrounding academic institutions. Registration is required via the registration link.
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Left & Right: The Psychological Significance of a Political Distinction
Thursday, January 15
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/692f1d76884c6a3515bb4e32
Professor and author John T. Jost discusses his 2021 nonfiction book, Left & Right: The Psychological Significance of a Political Distinction and the implications of having competing political views and the inherit divide it causes with the mentality of “us vs. them.”
This discussion will dive deep in the political debate and discuss resolutions for democratic balance. John T. Jost is Professor of Psychology and Politics and (by affiliation) Sociology and Data Science at New York University, where he directs the Social Justice Lab. Jost’s research addresses social stereotyping, prejudice, intergroup relations, social justice, political ideology, system justification, and the use of social media.
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Science Diplomacy in Crowded Orbits: The Global Challenge of a Sustainable Space Age
Thursday, January 15
6:00pm to 8:00pm EST
MIT Museum, 314 Main Street, Gambrill Center, Cambridge MA 02142
RSVP at https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/programs/science-diplomacy-in-crowded-orbits-the-global-challenge-of-a-sustainable-space-age
Cost: $15 General Admission | $5 for MIT ID Holders
As Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly crowded with satellites, spacecraft, and debris, the need for a sustainable future in space has never been more urgent.
Ensuring the safe and responsible use of outer space is not only a scientific and technical challenge—it’s an international effort that spans engineering, policy, and the arts.
Join us for an evening exploring how interdisciplinary and cross-border collaboration can shape the future of space governance and sustainability. Experts will discuss the roles of science, diplomacy, and creative practice in supporting a secure and equitable space environment.
Following the event, visit Cosmograph: Speculative Fictions for the New Space Age, now on view at the MIT Museum.
This program is presented in partnership with the Science Diplomacy Grid.
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Policy & Power: New Nuclear in Massachusetts?
Thursday, January 15
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM (Eastern)
Online
RSVP at https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001NUYg7IAH&mapLinkHref=
A Sierra Club conversation with the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
Join Massachusetts Sierra Club leaders in conversation with Melissa Lavinson, Executive Director of the Office of Energy Transformation, and Weezie Nuara, Deputy Secretary for Federal & Regional Energy Affairs. Dialogue will focus on Gov. Healey’s proposed legislation to expand nuclear power’s contribution to the Commonwealth’s energy supply portfolio while eliminating the requirement for a statewide referendum on any new nuclear plant sited in Massachusetts.
Melissa Lavinson
Executive Director of the Office of Energy Transformation
Melissa Lavinson serves as the Executive Director of the Office of Energy Transformation for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is charged with the hands-on execution of the clean energy transition, including ensuring the availability and readiness of electrical infrastructure, electric and gas transition coordination, and a just and equitable transition for impacted workers, communities, and businesses. Lavinson is also charged with convening an Energy Transformation Advisory Board comprised of industry, labor, environmental justice, technology, consumer, and supply chain representatives, among others, to accelerate cooperation, understanding, and action.
Prior to joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, she served as Head of Corporate Affairs for National Grid, New England, leading state and municipal government relations, community and stakeholder engagement, media relations, municipal customer management, strategic communications, and the company’s philanthropic program in New England. Previously, Lavinson was Senior Vice President of Federal Government and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy at Exelon Corporation and Senior Vice President of Governmental and External Affairs for Pepco Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Pepco, Delmarva Power, and Atlantic City Electric, which provide gas and electric service to Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and the District of Columbia. Lavinson also spent more than 20 years at California-based PG&E Corporation, including as Vice President of Federal Affairs and Policy and Chief Sustainability Officer. Earlier in her career, she worked at MRW and Associates and in ICF Consulting’s Climate Change Practice. Lavinson holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hamilton College.
Mary Louise “Weezie” Nuara
Deputy Secretary for Federal and Regional Energy Affairs
Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Weezie Nuara serves as Deputy Secretary for Federal and Regional Energy Affairs at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs where she is focused on advancing the Commonwealth’s affordability, reliability, and clean energy priorities through state, regional, and federal collaboration. Prior to joining the Commonwealth, Weezie served as Dominion Energy’s State Policy Director for New England where she was responsible for all local, state, and regional policy matters impacting Dominion Energy’s Millstone Nuclear Power Station in Waterford, Connecticut. Prior to Dominion, Weezie was a Senior Policy Advisor for ISO New England, the region’s grid operator, where she was responsible for managing government affairs in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Prior to joining ISO New England, Weezie worked as an attorney and legal intern for Dominion Energy where she focused on environmental compliance for the company’s merchant generation fleet in New England.
Weezie sits on the Board of Directors for New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE) where she serves as co-chair of the Mentorship Committee and is one of the organization’s past presidents. She received her undergraduate degree in Government from the University of Virginia and her Juris Doctor from the New England School of Law.
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Climate & Immigration
Friday, January 16
12pm to 3pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/climate-immigration-tickets-157305114833
Climate, Readiness, Solidarity & Rights for All: UNITED ACTIONS for a Just & Regenerative Future
The Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force presents:
Climate & Immigration
Website: https://cemtf.org
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Science and Social Justice in a Changing World
Tuesday, January 20
2:00pm to 3:15pm EST
MIT, Building 68, 181, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Dr. Oliver Rollins, Old Dominion Career Development Professor and Associate Professor of Science, Technology, and Society (STS), MIT
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IAP Infinite Corridor Speed of Light Measurement
Tuesday, January 20
4:00pm to 5:00pm EST
MIT, Building 7, 3rd Floor - Entrance to Infinite Corridor, 77 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, Cambridge, MA 02139
https://project-manus.libcal.com/event/16034845
In this technology demo, we will replicate an MIT Open House Demo from the 1950's that shows the speed of light through direct measurment.
We will send light down and back the 3rd floor Infinite Corridor and measure the time it takes to travel that distance.
A short presentation will preceed the experiment detailing a bit of the history of this demonstration from 1957
An overview of the experimental setup will be described including the vintage era equipment from Doc Edgerton's Archive that is being used.
The Speed of Light will be measured
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Spotlight on Marketing: How to minimise the risk of greenwash and maximise the impact of green messagingDate
Tuesday, January 20
6:00 - 07:00 EST
Online
RSVP at https://webinars.businessgreen.com/how-to-minimise-the-risk-of-greenwash-and-maximise-the-impact-of-green-messaging/register
This interactive webinar will bring together leading experts to explore how companies can navigate new green claims regulations and minimise the risk of ‘greenwashing’. It will also discuss some of the best practices that can ensure green messages and campaigns cut through with target audiences.
