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 until September 2020 and earlier for a few years in the 1990s (what I did and why I did it at http://hubeventsnotes.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-i-do-and-why-i-do-it.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
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Index
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COPx Webinar: Colombia Climate Summit, The Push Beyond Fossil Fuels
Wednesday, May 27
1 PM - 2:15 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/copx-webinar-colombia-climate-summit-the-push-beyond-fossil-fuels-tickets-1988860476223
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Healing the Earth from the ground up: How farms can fight climate change
Wednesday, May 27
5:00pm–7:00pm ET
149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA
And online
RSVP at https://www.woodwellclimate.org/?event=woodwell-climate-conversations-healing-the-earth-from-the-ground-up
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Curious and Complex Connections: Environmental History and the War of Independence
Wednesday, May 27
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
MA Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215-3695
And online
RSVP in person at https://18308a.blackbaudhosting.com/18308a/Curious-and-Complex-Connections-Environmental-History-and-the-War-of-Independence--In-Person-Prog
RSVP online at https://18308a.blackbaudhosting.com/18308a/Curious-and-Complex-Connections-Environmental-History-and-the-War-of-Independence---Virtual-Prog
Cost: $0 - $10
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Jeremy Lent / Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All
Wednesday, May 27
10 PM - 11:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jeremy-lent-ecocivilization-making-a-world-that-works-for-all-tickets-1982670686395
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Modelling to Policy: Circular Economy Pathways Towards Net-Zero
Thursday, May 28
7am - 12pm EDT[13:00-18:00 Brussels]
Brussels
And online
RSVP at https://iiasa.ac.at/events/may-2026/modelling-to-policy-circular-economy-pathways-towards-net-zero
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Navigating Systems Change Lab: Governance Deep Dive
Thursday, May 28
10:00 - 11:00am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/5/navigating-systems-change-lab-governance-deep-dive
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When AI Meets Energy - Chris Mi, San Diego State & Novos Power
Thursday, May 28
10:30am - 11:30am EDT [1:30pm to 2:30pm PT]
Stanford, Y2E2 Building, 292A, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/smart-grid-seminar-chris-mi
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¿SUSTAINABLE? A Symposium Series - Waterscapes
Thursday, May 28
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://mlml.io/p/sustainable/
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Voices of Change: An online youth panel on hope, agency and action
Thursday, May 28
1 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-of-change-an-online-youth-panel-on-hope-agency-and-action-tickets-1983535094864
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Project-based carbon credits: Regulatory and market reforms
Thursday, May 28
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
And online
RSVP at https://www.brookings.edu/events/project-based-carbon-credits-regulatory-and-market-reforms/
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Budgeting in Place: How People's Budgets Shape Civic Life
Thursday, May 28
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Boston Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116
RSVP at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/69e13733b6c4ac1fedccd7f1
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Can AI Transform Global Health? Promise, Progress, and Reality
Friday, May 29
9 – 10 a.m.
Online
RSVP at https://globalhealth.harvard.edu/event/coffee-session-can-ai-transform-global-health/
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Environmental, Social, and Governance Standards and Practices of Chinese Companies in Critical Minerals Supply Chains
Friday, May 29
9am - 10:30 am EST [10:00 am - 11:30 am CEST (in English with Chinese interpretation available)]
Online
RSVP at https://www.iisd.org/events/environmental-social-and-governance-standards-and-practices-chinese-companies-critical
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Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America
Saturday, May 30
7:00pm (doors open at roughly 5:30pm)
First Parish Church, 1446 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/senator-chris-murphy-at-first-parish-church-tickets-1986465894966
Cost: $20.00 (admission only); $45.00 (book included)
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2026 International White Hat Conference
Monday, June 1-Wednesday, June 3 • 9 AM-8 PM
Park Hyatt Mendoza, Mendoza, Mendoza
And online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-international-white-hat-conference-tickets-1985606246735
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What messaging actually changes minds on climate?
Monday, June 1
8am - 9am ET [11am to 12pm PT]
Online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/what-messaging-actually-changes-minds-on-climate
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The Road Ahead for Electric Vehicles
Monday, June 1
4:30 PM-5:30 PM ET
Online
RSVP at https://web.cvent.com/event/6952c8b6-6a7e-470f-ac62-ea8e0972d677/register
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Boston Climate & Green Infrastructure Social
Monday, June 1
6 PM - 8 PM
26 Court Street, Boston, MA
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-climate-green-infrastructure-social-tickets-1989332121928
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Accelerating Nature-Based Solutions: Insights from Brazil, India & Indonesia
Tuesday, June 2
8:00 - 9:00am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/6/accelerating-nature-based-solutions-insights-brazil-india-indonesia
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Mobilizing Private Capital to Reduce Methane Emissions from Waste in Emerging Markets
Tuesday, June 2
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
Online
RSVP at https://rmi.org/event/webinar-mobilizing-private-capital-to-reduce-methane-emissions-from-waste-in-emerging-markets/
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Superpollutants and the Path to Scalable Climate Solutions
Tuesday, June 2
1:00 PM (EST)
Online
RSVP at https://trellis.net/webinar/superpollutants-scalable-climate-solutions/
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Pressure Points: Engineering AI for the future of healthcare
Wednesday, June 3
1 – 1:50 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_820bpbv8oVSf57o
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The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government
Wednesday, June 3
6:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/barbara-mcquade
Cost: $12.00 (admission only); $42.00 (book included)
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House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing
Wednesday, June 3
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
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Shared Power, Shared Futures: Global Practices for Societal Resilience
Thursday, June 4
9:00 am – 10:30 am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://ash.harvard.edu/events/lessons-from-venezuela-electoral-resistance-to-popular-autocrats-2007-2013-2/
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Forest Transparency in Cameroon: Insights, Challenges and the Road Ahead
Thursday, June 4
9:00 - 10:30am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/6/forest-transparency-cameroon-insights-challenges-and-road-ahead
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Modelling Climate, Behaviour, and Health in Changing Urban Systems
Thursday, June 4
9 AM - 12 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/modelling-climate-behaviour-and-health-in-changing-urban-systems-tickets-1989206000696
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Climate Disinformation: What We Can Do About It
Thursday, June 4
12 PM - 1:15 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/climate-disinformation-what-we-can-do-about-it-tickets-1986219275320
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Asia Waste Methane Comparative Analysis Webinar
Friday, June 5
4 am - 5:30am EDT [16:00 – 17:30 (GMT+09:00, Seoul/Tokyo)]
Online
RSVP at https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20260605
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New Narratives for Action: Addressing Climate Misinformation and Disinformation
Friday, June 5
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://climateadaptationforum.org/event/new-narratives-for-action-addressing-climate-misinformation-and-disinformation/
Cost: $0 -$45
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Pro Tour: 124 Units of Passive, Affordable Housing, Built for Coastal Flood Resilience
Friday, June 5
1 PM - 5 PM
Salem, MA
RSVP at https://nesea.org/be-event/pro-tour-124-units-passive-affordable-housing-built-coastal-flood-resilience
Cost: $35 - $45 Non-Members
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To See Beyond
Monday, June 8
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
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Thinking Like Water : Film Club & Live Conversation Series
Tuesday, June 9 – July 14
RSVP at https://bio4climate.org/events/film-screenings/thinking-like-water-summer-2026/
Cost: $50 -$175
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Climate Risks and Biodiversity for European Resilience and a Nature-Positive Economy
Tuesday, June 9
10:30 am – 12:00 pm CEST
Online
RSVP at https://iiasa.ac.at/events/jun-2026/eu-green-week-2026-climate-risks-and-biodiversity-for-european-resilience-and
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Conference: Geo-Solutions for the Energy Transition
Wednesday, June 10 - 11
MIT, Building 55-110 (the tallest building on campus), Cambridge, MA
contact erl-info@mit.edu
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Beyond “buy local”: Rethinking food systems for climate and community
Wednesday, June 10
5:00pm–7:00pm ET
149 Woods Hole Rosd, Falmouth, MA
And online
RSVP at https://www.woodwellclimate.org/?event=woodwell-climate-conversations-june-2
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The Good Anthropocene: High-Tech meets No-Tech
Thursday, June 11
8:30am ET [14:30 CET]
Online
RSVP at https://iiasa.ac.at/events/jun-2026/forum-anthropozan-2026-iiasa-director-general-to-deliver-keynote-on-good
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Facts vs. Fiction: The Fight for Science in American Democracy
Thursday, June 11
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/facts-vs-fiction-the-fight-for-science-in-american-democracy-tickets-1984930177594
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A Pox on Fools
Thursday, June 11
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thomas-levenson-at-the-cambridge-public-library-tickets-1988203851240
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Supply and Demand: Scaling Solutions for Affordability and Clean Energy in New England
Friday, June 12
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Blvd, 17th Floor Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6-12-26-new-england-energy-roundtable-tickets-1987182215500?aff=oddtdtcreator
Cost: $0 - 110
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A Voice Like Mine: Deb Haaland
Saturday, June 13
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
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Food Forests: Working with Nature to Grow Fresh Food
Sunday, June 14
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Eastern)
Online
RSVP at https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001mHfQtIAK&mapLinkHref=
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Courage Can Save Us
Monday, June 15
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rye-barcott-at-the-brattle-theatre-tickets-1988337323459
Cost: $13.59
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America, U.S.A
Monday, June 15
6:30pm
WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
RSVP at https://www.wbur.org/events/1084402/america-usa-eddie-glaude-jr
Cost: $10 -$30
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Online One Day Introduction to Passivhaus
Monday, June 15-Tuesday, June 16
7 PM-3 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-one-day-introduction-to-passivhaus-cpd-available-tickets-1989632937676
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The Brain and Climate Change: The Next 100 Years
Tuesday, June 16
7 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-brain-and-climate-change-the-next-100-years-tickets-1989935956012
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Civic climate education: preparing places for a greener future
Wednesday, June 17
5 AM - 6:30 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/civic-climate-education-preparing-places-for-a-greener-future-tickets-1987989431906
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Making Stuff is Baking the Planet
Wednesday, June 17
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2910 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 Conference Room A
And online
RSVP at https://www.climate.columbia.edu/events/columbia-climate-school-research-seminar-series-rebecca-dell
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The ins and outs of carbon in the air
Wednesday, June 17
12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT [17.30 - 18.30 BST]
Grantham Institute, Lecture Theatre 1, Blackett Building, South Kensington Campus
And online
RSVP at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/208011/the-ins-and-outs-of-carbon-in-the-air/
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The Problem with Plastic
Wednesday, June 17
7 PM
Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/judith-enck-with-david-abel-the-problem-with-plastic-tickets-1986015432621
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Mapping tipping risks from Antarctic ice basins under global warming
Thursday, June 18
4 AM - 4:45 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.dk/e/mapping-tipping-risks-from-antarctic-ice-basins-under-global-warming-tickets-1985443048605
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From Commitments to Climate Justice: Food Systems & Rural Resilience
Monday, June 22
10 AM - 11:30 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-commitments-to-climate-justice-food-systems-rural-resilience-tickets-1989641315735
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TEDxBoston – 250 Talks
Tuesday, June 23
3:00 PM - 6:30 PM
WGBH, 1 Guest St, Boston, MA 02135, USA
RSVP at https://luma.com/z725m3ck
Approval Required
Your registration is subject to host approval.
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How We Disappear
Tuesday, June 23
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
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Astonished By Beauty: The Essential Practice of Natural History
Wednesday, June 24
6 – 7 p.m.
Harvard, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/astonished-by-beauty-the-essential-practice-of-natural-history/
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Polar Bears on the Edge: Climate, Conflict and Crisis in the Arctic
Thursday, June 25
12 PM - 1 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/polar-bears-on-the-edge-climate-conflict-and-crisis-in-the-arctic-tickets-1984221312359
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The Perfect Moment
Monday, June 29
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
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The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution
Thursday, July 2
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
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Freedom of Speech: A People’s History of Democracy’s Most Essential Right
Monday, July 6
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
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Events
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COPx Webinar: Colombia Climate Summit, The Push Beyond Fossil Fuels
Wednesday, May 27
1 PM - 2:15 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/copx-webinar-colombia-climate-summit-the-push-beyond-fossil-fuels-tickets-1988860476223
What moved, what stalled, and how finance, policy, and ISDS are shaping the next phase of global climate action after COP30’s failures.
In April 2026, global leaders convened in Colombia following the failure of COP30 negotiations to bring meaningful progress, seeking to rebuild momentum around a historic transition away from fossil fuels.
The summit marked a signficant shift, advancing a more science-based roadmap and building broader international alignment around the need for a fossil-free global economy. But it also exposed a deeper challenge: the legal and financial systems that continue to reinforce the status quo.
A key tension centered on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). Efforts to reform these provisions faced resistance, including from the Dutch co-hosts, underscoring how difficult it remains to change the underlying rules shaping capital flows, energy systems, and climate action.
This conversation focuses on what actually happened in Colombia, what moved, what stalled, and whether the summit represents the beginning of a credible roadmap beyond fossil fuels.
Speakers
Michael Hamersky, Executive Director, Pace Energy and Climate Center, COPx Core Group
Sam Carvalho, Fellow, Pace Energy and Climate Center, COPx Belem
Moderator
Paul Rowland, Chief Operating Officer, Environment Next
About the Conversation
The gap between climate ambition and implementation is increasingly clear.
While consensus around climate goals is growing, systems like ISDS continue to shape what governments can realistically do and how quickly capital can move toward transition pathways. This session examines where the Colombia summit made meaningful progress, where it stalled, and what that reveals about the institutional structures behind global climate decision-making.
Key Themes
What the Colombia summit achieved, and where it stalled
Why ISDS reform remains difficult
How legal and financial systems shape climate outcomes
Whether a viable fossil-free roadmap is beginning to emerge
Where leverage may exist going forward
Audience Q&A included.
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Healing the Earth from the ground up: How farms can fight climate change
Wednesday, May 27
5:00pm–7:00pm ET
149 Woods Hole Road, Falmouth, MA
And online
RSVP at https://www.woodwellclimate.org/?event=woodwell-climate-conversations-healing-the-earth-from-the-ground-up
Join us for an engaging conversation on the hidden power of croplands and how regenerative farming practices that restore soil health can store carbon, strengthen resilience, and protect our planet.
We will explore the unique challenges of farming across latitudes and highlight how Woodwell Climate works with global partners to move from field data collection to laboratory analysis, translating rigorous scientific evidence into actionable insights that inform policy and decision-making.
Speakers
Ludmila Rattis, Assistant Scientist
José Lucas Safanelli, Research Scientist
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Curious and Complex Connections: Environmental History and the War of Independence
Wednesday, May 27
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT
MA Historical Society, 1154 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02215-3695
And online
RSVP in person at https://18308a.blackbaudhosting.com/18308a/Curious-and-Complex-Connections-Environmental-History-and-the-War-of-Independence--In-Person-Prog
RSVP online at https://18308a.blackbaudhosting.com/18308a/Curious-and-Complex-Connections-Environmental-History-and-the-War-of-Independence---Virtual-Prog
Cost: $0 - $10
David Hsiung, Juniata College, in conversation with Joyce Chaplin, Harvard UniversityThis program was rescheduled from its original date of 20 October 2025.