Topics to be covered include:
What is greenwashing and why does it matter?
How are new regulations and guidance cracking down on greenwashing?
How can organisations minimise the risk of greenwashing?
What are the principles of effective green messaging?
What do businesses get wrong - and right - when promoting green products and services?
PANELLISTS
James Murray, Editor-in-Chief, BusinessGreen
Ellie Smith, Marketing Strategy Consultant, The Marketing Pod
Miles Lockwood, Director of Complaints and Investigations, Advertising Standards Authority
Stephen Woodford, Chief Executive, Advertising Association
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Living Between Worlds—with Courage, Dignity, and Power
Wednesday, January 21
3:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvf-mvrD8qGNUBS287pVRGQr77bUBhKQF4#/registration
"New worlds don't just happen. We speak them into being…" Please join us for our sixth year of monthly conversations exploring how we might live, with both impact and serenity, in these strange times. If if was in doubt before, it's clear now: We live between old worlds and new—as we move from the fossil age to renewables, from linear take-make-waste economies to circular, from the post-war geo-political-economic order to a world of climate crisis and geopolitical instability—something that we can't yet name. Between working inside the structures and norms of modern life, and challenging them from "outside;" between working to help institutions adapt, and working to re-invent or replace them. Between tinkering at the margins and committing to reinventing everything. Between fear and hope, resignation and ambition, despair and courage. Gramsci called it "the time of monsters." Arundhati Roy was more hopeful: "Another world is not only possible, She is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." In these monthly calls, hosted by Gil Friend and Ken Homer, we explore the challenges of navigating the world of messes we've inherited and built—from climate and Covid to biodiversity and fascism to identity and pluralism—with grace, dignity, and power. “Because people are hungry for meaningful conversations that move worlds. Let’s have some!” (You can find our previous sessions—and other gems—on Gil's YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/3wKcE9z. If you like what you see, please Like and Subscribe!)
Who joins these conversations? Executives. Sustainability professionals. Investors. Activists. Entrepreneurs. Seekers. Up-and-comers. A poet or two. And you! And consider inviting someone who might enrich the conversation. (Maybe even someone who shares our concerns, but is different than you or me.)
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Has the Economy Outgrown the Planet?: a workshop series on degrowth, limits, and wellbeing
Thursday, January 22; Friday, January 23; Monday, January 26; Tuesday, January 27
10:30am to 12:00pm EST
Building 9, 105 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139
What happens when economic systems designed for expansion meet a finite planet? This series invites participants from all backgrounds to explore questions at the intersection of ecology, economics, and how we imagine the future.
We'll engage with ideas like planetary boundaries, entropy, wellbeing economics, and the degrowth proposition, while examining persistent myths about efficiency, energy transitions, and technological solutions. Along the way, expect recommended readings, podcasts, and resources for those who want to go deeper.
This isn't a lecture series. Sessions are designed to be participatory and interactive: short provocations followed by conversation, small-group discussion, and collective thinking. Come to learn something, but also to contribute. Guest speakers may join us for select sessions.
No prior expertise required. Open to students, faculty, staff, and community members across all disciplines. Bring your questions, skepticism, and curiosity.
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Awe & Wonder Through the Lens of Empathy: Photographing Hope in a Fractured World
Thursday, January 22
1:30pm to 3:00pm EST
MIT, Building 4, 158, 182 MEMORIAL DR (REAR), Cambridge, MA 02139
National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and founder of Vital Impacts, Ami Vitale, views her camera as a tool to help foster empathy and hope across cultures and continents. Join us to hear from Ami’s riveting and wide-ranging experiences from around the world, touching on the deeper connections between humanity and nature, superhero goats (yes, superhero goats!), and more!
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Making Democracy Interesting: Tips from TV, Podcasts, Science Fiction, and Online Creators
Thursday, January 22
2:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Online
RSVP at https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f-sSIbV1Q9utrySi7cyeuQ#/registration
Shouting ourselves hoarse about the dire consequences of democratic erosion has not, on its own, brought people back in. Many are disillusioned with democracy and unmoved by exhortations to defend it. How can we instead tell positive, compelling stories about democracy—stories that young people, in particular, can relate to? Join us for a conversation with accomplished storytellers from a wide array of mediums about how they bring democracy issues to their audiences in creative ways.
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University: A Reckoning
Thursday, January 22
6:30pm
WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
RSVP at https://www.wbur.org/events/1058054/university-a-reckoning-lee-bollinger
Universities have faced unprecedented assaults from the Trump administration, which has withheld billions of research dollars in an effort to exert influence and align the institutions with their political agenda. President Trump and his allies allege that the universities are fostering antisemitism and forcing students into progressive ideological indoctrination. Lee Bollinger, former president of Columbia — one of the universities that has faced attacks — argues that what the White House is doing is more akin to authoritarian tactics to silence free speech and bring academic freedom to heel. In his new book, “University: A Reckoning,” Bollinger offers a defense of higher education as vital to the success of the United States and a healthy democracy.
Join us for a conversation with Bollinger moderated by Morning Edition host Tiziana Dearing. Copies of the book will be available to purchase from our bookstore partner Brookline Booksmith.
University: A Reckoning
From perhaps the most important university leader of the 21st century, an account of the university in the age of authoritarianism and a new case for its place in the American system.
The American university — one of the most successful institutions in human history — is facing an unprecedented assault from the president of the United States. Experts on authoritarianism have drawn comparisons to Turkey and Hungary, where strongmen subdued universities as part of their power grabs. Yet as former Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger points out in his powerful account of the university’s significance, in such dire times one has no choice but to state clearly and forcefully what one stands for.
Defenses of the university usually emphasize the practical benefits it offers to society: Highly skilled graduates who can thrive in an information-saturated world; scientific research that leads to important advances in health; technological breakthroughs that contribute to the American economy being the envy of the world. Bollinger offers a more original, and more sweeping, account. He reveals how the structure of the university contributes to the success of the American system — because it provides those who study and work within it a degree of creative freedom hard to find elsewhere — and why that structure is both impossible to re-create and vulnerable to outside attack. The fundamental mission of the university is to enhance knowledge, but this is not merely a high-minded idea. It is, as Bollinger demonstrates, a notion rooted deeply in the Constitution, specifically the First Amendment, the basis of our political and social life. The university helps realize the First Amendment; the First Amendment helps make the university.
Bollinger argues that, with the press diminished, the university remains the only source of truth-seeking for those who still believe in democracy. The stakes are self-evident: The university must be defended if the American experiment is to continue.