Many of us give only a moment’s thought about the environment when considering the War of Independence: the slope of Breed’s Hill, the ice-choked Delaware River, and diseases such as smallpox. But what might we gain by connecting biology, ecology, and geology to the thinking and actions of soldiers and civilians? Rebels and British soldiers acquired and used energy in the form of food, fuel, and work animals, which shaped people’s lives, the course of the war, and the direction of environmental change. Join us as David Hsiung, in conversation with Joyce Chaplin, discusses the intricate and often surprising ways in which the natural environment and the war changed each other.
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Jeremy Lent / Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All
Wednesday, May 27
10 PM - 11:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jeremy-lent-ecocivilization-making-a-world-that-works-for-all-tickets-1982670686395
Get ready to dive deep into creating a sustainable future for all with Jeremy Lent in this eye-opening event!
Jeremy Lent in conversation with Stuart Cowan
City Lights and Melville House present Jeremy Lent discussing his new book Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All Published by Melville House
It has often been said that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism—and yet that is what the historical moment urgently calls for. Climate change has reached an emergency state, inequality continues to grow, and, for many, the future has never seemed more bleak. Incremental policy improvements are no longer enough—we need a deep transformation of our current civilization to continue to survive.
In Ecocivilization, leading thinker Jeremy Lent reimagines the basis of our civilization, and argues for a new global system of living, one based on life-affirming principles modeled after nature’s own design. What enfolds is a robust framework incorporating Lent’s own expertise, and the lived experiences of those on the ground already putting ecological civilization’s core tenants into practice—justice, mutuality, diversity, and symbiosis.
From the global economy to universal housing and income, from infrastructure to agriculture, every major aspect of our society could be redesigned to work together as a coherent whole, setting the conditions for all people to flourish. Ecocivilization shows how this future on a regenerated Earth is not only desirable, but entirely feasible.
Jeremy Lent, described by Guardian journalist George Monbiot as “one of the greatest thinkers of our age,” is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. He is the author of the books The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity's Search for Meaning and The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe. He is the founder of the Deep Transformation Network, a global community exploring pathways to an ecological civilization, and the nonprofit Liology Institute, dedicated to fostering an integrated worldview that could enable humanity to thrive sustainably on the Earth. He lives with his partner in Berkeley, California.
Stuart Cowan brings 25 years of experience as a planetary strategist, ecological designer, systems scientist, and regenerative economist. Stuart currently serves as Executive Director of Buckminster Fuller Institute, where he launched the BFI Innovation Lab + Venture Studio to support a cohort of about 10 initiatives centering planetary thriving, ranging from life-centered AI to bioregional-scale regeneration.
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Modelling to Policy: Circular Economy Pathways Towards Net-Zero
Thursday, May 28
7am - 12pm EDT[13:00-18:00 Brussels]
Brussels
And online
RSVP at https://iiasa.ac.at/events/may-2026/modelling-to-policy-circular-economy-pathways-towards-net-zero
Volker Krey, Research Group Leader and Principal Research Scholar (IACC, S3)
Marina Jovanovic, Project Officer (ECE, IACC)
Pat Wagner, Program and Project Officer (IACC, S3, TISS)Event details
Energy, Climate, and Environment (ECE)Integrated Assessment and Climate Change (IACC)Developing circular pathways for a EU low-carbon transition (CircEUlar)
A dynamic afternoon exploring evidence-driven insights on climate mitigation contributions from circular economy strategies for construction - buildings, transport and energy infrastructure; services - housing and mobility; and system-wide enablers and impacts including digitalization, behavior change, and rebound effects.
The CIRCOMOD, CircEUlar, and CO2NSTRUCT Horizon Europe research projects are hosting their final joint conference “Modelling to Policy: Circular Economy Pathways Towards Net-Zero”, taking place on 28 May 2026, from 13:00 to 18:00 CEST, at Thon EU in Brussels. This interactive event will delve into emerging key messages on circular economy strategies, identify key priorities for further research and present policy recommendations supporting an EU low-carbon transition. The day will close with a networking session over drinks, giving participants the chance to connect, exchange ideas and continue the conversation.
Highlights of the program / What to expect:
Keynote speakers and project contributions - the coordinators of the three sister projects, University of Utrecht’s Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development - The Netherlands, International Institute for Applied System Analysis based in Austria and Technical University of Denmark will lead the discussions on circularity pathways, key messages, further research and policy recommendations.
Policy panel discussion - Leading researchers will present cutting-edge results on a range of circular economy strategies, and prominent policy specialists - experts in current and upcoming EU-level policy developments - respond fueling discussion and dialogue. Attendees, both online and in person, will be invited to engage and ask the panelists questions to help guide the exchange.
Interactive breakout sessions - Participants can partake in facilitated discussions and practical exchanges across three thematic areas all linked to circular economy pathways, strategies and practices:
Construction approaches: Ecosystem of materials industries, built assets, transport and energy infrastructure at scale led by CO2NSTRUCT
This session explores circular construction strategies and practices, implications for material industries (e.g., steel, cement, glass, copper), supply chains, sustainable material choices, and infrastructure design to reduce material use and emissions. Policymakers, material and sector specialists, industry professionals in construction and infrastructure, and researchers will find this session particularly relevant.
Service-focused measures: Integrated solutions for mobility and housing - led by CIRCOMOD
This session focuses on solutions for transportation and housing services and sectors to reduce material demand as well as their interconnections. It will also touch upon urban form, waste and household appliances. It aims to speak to policymakers, planners, transport and housing officers, and researchersworking on sustainable mobility and shelter.
System-wide enablers: digitalization, behaviors, rebound effects and economic impacts - led by CircEUlar
This session explores the key drivers shaping circular transitions, from digitalization and socio-economic dynamics to citizen behaviors and the broader rebound effects and economic impacts they generate. Policymakers, social scientists, researchers, and civil society actors interested in systemic circular economy strategies will gain the most from this discussion.
Networking opportunities - The event will also offer dedicated slots for networking, enabling participants to connect and exchange ideas with researchers who are currently at the forefront of academic expertise in this field after intensively studying the topic for the past four years.
Who should attend
This event will be particularly relevant for policymakers, industry representatives, researchers, and professionals working on sustainable construction, mobility, planning, housing, circular economy initiatives, and environmental policy.
All sessions, except the breakout sessions, will be streamed online on the day and open to all. In-person participation is by invitation only.
More details and registration information will follow soon. If you are interested in attending please contact:
CircEUlar - circeular.secretariat@iiasa.ac.at
CIRCOMOD - a.a.doranova@tilburguniversity.edu
CO2NSTRUCT - co2nstruct@sustain.dtu.dk
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Navigating Systems Change Lab: Governance Deep Dive
Thursday, May 28
10:00 - 11:00am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/5/navigating-systems-change-lab-governance-deep-dive
Transforming governance is essential to unlocking progress across climate, nature and sustainable development. Systems Change Lab has identified critical shifts to ensure governments put people at the center of decision-making by respecting rights, operating with transparency and accountability, and develop the capacity to implement commitments effectively.
Join Systems Change Lab on May 28 at 10 AM EDT (4 PM CEST) for an interactive training exploring key insights from our governance system. You’ll receive a guided tour of our open-source data platform and learn how to access and use governance-related indicators alongside data on economics, cities, the circular economy, and more.
We will begin with an overview of the main findings in our governance system, followed by a live demonstration of the data platform. You’ll learn how to explore interactive visualizations, use the dashboard to find and filter indicators, and download global and country-level data. At the end of the session, we will save time for an audience Q&A.
Speakers:
Introductory Remarks – Rachel Jetel, Co-Director, Systems Change Lab
Research Insights – Jesse Worker, Climate Governance and Rights Director, World Resources Institute
Platform Demonstration – Tappan Parker, Strategic Engagement Lead, Systems Change Lab
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When AI Meets Energy
Thursday, May 28
10:30am - 11:30am EDT [1:30pm to 2:30pm PT]
Stanford, Y2E2 Building, 292A, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305
And online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/smart-grid-seminar-chris-mi
When AI Meets Energy: How a variable air gap solid state transformer can change the landscape of AI data center power supplies
AI data centers are projected to consume hundreds of terawatt-hours annually by 2035, demanding power conversion technologies that are not only energy-efficient but also cost-effective, scalable, and reliable. It is estimated that the global market for power supplies, distribution, and management systems serving AI data centers and cloud computing is expected to reach approximately $145–150 billion. Conventional line-frequency transformers and multi-stage AC-DC architectures suffer from low efficiency, bulkiness, high cost, low reliability, and limited dynamic response. To support the rapid growth of AI workloads and comply with emerging energy and environmental standards, innovative power electronics solutions are urgently needed. This presentation explores the development of a novel megawatt-scale, medium-voltage (MV) power conversion system based on a Variable Air Gap Solid-State Transformer architecture. The approach aims to reduce energy loss, footprint, and cost while enabling flexible, modular deployment, and achieving more reliable operation in large-scale AI data centers.
Bio
Dr. Mi is the founder and CTO of Novos Power, a company focused on delivering power solutions for modern data centers with the highest
efficiency, reliability, and lowest cost. He is a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at San Diego State University (SDSU), a Fellow of both IEEE and SAE, and the Director of Cali & Daniel Chang Center for Electric Drive Transportation at SDSU. He was previously a faculty at the Univ. of Michigan-Dearborn 2001-15, and an Electrical Engineer with General Electric 2000-01. He also served as the CTO of 1Power Solutions and EV Safe Charge. Dr. Mi received his PhD from the Univ. of Toronto, Canada, in 2001.
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¿SUSTAINABLE? A Symposium Series - Waterscapes
Thursday, May 28
11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://mlml.io/p/sustainable/
SPEAKER(S) Raffaella Colombo, University Professor of Landscape Architecture, Politecnico di Milano
Maria Goula, Professor in Landscape Architecture, Cornell University
Lorena Bello Gómez, Design Critic in Landscape Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design
Max Maurer, Chair of Urban Water Systems, ETH Zurich
Christian Hamm, Head of Bio-Inspired Lightweight Design & Functional Morphology Sustainable Marine Bioeconomy, Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research
Yoshitaka Ota, Professor of Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island
James McClelland, Senior Scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Chicago
WATERSCAPES Symposium is the fifth in a series of five symposia entitled ¿SUSTAINABLE? curated by Raffaella Colombo and hosted by metaLAB (at) Harvard. This Symposium, composed of critical interventions on the topics of--Sustaining specificity, Designing for Extreme Water Regimes, Reimagining the Hydrology of Cities, The Unexpected Potential of Marine Organisms, Ocean Equity, Challenges to Coastal Communities in a Rapidly Changing Arctic--promotes perspectives that deconstruct commonplaces and critically scrutinize claims of sustainability.
The symposium series brings together leading thinkers and practitioners from institutions from around the world.
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Voices of Change: An online youth panel on hope, agency and action
Thursday, May 28
1 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/voices-of-change-an-online-youth-panel-on-hope-agency-and-action-tickets-1983535094864
Youth voices lead the way for nature: young people share how all of us can drive climate action and create a wilder future.
What does it look like when young people lead the way for nature? As part of Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Centenary Wild Weekend, this candid and energising panel brings together some of the UK’s most compelling youth voices in climate and nature action. Representatives from grassroots movements, national campaigns and creative activism will explore how change actually happens – from reimagining local communities, to transforming education, to championing urgent action through writing, organising and direct community projects. Featuring emerging leaders including Jaz Brook- Sustainability, Social Impact and Youth Empowerment Specialist, alongside Scarlett Westbrook- Teach The Future, this discussion invites audiences into a hopeful, practical dialogue about the steps we can each take today to build a wilder future.
Open, optimistic and rooted in real experience, Voices of Change celebrates a generation refusing to wait its turn – and shows how all of us can take meaningful action for nature, right now.
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Project-based carbon credits: Regulatory and market reforms
Thursday, May 28
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM EDT
The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036
And online
RSVP at https://www.brookings.edu/events/project-based-carbon-credits-regulatory-and-market-reforms/
Project-based carbon credits—carbon offset credits that are generated through emissions reductions projects—have emerged as a market-based tool to raise capital for emissions reductions. However, as these credits proliferate in compliance markets (e.g., the California cap-and-trade program) and in voluntary markets (e.g., as firms buy these credits to offset their emissions), significant concerns have arisen about market integrity, efficiency, and trust.
On Thursday, May 28, the Center on Regulation and Markets at the Brookings Institution will host a public event examining the challenges facing project-based carbon markets and proposals for their reform. Part of the Center’s ongoing series, Reimagining Modern-day Markets and Regulations, the event will kick off with a keynote and fireside chat from Annette Nazareth, chair of the governing board for the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market, who will assess the current state of carbon credit markets and offer a vision for the path forward. Nellie Liang, senior fellow at the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings, will moderate the conversation.
Following the keynote, a panel of distinguished experts—including Derik Broekhoff (Stockholm Environment Institute), Sanjay Patnaik (Brookings), Erin Shortell (Institute for Policy Integrity), and Philippe Delacote (INRAE)—will discuss specific policy proposals drawn from their recent research, exploring how carbon markets might be strengthened, better regulated, and more effectively designed. Click here to read this research in advance. The panel will be moderated by David Wessel, director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at Brookings.
Online viewers can pose questions in advance by emailing events@brookings.edu.
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Budgeting in Place: How People's Budgets Shape Civic Life
Thursday, May 28
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Boston Central Library in Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street, Boston MA 02116
RSVP at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/69e13733b6c4ac1fedccd7f1
Each year, cities and towns release budgets that allocate public funding for municipal services and public infrastructure. While these budgets can feel like mundane, bureaucratic documents, they’re central to the functioning of civic life—and from Boston to Nashville, everyday people across the U.S. are increasingly taking a more active role in shaping the line items on these important public ledgers.
On Thursday, May 28 from 5:30-7:30 pm, join us for an in-person conversation and workshop to learn more about participatory budgeting and People’s Budgets campaigns. Learn how residents can contribute to their city’s budget processes. Moderated by LMEC staff member Ian Spangler, this event brings together a panel of experts from Boston, New York City, and Nashville for a discussion about what participatory budgeting is, where it came from, and how you can get involved.
Light fare will be provided by the Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center.
Meet the Panelists
Dr. Emily Barrett is a community-based researcher whose work focuses on economic geography, urban development, and affordable housing. Her recent research examines debates over public goods and municipal budgeting in U.S. cities, analyzing how they shape community-led efforts to create more affordable cities. Emily has an ongoing collaboration with the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition.
Dr. Celina Su is the inaugural Marilyn J. Gittell Chair in Urban Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, as well as Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College. Her academic, pedagogical, and creative work focuses on everyday struggles for collective governance, centering economic democracy and racial justice. Grounded in specific struggles and with specific communities (e.g., in education organizing in the South Bronx, refugee public health in northwest Thailand, and participatory budgeting in New York City), Celina’s work seeks to engage critical, bottom-up perspectives across geographical locales and disciplinary lines. Her latest book is Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities, from Princeton University Press.
The Better Budget Alliance is a grassroots coalition of community-based organizations in Boston working to increase democratic control over Boston’s public budget. Since the passage of participatory budgeting through a ballot initiative in Boston in 2021, the Better Budget Alliance has convened a dynamic team of community leaders, participatory budgeting experts, and academic researchers to engage more Bostonians in the budget process and advocate for a city-wide participatory budgeting process that center equity and transparency. The BBA is currently organizing the People’s Campaign in Boston—join us to learn more.