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When It's Darkness on the Delta: How America's Richest Soil Became Its Poorest Land
Thursday, January 22
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/w-ralph-eubanks
Harvard Book Store welcomes W. Ralph Eubanks—award-winning writer, and faculty fellow and writer in residence at the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi—for a discussion of his new book, When It's Darkness on the Delta: How America's Richest Soil Became Its Poorest Land. He will be joined in conversation with Steve Yarbrough—author of twelve books, including Stay Gone Days, and Professor Emeritus at Emerson College.
About When It's Darkness on the Delta
For readers of The Sum of Us and South to America, an essential new look at the roots of American inequality—and the seeds of its transformation.
Once the powerhouse of a fledgling country’s economy, the Mississippi Delta has been consigned to a narrative of destitution. It is often faulted for the sins of the South, portrayed as a regional backwater that willfully cleaved itself from the modern world. But buried beneath the weight of good ol’ boy politics and white-washed histories lies the Delta’s true story.
Mississippi native and award-winning writer W. Ralph Eubanks unearths the region’s buried history, revealing a microcosm of economic oppression in the US. He traverses the Delta, examining its bellwether efforts to combat income inequality through vivid portraits of key figures like
Theodore G. Bilbo and William Whittington, segregationist congressmen who sabotaged federal reparations for former sharecroppers in the 1940s and ’50s
Gloria Carter Dickerson, founder of the Emmett Till Academy, whose parents were instrumental in desegregating schools in Drew, MS, where Till was murdered
Calvin Head, a community organizer who runs a farming co-op in Mileston, who revived the legacy of his hometown, the only Black resettlement community in Mississippi
Eubanks delivers a powerful and insightful examination of how racism and economic instability have shaped life in the Mississippi Delta. He traces the enduring consequences of political decisions that have entrenched inequality across generations. At the same time, he brings attention to the resilience of local communities and the grassroots movements working toward meaningful change. The book offers a thoughtful framework for policy reform and community investment, underscoring the need to support those who have long sustained the region through their labor and lived experience.
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Glaciers: Meanings and Mythologies
Friday, January 23
1 PM ET
Online on Zoom
RSVP at https://www.radcliffe.harvard.edu/event/2026-glaciers-meanings-and-mythologies-virtual
An environmental historian, a geographer, and a glaciologist will discuss how glaciers loom large in both science and cultural expression. Not just sites of study, glaciers impact local and international power relations, and their fate is often intertwined with Indigenous communities. Home to plant, animal, and human life for millennia, glaciers offer commanding visual images that are frequently photographed and studied to illustrate the devastating effects of climate change.
As climate change remakes the planet, icescapes constitute crucial sites of examination. This program is the first in a two-part series of one-hour webinars offered by Harvard Radcliffe Institute focused on “Ice Humanities.”
Our paired programs explore the cultural, creative, and social dimensions of environmental ice in a time of rapid change and decay. Speakers will connect science and geography with art, music, photography, and history to help us better understand and contextualize the climate crisis.
Speakers
Danielle Inkpen, assistant professor, Department of History, Mount Allison University (Canada)
Jen Rose Smith (dAXunhyuu [Eyak, Alaska Native]), assistant professor, Department of Geography, University of Washington
Moderator
M Jackson, glaciologist and geographer; National Geographic Expeditions expert; climate and energy host for “Crash Course” web series
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Modeling energy systems for a data-center-driven future
Monday, January 26 - Friday, January 30
9:00am to 1:00pm EST
MIT, Building 4, 231, 182 Memorial Drive (rear), Cambridge, MA 02139
Register by January 24. Email Pablo Duenas (pduenas@mit.edu)
For the 17th consecutive year, this 5-session hands-on learning experience continues to evolve, exploring how mathematical modeling can inform and accelerate the transition toward net-zero targets. With a primary focus on electricity systems, the course highlights their central role in a carbon-constrained economy that must deliver reliable, affordable energy while accommodating rapid demand growth, especially from data-center development. Participants will examine critical challenges shaping future power systems, including large-scale carbon-free energy deployment, the expanding potential of demand response, and the accelerating rise of data centers as dominant electricity consumers. Addressing these challenges requires advanced mathematical models to optimize and analyze complex decisions, from grid and generation expansion to flexibility, to ensure the system can reliably meet sustained load growth. In addition to providing theoretical insights, the course offers practical tools that enable participants to perform their own case studies. Real-world applications will illustrate how quantitative modeling can inform key stakeholders, guide public understanding, and support collective action toward a secure, clean, and data-center-ready energy future.
No prior experience is required, although basic familiarity with Python and Julia programming can be helpful. Participants are welcome to attend individual sessions.
Monday, January 26
Part 0: How mathematical optimization models contribute to achieving energy targets on time
Models to inform policymakers, stakeholders, and public opinion
Introduction to fundamentals of optimization techniques
Part 1: Covering electricity demand daily
Unit-Commitment (UC): daily dispatch of electricity generation units
Managing uncertainty through stochastic optimization of UC
Tuesday, January 27
Part 2: Guaranteeing annual electricity production
Medium-term operation planning
Managing uncertainty through stochastic hydro-thermal coordination
Part 3: The network as the backbone of electric systems
Understanding the role of the electricity network
Managing network constraints with Locational Marginal Pricing
Wednesday, January 28
Part 4: Models for informing utility-scale investments
Basic concepts: optimal mix problem by screening curves
MACRO: an expansion model for studying low-carbon energy futures
Part 5: Electricity transmission, storage, and generation expansion planning
openTEPES: informing infrastructure needs for growing demands
Thursday, January 29
Part 6: Powering AI and data centers
Explaining data centers from an energy perspective
Placement and connection of data centers
Friday, January 30
Part 7: Flexibility and dynamics of data centers
How much flexibility can a data center provide
Exploring the dynamics of data centers
Instructors
Pablo Duenas – Research Scientist at MIT Energy Initiative, pduenas@mit.edu
Deep Deka – Program Manager of Data Center Power Forum at MIT Energy Initiative, deepj87@mit.edu
Andres Ramos – Professor at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, arght@mit.edu
Javier Garcia-Gonzalez – Professor at Universidad Pontificia Comillas, javiergg@mit.edu
Ruaridh McDonald – Energy Systems Research Lead at MIT Energy Initiative, rmacd@mit.edu
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Physiological Sensing in the Built Environment Izzi Waitz
Monday, January 26; Tuesday, January 27; Wednesday, January 28; Thursday, January 29; Friday, January 30
9:00am to 5:00pm EST
MIT, Building 12, 3216, 60 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
RSVP at https://mitnano.mit.edu/mitnano-2026-iap-courses
This course is aimed for architecture and urban planning students and enthusiasts. It will introduce the synthesis of data-driven research and urban design. The workshop will walk participants through their own data collections using gaze tracking glasses and heart rate monitors on campus.