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Can AI Transform Global Health? Promise, Progress, and Reality
Friday, May 29
9 – 10 a.m.
Online
RSVP at https://globalhealth.harvard.edu/event/coffee-session-can-ai-transform-global-health/
SPEAKER(S) Matthew Bonds, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School; Co-Founder & Scientific Director of PIVOT
Rose Nakasi Ph.D., Head of the Makerere Artificial Intelligence Health LabSameer PujariAI Lead, Global Digital Health Strategy & Governance, World Health Organization; Vice Chair, ITU–WHO Focus Group on AI 4 Health
This session examines the state of AI in global health through a central question: with governments and donors now actively shaping AI policy for health, how do we ensure the evidence base and frontline capacity keep pace with the speed of deployment, and where does hype outpace the evidence? Speakers will explore persistent gaps in health systems, from workforce shortages and delayed diagnostics to fragmented data systems and outbreak preparedness, alongside the growing landscape of AI applications designed to address them. The discussion will critically examine recurring misalignments between donor priorities, technology development, and frontline health worker needs, while also considering the practical realities that shape implementation.
Hosted by the Harvard Global Health Institute and co-organized by the Center for Bioethics at Harvard Medical School.
This webinar is free and open to the public and will conclude with a live Q&A session.
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Environmental, Social, and Governance Standards and Practices of Chinese Companies in Critical Minerals Supply Chains
Friday, May 29
9am - 10:30 am EST [10:00 am - 11:30 am CEST (in English with Chinese interpretation available)]
Online
RSVP at https://www.iisd.org/events/environmental-social-and-governance-standards-and-practices-chinese-companies-critical
Join us for an in-depth exploration of IISD’s latest study on the ESG management practices of Chinese enterprises within global critical mineral supply chains. In this webinar, we will discuss the challenges of sustainable mineral processing through a case study of Indonesia’s nickel industry and host a panel of experts to share cross-sector perspectives.
Share this page:Critical minerals are essential components of the technologies driving the energy and digital transitions. The International Energy Agency (IEA, 2022) projects that to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement, global demand for minerals critical to renewable energy production facilities and associated technologies may quadruple by 2040 compared to 2020.
This growth in demand, which is already boosting new mining and mineral processing projects across the globe, will also significantly increase the sector’s environmental and social footprint, particularly in resource-rich countries seeking more added value to raw material extraction by attracting smelting and refining industries. There is a commensurate need to strengthen sustainable management practices and promote more responsible corporate behaviour across critical mineral supply chains.
China maintains a dominant position across critical mineral processing value chains as well as in the manufacturing of key technologies for the energy and digital transition. It is the dominant refiner for 19 of the 20 critical minerals tracked by the IEA and holds an average market share of around 70% (IEA, 2025)—the exception being nickel, for which Indonesia is the world’s leading refiner, in part largely thanks to Chinese investment and technology. By strengthening and upholding ESG performance standards, Chinese companies can make significant positive contributions to the overall sustainability of the minerals sector globally.
In this new study, IISD analyzes management practices of Chinese enterprises in global mineral supply chains from a sustainability perspective. It outlines the Chinese ESG management framework that exists across both government and voluntary standards in China, and examines how these compare to international voluntary sustainability standards.
Moreover, using interviews from stakeholders in the Indonesian nickel supply chain as a case study, it provides an overview of the main challenges Chinese companies face in implementing ESG practices, including supply chain due diligence, abroad. Finally, the study highlights key areas and measures that could contribute to enhancing ESG standards among Chinese mining and processing companies operating overseas.
We invite you to join us in this webinar where we will be presenting the main findings of the report, and have a panel discussion with some key stakeholders to share the perspective from the private sector, industry association, and civil society.
Speakers
Nathalie Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Vice-President, Global Strategies and Managing Director, Europe, IISD (moderator)
Grégoire Bellois, Lead, Critical Minerals and Geology, IGF
Hans Baumgarten, Strategic Advisor, IISD
Jun Ma, Director of the Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs
Tiantian Li, Director of the International Development Department at CCCMC
Grita Anindarini, Senior Strategist at Indonesian Center for Environmental Law
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Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America
Saturday, May 30
7:00pm (doors open at roughly 5:30pm)
First Parish Church, 1446 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/senator-chris-murphy-at-first-parish-church-tickets-1986465894966
Cost: $20.00 (admission only); $45.00 (book included)
Harvard Book Store welcomes Senator Chris Murphy—lawyer, author, and politician serving since 2013 as the junior United States senator from Connecticut—for a discussion of his new book, Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America. He will be joined in conversation by Heather Cox Richardson—professor of history at Boston College and bestselling author of Democracy Awakening.
Note: Books bundled with tickets may only be picked up at the venue the night of the event, and cannot be picked up in-store beforehand. Ticket holders who purchased a book-included ticket and are unable to attend the event will be able to pick up their book at Harvard Book Store up to 30 days following the event. This offer expires after 30 days. Please note we cannot guarantee signed copies will be available to ticket holders who do not attend the event.
Please be aware that security measures at the venue will be heightened for this event. Large bags or backpacks will not be permitted. If you must carry a bag, please use a small wristlet or handheld wallet, or clear plastic, vinyl or PVC. All items brought into this event are subject to inspection.
About Crisis of the Common Good
A prominent senator assesses the destructive ideas that have seized the American spirit—and shows how the hidden alignments in our politics can free us from their hold.
Today, the United States is in a crisis—and it’s not just a political one: over fifty years, the pursuit of profit has undermined virtue and character, while too many of us have become convinced that happiness results from acting as good consumers, rather than as good citizens. New technologies threaten essential human capabilities, and a winner-takes-all mentality has given the rich and well-connected nearly uncontested control and has corrupted our government. The result: Americans have lost the sense of purpose and connection that are vital to happiness. In this vacuum, Donald Trump, feeding off the emptiness and resentment, has come to power.
In recent years, Senator Chris Murphy has stepped forward to challenge the Trump administration’s assaults on our democracy. He sees that these assaults are a symptom of a deeper crisis: the abandonment of the common good as our country’s organizing principle. In his unflinching new book, he draws on history and political philosophy to expose how six different cults have seized hold of American life and paved the way to our current troubles: cults of profit, globalism, technology, consumption, credentialism, and corruption.
Refusing despair, Murphy offers a new politics of the common good that is both deeply rooted in our past and a challenge to the status quo. A majority of Americans favor policies that confront these destructive cults by curbing corporate power, controlling predatory technology, enhancing face-to-face connection, granting workers greater control of their lives, and removing big money from our politics. The common good, Murphy shows, is a vital principle ready to be claimed today.
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What messaging actually changes minds on climate?
Monday, June 1
8am - 9am ET [11am to 12pm PT]
Online
RSVP at https://events.stanford.edu/event/what-messaging-actually-changes-minds-on-climate
Join leading researchers from Stanford and Cornell for a candid, data-driven conversation on the limits and possibilities of climate communication. Drawing on a groundbreaking “tournament” of messaging strategies, the authors reveal which narratives measurably shift beliefs across political lines—and why even the most effective messages only move the needle modestly.
This webinar, hosted by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability, will explore what these findings mean for policymakers, advocates, and communicators working in today’s polarized landscape. Discover how insights from psychology and political economy can inform more realistic, evidence-based approaches to engagement—and what comes next as researchers take these strategies into real-world experiments.
Speakers:
Neil Malhorta, Professor of Political Economy, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Jan Voelkel, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Sociology, Cornell University
Rainer Romero-Canyas, Lead Senior Behavioral Social Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund
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2026 International White Hat Conference
Monday, June 1-Wednesday, June 3
9 AM-8 PM
Park Hyatt Mendoza, Mendoza, Mendoza
And online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-international-white-hat-conference-tickets-1985606246735
Get ready to dive into the world of mega events with cybersecurity experts across the globe at the 2026 International White Hat Conference!
The 2026 International White Hat Conference is themed "Cybersecurity & Digital Crime Prevention: Building Global Readiness for Mega Events."
Global mega events such as the FIFA World Cup present heightened risks related to cybersecurity threats and digitally enabled crime. These risks include cyberattacks, cryptocurrency-related financial crime, identity theft, online fraud, and technology-facilitated human trafficking—many of which are increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The 2026 International White Hat Conference addresses the growing need for coordinated global readiness to prevent, investigate, and prosecute cybercrime and digital offenses associated with large-scale international events. The conference convenes law enforcement agencies, prosecutorial offices, cybersecurity and Al experts, cryptocurrency investigators, industry professionals, policymakers, and academic researchers from around the world.
Through evidence-based research, prosecutorial and investigative case studies, and cross-sector dialogue, the conference focuses on emerging technologies, threat intelligence, legal and regulatory frameworks, and operational strategies to strengthen cybersecurity preparedness and digital crime prevention efforts.
Join virtually or attend in-person in Mendoza, Argentina, June 1-3, 2026!
Conference Address: Park Hyatt Mendoza, Chile 1124, 5500 Mendoza, Argentina
Hosted by the Government of Mendoza, CLICLEX, Boston University, and the Center for CIC
Learn more about the White Hat Conference at https://live.bu.edu/whitehat/
Learn more about Cybersecurity Programs at Boston University Metropolitan College at https://www.bu.edu/met/cyber/
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The Road Ahead for Electric Vehicles
Monday, June 1
4:30 PM-5:30 PM ET
Online
RSVP at https://web.cvent.com/event/6952c8b6-6a7e-470f-ac62-ea8e0972d677/register
The Salata Institute and the Harvard Alumni Association invite you for the latest installment of Harvard Voices on Climate Change, a virtual series featuring Harvard faculty and fellows on different dimensions of the climate challenge. Featuring Elaine Buckberg, Senior Fellow at the Salata Institute, and Christian Kaps, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, this discussion will explore what recent shifts in energy markets, charging deployment, user behaviors, and consumer adoption reveal about the future of electric vehicles. Drawing on research and practice, the conversation will examine lessons learned to date and the opportunities and challenges ahead for scaling electric mobility to support broader climate goals.
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Boston Climate & Green Infrastructure Social
Monday, June 1
6 PM - 8 PM
26 Court Street, Boston, MA
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boston-climate-green-infrastructure-social-tickets-1989332121928
Join us to hear findings from the Boston Community-Based Flood Resilience project, receive free resources, and food!
Join us to recap findings from the Boston Community-Based Flood Resilience project. Hear from team members and community partners to learn how the results of our Boston Flood Survey are being used. Get access to local resources, and explore the updated flood viewer tool. There will be free food, giveaways, and printmaking activities. We hope to see you there!
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Accelerating Nature-Based Solutions: Insights from Brazil, India & Indonesia
Tuesday, June 2
8:00 - 9:00am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/6/accelerating-nature-based-solutions-insights-brazil-india-indonesia
Across African cities and globally, nature-based solutions (NBS) and green-gray infrastructure (GGI) interventions are changing the landscape of climate resilience. When done right, these projects can protect people from climate shocks, enhance biodiversity, and improve socio-economic and health outcomes. WRI, under its Green-Gray Infrastructure Accelerator , is bringing a cross-sectoral approach to NBS integration and fostering peer learning exchanges across African cities. However, accelerating NBS and GGI in the Global South requires context-specific approaches, not one-size-fits-all models from the Global North.
In this webinar, WRI teams from Brazil, India and Indonesia will share lessons on designing and financing NBS and the strengths of south-south collaboration. From implementing 30 projects in Indian cities to structuring finance-ready urban initiatives in Brazil and replicating accelerator models in Indonesia, speakers will highlight what works—and why. Join us to explore how cities across the Global South are building more resilient, equitable futures through locally grounded, collaborative approaches to green-gray infrastructure.
This webinar is part of WRI Africa’s Green-Gray Infrastructure Accelerator Webinar Series, which draws on the experience of Cities4Forests, Urban Water Resilience, and partners from across the continent to illuminate best practices for planning, financing, implementing and institutionalizing natured-based solutions for urban climate resilience. Watch the recordings of our previous webinars on inclusive implementation of NBS here and here; and on policy integration here (English | French) and here.
Speakers:
Prateek Tiwari, Founder & CEO, Living Greens Organics Pvt. Ltd.
Harshil Suresh, WRI India
Lara Horn, WRI Brasil
Wardatut Toyyibah, Rujak Center for Urban Studies (RCUS)
Moderator: Hellen Wanjohi-Opil, WRI Africa (Moderator)
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Mobilizing Private Capital to Reduce Methane Emissions from Waste in Emerging Markets
Tuesday, June 2
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
Online
RSVP at https://rmi.org/event/webinar-mobilizing-private-capital-to-reduce-methane-emissions-from-waste-in-emerging-markets/
In this launch webinar for RMI’s new investor guidance, leading dealmakers will share learnings from real-world projects and explore key factors for structuring successful, scalable waste methane mitigation investments.
RMI experts Tom Frankiewicz and Shravan Bhat will share insights from 18 months of engagement with private financial institutions across Latin America and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Nigeria. The panelists will then outline proven solutions to de-risking private investment in mature waste methane technologies in emerging markets. Join us as we bridge the gap between project developers and private capital providers to unlock greater investment in this critical sector.
SPEAKERS
TOM FRANKIEWICZ, Principal, Climate-Aligned Industries
SHRAVAN BHAT, Manager, Climate-Aligned Finance
JIAO TANG, Chief Operating Officer, Catalytic Finance Foundation
CAROLINA URMENETA, Waste & Circular Economy Program Director, Global Methane Hub
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Superpollutants and the Path to Scalable Climate Solutions
Tuesday, June 2
1:00 PM (EST)
Online
RSVP at https://trellis.net/webinar/superpollutants-scalable-climate-solutions/
Superpollutants are among the most powerful drivers of near-term warming. They also represent a real opportunity for fast climate impact. On this panel, industry pros explore how leading organizations are incorporating superpollutants into their climate portfolios in ways that balance immediate results with long-term CO₂ reduction strategies. You will learn about high-quality, cost-effective mitigation solutions that are readily available and ready to scale.
If you can’t tune in live, register anyway and we’ll send you the recording. Trouble registering? Try switching your browser and double check that cookies are enabled. If you are still having issues, please contact support@trellis.net.
Speakers
Jodi Manning, CEO, Cool Effect
John Davies, President, Networks Trellis Group
Kirsten Love, Chief Marketing Officer, Tradewater
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Pressure Points: Engineering AI for the future of healthcare
Wednesday, June 3
1 – 1:50 p.m.
Online
RSVP at https://harvard.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_820bpbv8oVSf57o
SPEAKER(S) Aman Bhandari, Chief AI and Analytics Officer, SCAN Group
John Brownstein, Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, Boston Children’s Hospital
Heather Mattie, Lecturer on Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Trishan Panch, CEO of LUNRStudio and Executive Chair and Chief Strategy Officer at Lumin Health; Co-Director of ALA’s Responsible AI for Health Care,
AI has already changed how health care organizations collect and analyze data. Now, it’s changing how they build. From large language models to AI agents and low-code development tools, it’s possible to create workflows, build applications, and generate prototypes, raising questions about what health care leaders should build, buy, and scale. This Pressure Points virtual event will analyze the recent acceleration of AI capabilities beyond vibe coding and explore the emerging best practices and organizational challenges that come with implementing agentic AI tools.