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Confronting Unknowns
Monday, January 26
1:00pm to 5:00pm EST; Tuesday, January 27; Friday, January 30, 1:00pm to 3:00pm EST
MIT, Building 32-155, 32 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Confronting Unknowns is a two-day IAP program for those who are interested in making sense of anomalies, with a focus on unidentified phenomena, autonomous systems, aerospace safety, and national security. The course focuses on ambiguous events in civil and military airspace: robot swarms, hypersonic fly-bys, sensor confusion, spoofed tracks, and reports that don’t fit current checklists.
Using real incidents, open-source intelligence, and engineering tools, we ask a practical question: when something strange shows up in the data, who sees it, who believes it, and what happens next? Participants trace cases from cockpit and control room through safety systems, policy channels, and the public record. The aim is to practice sense-making under pressure and build working language for “unknowns” that are easy to ignore or mislabel.
STRUCTURE
The program runs over two afternoons on campus, followed by a voluntary Writer’s Workshop after the course.
Day 1 is organized under the working title of 'Signals and Systems / Where Things Break' and Day 2 as 'Shaping the Response / How We Build Better'.
Content is organized via Briefs, Sensemaker Spotlights, and Hands-On Engagements.
Anchor Sessions: There will be a series of topical Briefs that provide situational awareness based on fundamental questions each speaker is to address. e.g, Opening Brief to outline the seriousness and rigor needed for our mission. Some might be pre-recorded/ interview format.
Sensemaker Spotlights are personal talks where aviators, engineers, analysts, or operators share focused case examples and actionable insights from their own experience.
Hands-On Engagements: Integrated into the course is a live wargame / simulation that puts the whole cohort inside a fast-moving aerospace incident, forcing teams to make calls with incomplete and conflicting information.
Students, operators, and invited guests from engineering, security, and policy communities work through topics / scenarios together. It is our goal for there to be little sense of a division or ‘wall’ between speakers and everyone else in the room – all are members of the cohort and most are expected to participate fully in the program. All participants exercise repeated reps in developing their sensemaking skills, built up with tools such as STPA/CAST-style safety analysis, basic OSINT validation drills, and anomalous case analysis.
KEY OUTCOMES
By the end of CU26, participants will:
Climb the (figurative) ladder of unknowns: Ignoring, Recognizing, Confronting, and Embracing
Identify patterns in aerospace incidents that signal an “unknown” rather than a routine equipment or human-error label.
Generalize sensemaking as a leadership skill applicable to most fields (and beyond aerospace-adjacent domains).
Assess risk and decision analysis in the critical evaluation of information.
Formulate a conceptual playbook to classify and triage anomalous events for further investigation instead of losing them in catch-all categories.
Practice applying STPA/CAST thinking, OSINT checks, and autonomy / swarm simulations to messy, partial datasets.
Improve their ability to talk across engineering, operations, and policy lines about anomalous phenomena without hype.
Engage in a team-based learn-by-doing wargaming simulation.
Leave with a network of peers and mentors who care about weird signals in aerospace and are willing to engage in follow-up discourse and research
Have an opportunity to co-author a publication about their learnings toward anomalous phenomena.
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Beyond the Headlines: AI and Historical Newspapers
Monday, January 26, 2026
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Online
RSVP at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/692f0f4b163b292f004eb1d6
Historical newspapers hold stories that shaped our communities, but the sheer volume of their pages has long limited what we could discover within them. What changes when we can digitize and then analyze millions of pages at once?
This event, co-hosted by BPL Digital and the Leventhal Map & Education Center, explores how computational text analysis is transforming historical newspaper research. Join Molly Hardy from Library Innovation Lab and Greg Leppert, Executive Director of Harvard's Institutional Data Initiative, as they examine the formation of historical newspaper collections and how artificial intelligence contributes to efforts to digitize and make accessible these collections. From newspaper collecting that began in the wake of the American Revolution to training datasets to reveal large-scale patterns, they'll examine what becomes possible when computational methods meet cultural heritage — and what responsibilities come with these new capabilities.
Dr. Molly Hardy currently serves as the Project Lead for the Public Data Project at Harvard Law School’s Library Innovation Lab. She began her work in special collections at the Harry Ransom Center, while completing her dissertation on eighteenth-century copyright law. Her writing, which has been both public facing and scholarly, has appeared in professional blogs, exhibition catalogs, newspaper articles, and academic journals, and has centered on the transfer of early American archives into online environments, as well as the digital aggregation of historical newspapers and large sets of public data. Her most recent article, “The Unfree Press in the Revolutionary Age, or How to Read an Eighteenth-Century Newspaper,” is forthcoming in the Cambridge History of the American Revolution.
Greg Leppert is the Executive Director of the Institutional Data Initiative at Harvard Law School Library, a research initiative that works with libraries, universities, and government agencies to publish their collections as high-quality datasets. He is also the Chief Technologist of the Berkman Klein Center. Previously, Greg built startups in NYC and Austin TX, toured in art-rock bands, and worked in a historic letterpress studio. He is a strong believer that most people want to do good in the world and are simply looking for the right way to go about it.
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The Rise and Fall of Rational Control: The History of Modern Political Philosophy
Monday, January 26
6:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/harvey-c-mansfield-at-the-cambridge-public-library-tickets-1976634523068
Cost: $0.00 (Free RSVP Required) - $37.19 (book included)
Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Harvey C. Mansfield—William R. Kenan, Jr., Research Professor of Government at Harvard University and recipient of the National Humanities Medal—for a discussion of his new book, The Rise and Fall of Rational Control: The History of Modern Political Philosophy.
About The Rise and Fall of Rational Control
A renowned scholar traces the evolution of modern political philosophy.
The History of Modern Political Philosophy is a bold interpretation of centuries of intellectual revolutions. Based on Harvey C. Mansfield’s legendary Harvard course, taught for decades to rapt classrooms, this volume is both a grand work of ideas and an elucidating reflection on liberalism, its eclipse, and the possibility of renewal.
Mansfield locates the birth of modern political philosophy in the work of Niccolò Machiavelli, the first to assert that the objective of politics is not to achieve wishful ideals of justice or virtue—as the ancients had it—but to manipulate the brute facts of the world in service of interests. Here rational control, free from the order of gods or God, is the key to achieving the modern order, which can liberate humans from slavery and conflict. Hobbes and Locke later develop Machiavelli’s modern idea, laying foundations for liberalism. Then comes the first crisis in the form of Rousseau, who introduces historical change into the very idea of reason, which itself is said to evolve. After Rousseau, history takes center stage, as witnessed in Kant, Marx, and Hegel. The second crisis of modernity arrives with Nietzsche, who casts doubt on reason itself. Ever since, political thought has been stranded in the desert of postmodernism, where Machiavelli’s necessities are replaced by faded subjectivity.