Register for free to submit your questions.
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The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government
Wednesday, June 3
6:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.harvard.com/event/barbara-mcquade
Cost: $12.00 (admission only); $42.00 (book included)
Harvard Book Store welcomes Barbara McQuade—author of the national bestseller Attack from Within and the first woman to serve as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan—for a discussion of her new book, The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government. She will be joined in conversation by Carmen Ortiz—partner at Anderson Kreiger in Boston and the former U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts.
About The Fix
The New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Attorney offers a piercing exposé on the escalating threat of far-right politics—and a clear roadmap for saving our democracy.
In The Fix, McQuade draws on her decades of experience as a federal prosecutor to reveal how systems of organized crime and political opportunism exploit the levers of power—using corruption, cruelty, and chaos as tools to dominate institutions and eliminate accountability. With clarity, precision, and moral force, she exposes the tactics of today’s far-right MAGA system: information warfare, aggressive retribution, conformism enforced by fear, and pervasive dismantling of legal checks and balances necessary to defend the public interest and uphold justice.
Weaving together courtroom stories, real-time political analysis, and cautionary lessons from history and democratic backsliding abroad, McQuade makes the case that the threats we face are not future possibilities—they’re already here. Yet The Fix is not just a warning; it is a call to action. In the book’s final chapters, McQuade outlines common-sense reforms and strategies that can reclaim the rule of law and recenter democracy with the power of the people.
Accessible, eye-opening, and grounded in constitutional faith, The Fix is essential reading for everyone concerned about the future of America—and ready to work together to take a stand for it.
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House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing
Wednesday, June 3
7:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
Harvard Book Store welcomes Justin Baer—award-winning journalist and editor for The Wall Street Journal—for a discussion of his new book, House of Fidelity: The Rise of the Johnson Dynasty and the Company That Changed American Investing.
About House of Fidelity
The gripping, definitive account of the private family behind one of the most powerful financial institutions in the world.
When Edward C. Johnson 2d founded Fidelity in 1946, investing was a pursuit reserved for the elite. Today, more than $15 trillion flows through Fidelity’s customer accounts and investment funds—touching the lives of one in five American adults. Fidelity helped invent modern retail investing: democratizing access to mutual funds, introducing the 401(k), and upending the need for traditional brokers. But behind the scenes of this financial juggernaut is a family saga unlike any other.
In House of Fidelity, veteran journalist Justin Baer tells the definitive story of the Johnsons—a New England dynasty that fiercely guarded control of their company while reshaping Wall Street. From the founder’s bold leap into Boston’s insular investing circles, to the meteoric rise of Peter Lynch, to behind-closed-doors battles over succession and legacy, Baer reveals a company and a family locked in a delicate balance of innovation, influence, and internal power struggles.
House of Fidelity is a sweeping history of American investing—and the dynasty that came to define it.
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Shared Power, Shared Futures: Global Practices for Societal Resilience
Thursday, June 4
9:00 am – 10:30 am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://ash.harvard.edu/events/lessons-from-venezuela-electoral-resistance-to-popular-autocrats-2007-2013-2/
Humanity is entering an age of accelerating, overlapping crises: climate shocks, democratic erosion, conflict and violence, large-scale migration, public health emergencies, technological disruption and deepening social fragmentation. These pressures increasingly interact, reshaping governance, trust and institutional stability across societies worldwide. At the same time, institutions and communities across regions have developed concrete, often under-documented practices that have allowed them to recover, adapt and rebuild after rupture. Societal resilience, as the capacity of societies to adapt and recover in the face of disturbances and rupture, is actively built through these practices.
Documenting how such practices can and have been implemented through distributed forms of power (rather than authoritative measures) can help illuminate pathways toward more democratic, legitimate and sustainable futures. By doing so, we aim to explore both the potential and the limitations of concrete power-sharing practices to allow societies to adapt to changing conditions.
This webinar convenes scholars, practitioners, policymakers and innovators to explore what works when societies face breakdown, with a focus on identifying practices, ideas, and institutional arrangements—particularly power-sharing arrangements—that support long-term resilience. Rather than advancing a single solution or sectoral approach, the event is designed as a space for comparative learning across domains and contexts.About the Panelists
Danielle Allen (keynote and moderator), James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, Harvard University and author of “Justice by Means of Democracy”
Valeriya Ionan, advisor to the minister of defense of Ukraine and to the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and former deputy minister of digital transformation of Ukraine (2019–2025)
Adam Kahane, co-founder of Reos Partners and author of “Collaborating with the Enemy: How to Work with People You Don’t Agree with or Like or Trust”
Fathali Moghaddam, professor in the Department of Psychology at Georgetown University and author of “Threat to Democracy: The Appeal of Authoritarianism in an Age of Uncertainty”
Paulius Yamin, policy fellow at the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation, Harvard University, former scientific director of the Paris Institute for Advanced Study and former managing director of the University of Pennsylvania Center for Social Norms and Behavioral Dynamics
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Forest Transparency in Cameroon: Insights, Challenges and the Road Ahead
Thursday, June 4
9:00 - 10:30am EDT
Online
RSVP at https://hub.wri.org/events/2026/6/forest-transparency-cameroon-insights-challenges-and-road-ahead
Since 2021, the World Resources Institute, together with Centre pour l'Environnement et le Développement (CED) , Forêts et Développement Rural (FODER) and FLAG Cameroon, implemented a project supported by the European Union to strengthen transparency in forest operations and forest legality in Cameroon through independent forest monitoring.
This webinar will share key findings and lessons learned from the implementation of the project and reflect on developments in Cameroon’s forest sector. Discussions will focus on forest legality, timber supply chains, forestry tax collection mechanisms, sustainable forest management and the role of independent forest monitoring in strengthening transparency and accountability.
Whether you are working on forest governance, conservation, sustainable supply chains or environmental policy, this webinar will provide insights into ongoing challenges and future priorities for strengthening forest governance and transparency in Cameroon.
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Modelling Climate, Behaviour, and Health in Changing Urban Systems
Thursday, June 4
9 AM - 12 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/modelling-climate-behaviour-and-health-in-changing-urban-systems-tickets-1989206000696
Join us for an online webinar delving into the challenges and opportunities of modeling climate, behavior, and health in cities.
Climate change is reshaping the cities we live in. Intensifying heatwaves and flooding, together with mounting pressures on transport, housing, and energy systems, are producing consequences that ripple through everyday behaviour, environmental exposures, all affecting population health and health inequalities. Yet modelling of extreme climate events, transport and infrastructure resilience, and health outcomes remains largely absent from assessments of urban resilience and mitigation led by climate science and engineering.
This interactive workshop brings together experts in climate science, transport, environmental exposures, and health modelling to examine the threats a changing climate poses to infrastructure and communities, their effects on behaviour, exposures, and health, and how methods need to adapt to changing times. Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working at the intersection of climate, cities, and health are warmly invited to bring their own perspectives, share ongoing work, and help surface the open questions and challenges of incorporating climate impacts into quantitative health assessments of urban scenarios.
Featured speakers:
Prof Hayley Fowler (Newcastle University / UK Climate Change Committee)
Dr Ali Ford (Newcastle University)
Prof Cathryn Tonne (ISGlobal)
Dr Zahra Shahhoseini, Hazard Evacuation Specialist (NSW Reconstruction Authority)
Prof James Woodcock (Loughborough University )
Dr Ismail Saadi (University of Cambridge)
Dr Tabea Sonnenschein (University of Cambridge)
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Climate Disinformation: What We Can Do About It
Thursday, June 4
12 PM - 1:15 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/climate-disinformation-what-we-can-do-about-it-tickets-1986219275320
Learn how deliberately false information about climate change impacts climate action, our lives, and what you can do about it.