Tracing the rise and fall of rational control, Mansfield asks where we go from here. Can we progress beyond our unease with what is modern, or should we aim to return somehow to what came before?
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Behind the Lines: Unpacking Africa’s 600 million Electricity Access Gap
Monday, January 26
7:30pm EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Building 370, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-michael-jordan
The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more.
About the talk
Power Systems in the emerging markets have markedly expanded access to electricity over the past two decades. However, Africa remains the world's last major electrification challenge, with approximately 600 million people lacking electricity access—more than half the global total. This discussion examines the economic conditions and technical barriers perpetuating this adverse phenomenon, from infrastructure deficits to policy and institutional barriers hindering progress.
The talk will highlight how low per capita energy consumption and utility underperformance lay at the heart of Africa's electricity gap. This dynamic is Compounded by opacity in power procurement, fragmented national market structures, and outdated centralized business models. However, promising developments in several countries offer pathways forward, most notably: expanding private sector participation, growth in distributed renewable energy (DRE) solutions, adoption of new technologies, burgeoning cross-border trade through regional power pools, and improved sector policies and planning.
Yet climate impacts—from cyclones in Mozambique to desertification in the Sahel—threaten to undermine progress. Addressing Africa's electricity access gap requires coordinated action across policy, investment, technology, and institutional reform to unlock sustainable, inclusive electrification.
Michael Jordan is a distinguished leader in global climate finance and energy development, currently serving as Chief Executive of Banneker Capital and Visiting Policy Fellow at Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the Environment. He brings over 20 years of experience driving transformative investments and strategic partnerships across emerging markets, with a particular focus on Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Recently, he served as the Special Advisor to the Coordinator and Director of Donor Partnerships at Power Africa, a U.S. Presidential Initiative that has supported over $24 billion of power sector investment and provided electricity to nearly 200 million people across sub-Saharan Africa since 2013. Mr. Jordan also served as Chief of Staff for Prosper Africa; a second U.S. Presidential Initiative aimed at strengthening the economic and strategic partnership between the U.S. and African countries. Mr. Jordan previously ran economic growth programs for USAID in Iraq and led risk management teams at Citi Corporate and Investment Bank in São Paulo, Brazil, and Miami, Florida. He holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BS from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.
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Climatetech Deployment Exchange: Startups × MWBEs,CUBs
Tuesday, January 27
11am to 1pm EST
Greentown Labs, 444 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143, USA
RSVP at https://luma.com/43dc6lpa
Part of the Networking Events collectionOverview
MWBE / CUBs contractors —this convening is built to spark real collaborations that bring clean-energy projects to life in Massachusetts.
A deployment-focused convening uniting climatetech startups and MWBE contractors to accelerate Massachusetts’ clean energy transition
Join us for a hands-on, deployment-focused gathering designed to connect MWBE contractors with climate-tech startups, municipal partners, and clean-energy buyers across Massachusetts. This convening is all about real project opportunities, clear technical requirements, and direct relationship-building to help MWBEs plug into the state’s rapidly growing clean-energy market.
Startups will share what they need to get their technologies installed and scaled. MWBE contractors and service providers will gain early insight into upcoming installation scopes, training needs, and partnership pathways. Municipal officials, EPCs, workforce organizations, universities, and capital providers will also be present to help move pilots and projects forward.
Supported by Boston Climate Innovations (BCI), Greentown Labs, and MassCEC.
Tentative Featured Companies
Embue • Qeatech • Durra Panels • HighlandPark Tech • Steven Winter Associates
(Additional companies to be announced.)
Sectors You’ll Be Able to Explore
Heat Pumps & Building DecarbonizationSolar, Battery Storage & Energy ManagementEV Charging & Fleet ElectrificationSmart Buildings & ControlsWaste, Water & Circular SystemsGrid Modernization & Load Flexibility
What MWBE Contractors Can Expect
Direct access to startups looking for installation partners
Clear, plain-language technical needs and scopes of workInsight into skills, certifications, and equipment needed for upcoming deployment projects
Opportunities for teaming with EPCs, municipalities, and universitiesA matchmaking zone for real connections that can lead to pilot work or procurement pathways
Visibility with state agencies and capital partners who support MWBE growth
Program Flow
Welcome Remarks – Greentown Labs, MassCEC, BCIStartup
Deployment Pitches – What they need to launch and scale in Massachusetts
Response Panel – MWBEs, municipal leaders, and workforce programs share what it will take to collaborate effectively
Sector Breakouts – Small-group conversations to dig into project requirements
Networking + Matchmaking Zone – Meet startups, buyers, and partners ready to work together
Closing Notes & Next Steps
Why Attend
Whether you’re an MWBE contractor, startup founder, municipal official, EPC, workforce partner, university, state agency, or capital provider—this convening is built to spark real collaborations that bring clean-energy projects to life in Massachusetts communities
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The Invention of the Future: A History of Cities in the Modern World
Tuesday, January 27
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/bruno-carvalho
Harvard Book Store and Long Now Boston welcome Bruno Carvalho—Harvard University professor and author of Porous City: A Cultural History of Rio de Janeiro—for a discussion of his new book, The Invention of the Future: A History of Cities in the Modern World. He will be joined in conversation by Diane E. Davis—Charles Dyer Norton Professor of Regional Planning and Urbanism, and former Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.
About The Invention of the Future
A kaleidoscopic and original new history of urbanization—from Lisbon to New York, Paris to Rio de Janeiro, and Buenos Aires to Lagos.
For the past three centuries, urban dwellers and planners have imagined future cities that would be radically different from those of the past. Planners pursued progress, whether focused on flying vehicles above, sewage systems below, or daily life in between. Yet, as Bruno Carvalho shows in this original and wide-ranging history, which features some sixty illustrations, modern cities continuously defied predictions. Visionary designs and technological innovations created dramatic, unforeseen outcomes, and the ongoing urban boom is a story of continuity as well as rupture. A compelling history of imagined futures and the transformation of urban life, The Invention of the Future also suggests what we might learn from the stories of our cities as we shape them for the twenty-first century.
Moving between large-scale changes and detailed examples, this captivating narrative tells the story of key moments and turning points: the rebuilding of Lisbon after the 1755 earthquake; the 1811 Commissioners’ Plan for Manhattan; Parisian reforms from 1853 to 1870; Le Corbusier’s plans for South American cities in the 1920s and 1930s; the postwar victory of the car; the utopian capital of Brasília; and urban growth in Africa.
In recent decades, Carvalho argues, the capacity to invent urban futures has become increasingly constrained. Social and environmental challenges loom large. But the story is not over. While cities helped create current problems, compact and transit-rich urbanization might be our best hope to combine high living standards with sustainability. Sometimes, moving forward can involve reaching back to the future.
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Changing the Conversation: Intro to Effective Climate Change Communication
Wednesday, January 28
3pm to 4pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/changing-the-conversation-intro-to-effective-climate-change-communication-registration-1978197446815
The National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) is a global leader in research-based climate communications.
Trying to communicate climate change, but people just don't seem to respond to your facts and science? As important as knowing the climate science, social science provides evidence-based practices that allow us to communicate climate science more effectively. Please join us on Wednesday, January 28th from 12-1 pm PT / 3-4 pm ET to be introduced to the work of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI), a collective of nearly 900 climate communicators. In this free webinar, learn how specific values and metaphors make your audience more receptive to climate change messaging and join a community of communicators changing the climate discourse to be more positive, civic-minded, and solutions-focused.
NNOCCI has partnered on dozens of peer-reviewed publications that describe its unique combination of elements for training and highlighting the network's outcomes. NNOCCI is supported through a fiscal sponsorship with The Marine Mammal Center. With more than 15 years of success, NNOCCI is widely recognized as the United States' leading climate change interpretation training program, and recently expanded its work into Canada.
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The Opinionated University: Academic Freedom, Diversity, and the Myth of Neutrality in American Higher Education
Wednesday, January 28
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/brian-soucek
Harvard Book Store welcomes Brian Soucek—Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law at the University of California, Davis—for a discussion of his new book The Opinionated University: Academic Freedom, Diversity, and the Myth of Neutrality in American Higher Education. He will be joined in conversation by Randall Kennedy—Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School.
About The Opinionated University
Why institutional neutrality is nothing but an illusion.
Can a university ever truly be neutral in today’s social and political climate? Pushing against the tide of universities increasingly pledging to stay neutral about contentious issues, law professor Brian Soucek argues that their promises are doomed to fail—universities can’t help being opinionated.
In The Opinionated University, Soucek shows that neutrality is a myth by taking a deep dive into several prominent campus controversies of the day, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts and restrictions on campus speech and protest. Each issue requires universities to choose a side in what they do, if not also in what they say. In everything from curricular and admissions decisions to their response to outside rankings and their evaluation of faculty, universities express the values at the heart of their mission. Soucek argues that those pushing for neutrality are only preventing universities from standing up for their values, whether in today’s current moment of crisis or in periods of political calm.
Both timely and deeply engaging, The Opinionated University calls on universities to dispense with neutrality as a governing principle and focus instead on what their mission should be, and who should determine it.
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Stories to Watch 2026
Thursday, January 29
9:00 - 10:30am EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.wri.org/events/2026/1/stories-watch-2026#register
Join our President and CEO, Ani Dasgupta, on Thursday, January 29 for WRI's annual look at the stories that will define the year ahead.
Stories to Watch 2026 will show how well-designed climate action is delivering benefits today. We’ll explore how countries are using the clean energy transition to spark inclusive economic growth, how climate solutions are helping address the cost-of-living and housing crises, and how investment in green jobs is creating opportunity around the world.
Each story will combine insights from WRI experts with on-the-ground videos showing real people and real solutions in action.
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Stockholm Environmental Institute [SEI] Currents 2026
Which trends will shape 2026? And what will shape these trends?
Thursday, January 29
9am - 10 am EST [15:00 CET ending at 16:00 CET]
Online
RSVP at https://www.sei.org/events/sei-currents-2026-event/
Maria Sköld / maria.skold@sei.org
Olesia Polishchuk / olesia.polishchuk@sei.org
SEI hosts its fifth installation of Currents, the webinar exploring the forces that will shape the year ahead. Tune in on 29 January for expert analysis of what 2026 may bring: the major shifts that can be anticipated, and the subtle undercurrents that could steer the world in unexpected directions.
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Accelerating climate adaptation after COP30
Thursday, January 29
11.00 AM - 12.30 PM
Online
RSVP at https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/events/2026/after-cop30.html
Our climate is changing rapidly and this is already impacting lives and livelihoods all over the planet, particularly through changes in extremes of weather and climate. There is a clear and urgent need to begin adapting our world to the new climate of today and what we might see in future.
Following the outcomes of COP30, the UK Universities Climate Network (UUCN) and the Cabot Institute for the Environment at the University of Bristol are hosting an event to explore how we can accelerate the action that needs to be taken to adapt for a climate resilient future. The event will bring together leading experts in climate adaptation to explore what must happen next: the priorities, trade-offs, and opportunities for accelerating real-world implementation.
Chaired by Dr Alix Dietzel, Associate Director at the Cabot Institute for the Environment and COP Lead at the University of Bristol
Keynote address by Professor Dame Angela McLean, UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser.
Talks from:
Professor Stephen Belcher, Chief Scientist, Met Office
Dr Susannah Fisher, Senior Research Fellow, UCL
Others TBC
Panel discussion featuring:
Prof Emma Tompkins, Professor of Geography, Environment & Development, University of Southampton
Dr Eunice Lo, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Change and Health, Cabot Institute for the Environment, University of Bristol
Professor Jim Hall, Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
Agenda
Part 1 – Setting the Scene: The Science and the Stakes
Keynote Address: Professor Dame Angela McLean, UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser
Expert Lightning Talks: Rapid insights from leading voices in adaptation research and policy.
Audience Q&A: Your pre-submitted questions answered by our keynote and speakers.
Short Break
Part 2 – From Insight to Action: What Comes Next?
Panel Discussion: A cross-sector conversation on the opportunities, priorities, and trade-offs shaping adaptation policy and practice after COP30.
Interactive Q&A: Engage directly with our expert panel through a mix of pre-submitted and live questions.
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GovScape: Multimodal Search and Discovery for 10+ Million Government PDFs
Thursday, January 29
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Harvard Law School, Lewis Hall, 5th floor at the Berkman Klein Center's Multi-Purpose Room 515, 1557 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://hls.harvard.edu/events/govscape-multimodal-search-and-discovery-for-10-million-government-pdfs/
Please join Kyle Deeds and Benjamin Lee as they share the debut of GovScape, a new tool that offers an unparalleled opportunity to study the history of the 21st century through the End of Term Web Archive. GovScape’s co-founders will discuss its development, as well as its ability to transform search of government data.
This event will take place in the Multi-Purpose Rooms 514/515 at The Lewis International Law Center from 12:30-1:30PM on Thursday, January 29th. Lunch will be served 11:30-12:30 and will be provided with R.S.V.P.
Please fill out the R.S.V.P. form no later than the morning of Monday, January 26, 2026 to register.
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The Future of Special Education Amid Federal Cuts
Thursday, January 29
3:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Online
RSVP at https://bostonu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CaSFAJC7SwOZVFdNGoY2hg#/registration
Join us for a timely conversation on the future of special education as federal funding and oversight face unprecedented challenges. Marking 50 years since the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), this webinar brings together researchers, educators, and advocates to explore what’s at risk—and what educators can do to protect equitable access for all learners. Featuring: Elizabeth Bettini, Associate Professor Special Education, BU Wheelock Lindsey Chapman, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Special Education Program, BU Wheelock Kathryn Meyer (SSW'14, Wheelock'15,'24) Postdoctoral Associate, Binghamton University
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The Death and Life of Gentrification: A New Map of a Persistent Idea
Thursday, January 29
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/japonica-brown-saracino
Harvard Book Store welcomes Japonica Brown-Saracino—news commentator and award-winning author of A Neighborhood that Never Changes and How Places Make Us—for a discussion of her latest book The Death and Life of Gentrification: A New Map of a Persistent Idea. She will be joined in conversation by Rachel Weber—Chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and award-winning author of From Boom to Bubble: How Finance Built the New Chicago.
About The Death and Life of Gentrification
A provocative account of what is gained and what is lost when a word that once narrowly referred to neighborhood change takes on a life all its own.
Sociologist Ruth Glass coined the term gentrification in the 1960s to mark the displacement of working-class residents in London neighborhoods by the professional classes. The Death and Life of Gentrification traces how the word has far outgrown Glass’s meaning, becoming a socially charged metaphor for cultural appropriation, upscaling, and the loss of authenticity.
In this lively and insightful book, Japonica Brown-Saracino traces how a concept originally intended to describe the brick-and-mortar transformation of neighborhoods has come to characterize transformations that have little to do with cities. She describes how journalists, artists, filmmakers, novelists, and academics use gentrification as a symbolic device to mourn how everyday pleasures and forms of self-expression—from music to marijuana, kale, and tattoos—entered the domain of the elite. She weighs the implications of turning to gentrification as a tool to tell stories, entertain audiences, and communicate political messages. Relying on vivid examples, the book reveals how the term today expresses widespread ambivalence about rising economic inequality and unease with a variety of forms of social change. This pathbreaking book forces us to think about whether the wide-ranging way we use gentrification dilutes its meaning and stymies efforts to identify and resist urban displacement.
Drawing on everything from film and television to novels and art, The Death and Life of Gentrification sheds critical light on the changing meaning of gentrification in contemporary life. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in gentrification and urban dynamics, as well as for readers curious about attitudes about growing income inequality and the evolution and circulation of ideas.
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The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us
Friday, January 30
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue. Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/rebecca-newberger-goldstein
Harvard Book Store welcomes Rebecca Newberger Goldstein—award-winning philosopher, writer, and public intellectual, and author of ten books of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction, including 36 Arguments for the Existence of God—for a discussion of her new book The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us. She will be joined in conversation by Steven Pinker―acclaimed author and the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.
About The Mattering Instinct
A paradigm-shifting work that explores humanity’s most fundamental desire.
MacArthur Fellow and National Humanities Medalist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, author of Plato at the Googleplex and The Mind-Body Problem, returns with a revelatory book about the primal drive that in our species alone has been transformed into one of our most persistent and universal motivations: the longing to matter.
Drawing on biology, psychology, and philosophy, Goldstein argues that this need to matter—and the various “mattering projects” it inspires—is the source of our greatest progress and our deepest conflicts: the very crux of the human experience.
Goldstein brings this profound idea to life through unforgettable stories of famous and not-so-famous people pursuing their unique mattering projects: the ragtime genius Scott Joplin, whose dedication to his ignored masterpiece, Treemonisha, ended in tragedy; the pioneering psychologist William James, who rose above the depression of his young adulthood to become perhaps the first great theorist of mattering; an impoverished Chinese woman who rescued abandoned newborns from the trash; and a neo-Nazi skinhead who as a young man dealt racial violence to feel he mattered but ultimately renounced that hateful past after realizing that mattering isn’t a zero-sum game. These portraits illuminate how our instinct for significance shapes identity, relationships, culture, and conflict—and they point the way to a future where we all might see that there is, fundamentally, enough mattering to go around.
Deeply revealing and insightful, and decades in the making, The Mattering Instinct is a must read for those curious about why we seek to matter to ourselves and others—and how this insatiable longing that drives us apart may be the key to finally understanding each other.
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Alice Hill, Council on Foreign Relations
Monday, February 2
7:30pm EST [4:30pm to 5:20pm PT]
Stanford, Building 370, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Building 370, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/stanford-energy-seminar-alice-hill-council-foreign-relations
The Stanford Energy Seminar has been a mainstay of energy engagement at Stanford for nearly 20 years and is one of the flagship programs of the Precourt Institute for Energy. We aim to bring a wide variety of perspectives to the Stanford community – academics, entrepreneurs, utilities, non-profits, and more.
Alice C. Hill is the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is an expert on the risks, consequences, and responses associated with climate change and the author of The Fight for Climate After COVID-19 and co-author of Building a Resilient Tomorrow. Hill’s work draws on a unique blend of experience spanning service in the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, as well as her earlier career as a federal prosecutor and judge. As part of a distinguished legal career, Hill received one of the U.S. Department of Justice’s highest awards—the John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement.
During the Obama administration, Hill served as special assistant to the President and senior director for resilience policy on the National Security Council, where she led the development of policy addressing national security and climate change, including the first federal flood risk standard and national wildfire standard for federal buildings. Prior to joining the White House, Hill served as senior counselor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She developed the department’s first-ever climate adaptation plan and the internationally recognized anti-human trafficking initiative, the Blue Campaign.
Prior to joining CFR, Hill was a fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution, where her work focused on catastrophic risk and our responses. Earlier in her career, Hill served as supervising judge on both the Superior and Municipal Courts in Los Angeles and as chief of the white-collar crime prosecution unit in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s office.
Hill’s work is published widely in journals and newspapers, and she is a frequent commentator on TV, podcasts, and radio. In 2020, Yale University and the Op-Ed Project awarded her the Public Voices Fellowship on the Climate Crisis.
Hill serves on the boards of Munich Re North America and the Environmental Defense Fund. She also serves on the advisory boards of the Center for Climate and Security, Climate Crisis Advisory Group, Insurance for Good, International Military Council on Climate and Security, One Concern, National Parks Conservation Association, Project CASA, and University of Washington Climate Risk Lab.
Alice is currently a Visiting Policy Fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University.
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Monthly Dose of Climate Hope! With Hannah Ritchie
Tuesday, February 3
11am to 12pm EST
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/monthly-dose-of-climate-hope-with-hannah-ritchie-tickets-1867333076499
Get your monthly dose of climate hope with data scientist Hannah Ritchie— one of the world’s clearest and most hopeful voices on climate!
Come learn from Hannah Ritchie, a leading environmental data scientist who transforms complex climate data into clear, hopeful insights!
When it comes to climate change, doom-and-gloom stories are everywhere. But there's another story unfolding, too— those of dedicated changemakers, game-changing technological innovations, and smart policies that are already reshaping the future for the better!
For this February's Dose of Climate Hope, you'll learn from Hannah Ritchie, one of the world’s most inspiring data-driven voices on climate and sustainability. As Deputy Editor and Science Outreach Lead at Our World in Data and author of Not the End of the World, Hannah uses data-backed insights to show that a sustainable future is more possible than most people realize.
In conversation with Sam Matey, Editor-in-Chief at Climate Action Now, Hannah will unpack the numbers behind humanity’s progress on energy, food, and the environment—and explore how facts can fuel the next wave of climate action.
Come learn from Hannah, bring your questions, and leave with renewed optimism—because there is climate hope, and it’s backed by data!
About Our Featured Expert
Hannah Ritchie is a leading environmental data scientist and writer who works at the intersection of environmental change, technology and global development. She serves as Deputy Editor and Science Outreach Lead at Our World in Data, and she is a Senior Researcher in the Programme for Global Development at the University of Oxford. Dr. Ritchie focuses on long-term changes in the environment – energy, pollution, agriculture, food supply – and their compatibility with global development. She completed her Ph.D. in GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh, and has authored two deeply hopeful books: Not the End of the World, and Clearing the Air. You can find more of her writing on her Substack Sustainability by Numbers, and she also co-hosts the Solving for Climatepodcast with Rob Stewart.
About Our Interviewer
Sam Matey is Editor-In-Chief at Climate Action Now and authors Your Daily Dose of Climate Hope, a Substack newsletter. Sam wears many hats as a climate journalist, environmental scientist, data scientist, and GIS analyst. Sam is also the author of The Weekly Anthropocene, a weekly Substack newsletter on progress towards a better relationship between humanity and our biosphere.
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The Sealed Envelope: Toward an Intelligent Utopia
Tuesday, February 3
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/george-scialabba
Harvard Book Store welcomes George Scialabba—award-winning critic and essayist, and author of the memoir How To Be Depressed and the essay collection Only a Voice—for a discussion of his new essay collection The Sealed Envelope: Toward an Intelligent Utopia. He will be joined in conversation by Erik Baker—College Fellow at Harvard University and author of Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Ethic Exhausted America.
About The Sealed Envelope
An award-winning author argues for the necessity of cultural critics and intellectuals to American democracy.
This incisive collection of essays investigates the moral imagination of modernism and our intellectual and political inheritance. George Scialabba offers a series of portraits of, and arguments with, American and European thinkers of the past hundred years, ranging from conservatives such as John Gray, William Buckley, and Jonathan Haidt to radicals such as Dwight Macdonald, Christopher Hitchens, and Bill McKibben.
In our moment of democracy under siege, with intellectual work popularly derided as only for “elites,” Scialabba champions such thinkers as Richard Rorty, Barbara Ehrenreich, and Christopher Lasch, with their emphasis on democratic political culture and their faith in the capacities of ordinary people and the importance of intellectual work. This collection passes on these values “in a sealed envelope,” as Rilke says of love between selfish lovers, for future generations to use in crafting their own “intelligent utopia.”
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Environment, Atmosphere, Feeling Keynote: Naomi Paik
Thursday, February 5
4pm to 6pm
Northeastern, 716 Columbus Place, 6th Floor, Boston, MA, Boston
More information at https://calendar.northeastern.edu/event/environment-atmosphere-feeling-keynote-naomi-paik
Join GLAS for a Keynote guest lecture event with Naomi Paik of the University of Illinois, Chicago.
This talk examines migration through protected areas of the Sonoran Desert from the 1990s to the present. During this time of accelerating globalization and transnational migration, US border policy has pushed migrants to cross the southern border through the desert, often through protected areas (PAs) like the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge. In response conservationists and nationalists have cast migrants as “ecological others” who harm the natural landscape, and US state agencies have weaponized environmental protections to further criminalize migrants, as well as humanitarian volunteers working to prevent migrant injury and death. And yet, while pitted against each other, the violence migrants and nature endure share the same root causes—US imperial policies that drive people to move long distance and US border regimes that then channel those migrants, and the anti-migrant enforcement that attempts to exclude them, into the desert. This shared source of harm means that the violence against migrants and the environment intertwine. By analyzing the layered histories of militarism, migration, border regimes, and conservation in the Sonoran Desert, this talk works to bring migrant and environmental justice together under the framework of abolitionist sanctuary that would provide refuge to all lives.
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EnergyBar: Looking Ahead Together
Thursday, February 5
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Greentown Labs,444 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143
RSVP at https://greentownlabs.com/event/energybar-looking-ahead-together/
EnergyBar is Greentown Boston’s signature networking event!
We are excited to welcome you back to Greentown Boston for our first EnergyBar of the year! On Thursday, February 5, we’re inviting the climatetech and energy innovation ecosystem to join us for an evening of networking over drinks and bites. For 15 years, our community has been growing strong—and now we’re inviting you to join us to look ahead and celebrate the next 15 years of climate action.
Startups thrive when supported by a diverse ecosystem, and it’s more important now than ever to foster our climate community and bring even more champions into the fold! Whether you’re an investor, potential partner, researcher, job-seeker, or neighbor, our startup community needs you in 2026 and beyond. We hope to see you there!
AGENDA
All times are in ET:
5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Check-in and networking
6:00 to 6:10 p.m. Greentown Labs welcome remarks
6:10 to 7:30 p.m. Networking
ABOUT ENERGYBAR
EnergyBar is Greentown Boston’s signature networking event that fosters conversation and collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, philanthropists, students, neighbors, and other climate champions passionate about innovations in climatetech and the energy transition.
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