What do tobacco and fossil fuels have in common, and why does it matter now? How is climate change disinformation being used against Canadians, and what can you do to push back? What is Information Sovereignty and Information Integrity, and why does it matter?
Get the answers to these questions and more with Phil Newell, communications co-chair of the Climate Action Against Disinformation coalition, a network of over 120 organizations around the world, and learn about the new Global Initiative on Information Integrity on Climate Change.
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Asia Waste Methane Comparative Analysis Webinar
Friday, June 5
4 am - 5:30am EDT [16:00 – 17:30 (GMT+09:00, Seoul/Tokyo)]
Online
RSVP at https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20260605
Methane accounts for nearly one-third of global warming, with the waste sector contributing to 20% of the global anthropogenic methane emissions. Across Asia , rapid urbanisation is accelerating waste generation, leading to increased methane emissions from the waste sector. Because methane emissions from legacy waste last for decades, immediate intervention is essential to curb current emissions and secure both short-term and long-term mitigation benefits.
Against this backdrop, stronger regional understanding and coordinated collaboration are critical to accelerate effective action. As an initial step, experts from six Asian countries (China, Indonesia, India, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea) conducted a comparative analysis on national emission profiles, policy frameworks, and implementation barriers, identifying common gaps as well as cross-cutting themes and pathways for coordinated regional cooperation. This webinar marks the official launch of the Comparative Analysis report and provides a platform to discuss methods to advance waste sector methane emissions across diverse Asian contexts.
Objectives
This webinar aims to:
1. Present key insights and lessons learned from the Comparative Analysis Report.
2. Discuss scaling approach, financing mechanisms and collaboration opportunities to support waste methane mitigation in Asia.
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New Narratives for Action: Addressing Climate Misinformation and Disinformation
Friday, June 5
9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://climateadaptationforum.org/event/new-narratives-for-action-addressing-climate-misinformation-and-disinformation/
Cost: $0 -$45
This Forum will explore the social science behind misinformation about climate change in the United States. Speakers will address the underlying role of economic systems, social media, politics, and how we can move forward with new narratives.
Forum Schedule
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. – Registration & Networking
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Forum
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – Lunch (optional)
Forum Speakers
Kate Cell – presenting virtually, Senior Climate Campaign Manager, Union of Concerned Scientists
Luis Lopez, Manager, Strategy, Insights, and Analytics, Potential Energy Coalition
Daniel Stockemer, Ph.D. – presenting virtually, Full Professor, School of Political Studies, University of Ottawa
Christopher Wells, Professor, Emerging Media Studies, College of Communication & Climate Disinformation Initiative, Boston University
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Pro Tour: 124 Units of Passive, Affordable Housing, Built for Coastal Flood Resilience
Friday, June 5
1 PM - 5 PM
Salem, MA
RSVP at https://nesea.org/be-event/pro-tour-124-units-passive-affordable-housing-built-coastal-flood-resilience
Cost: $35 - $45 Non-Members
On June 5, NESEA will bring attendees behind-the-scenes for a Pro Tour of Beacon Communities' new, 124 unit affordable passive housing development in Salem, MA. This project has been built for Passive House certification, and includes flood-resistant features to help protect occupants from coastal climate events. In addition to the housing, the development includes amenity spaces and a newly created publicly accessible coastal open space.
Our event will begin with an opening workshop where the project team, led by developer/owner and hosting company Beacon Communities, architect ICON Architecture and GC Callahan Construction Managers, will discuss the big picture aspects of this all-electric project, including low-embodied carbon materials, envelope, systems, and the solar panels that reduce operational energy significantly. Attendees will then break into small groups to tour the building while hearing more from the interdisciplinary team of experts who made it possible. After the tour, we’ll regroup for a reception and Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to chat with the day’s speakers and each other. We hope to see you there!
More About the Project
Flood resilience: All living units and essential utilities will be above the 100-year floodplain. Complementing the resilient and sustainable building design are landscaping features that enhance the natural landscape, ecological health of the neighborhood, and help mitigate and address localized flooding events.
About the envelope: R-40 average continuous insulation roof, R-30 walls including R-9 ci, R-10 slab on grade, R-30 podium, Windows triple glazed 0.19.
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To See Beyond
Monday, June 8
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
Harvard Book Store welcomes Anna Badkhen—author of eight books of nonfiction, including Bright Unbearable Reality, longlisted for the National Book Award—for a discussion of her new essay collection, To See Beyond. She will be joined in conversation by Teju Cole—novelist, essayist, photographer, and the Gore Vidal Professor of the Practice of
A globe-spanning essay collection on the human condition from the author James McBride calls “one of the most creative and important nonfiction writers in our era”.
Our hyper-informed digital era of climate catastrophe, historically unmatched migration, and genocide confronts us with a terrible conundrum: the pain and struggles of others are more visible than ever, yet hostility and loneliness persist. It often seems that we are on the edge of ruin, and hope, though necessary, is elusive. How can we reconcile ourselves to the world we have made?
In To See Beyond, Anna Badkhen probes the ways we ward off despair as she imagines the language we need for survival. Through engagement with contemporary literature and stories of everyday encounters with people around the world, she brings us closer to understanding how we balance delight and grief, joy and hurt, and choose to embrace life as a form of resistance.
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Thinking Like Water : Film Club & Live Conversation Series
Tuesday, June 9 – July 14
RSVP at https://bio4climate.org/events/film-screenings/thinking-like-water-summer-2026/
Cost: $50 -$175
A five-part documentary and series of live conversations with the filmmaker, expert guest speakers and Bio4Climate facilitator.
The Thinking Like Water docuseries reframes the climate conversation by putting water back at the center of climate action, ecological repair and community life. Follow ecological restoration pioneer Bill Zeedyk and collaborators as they assess landscapes, observe how water flows on the land, and then implement simple yet innovative strategies to “slow the flow.” This contributes to rehydrating the land, restoring dry river beds and degraded watersheds, and reviving habitats, while significantly reducing the incidence of drought, flooding, wildfires and extreme heat on the land and in the bioregion.
Hosted by Bio4Climate facilitator Dr. Katie Ross, the second iteration of this interactive online series pairs each episode of this film with a live conversation featuring filmmaker Renea Roberts (see her work at Thinking Like Water), special guest speakers, and resident permaculture mentor Calin Radulescu. As a special bonus for this course, Calin has been brought in as a water and permaculture mentor for course participants so that you can translate inspiration and what you learn into practical action that’s customized to your local landscape.
What You’ll Learn in This Series:
Simple, effective land and water restoration methods you can apply locally
What “working with water” looks like in real-world restoration
How healthy watersheds help prevent flooding, drought, wildfires and extreme heat
Useful insights from the facilitator, filmmaker, permaculture mentor and restoration leaders
How local watersheds connect to larger water systems
Practical next steps for becoming a water steward
There will also be opportunities to have more in-depth offline conversations about specific case studies including your local landscape.
TWO WAYS TO PARTICIPATE:
Option 1 (Recommended)
Watch each episode on your own prior to Tuesday, then join the live discussion.
You’ll receive a private viewing link for each episode during the week prior to the conversation, along with the Zoom link for the live discussion.
Option 2
Attend the online film screening on Zoom, followed by the live discussion
If you’re unable to watch ahead of time, plan to join the Zoom screening at 6:00 PM ET, followed by the live discussion at 7:30 PM ET.
Reserve Your Spot Now!
Schedule
June 9 – July 14, 2026
Weekly on Tuesdays
6:00 PM ET — Optional live group screening of the film on Zoom
7:30 PM ET — Live discussion with the host, filmmaker, special guest speakers and permaculture mentor
Note: We encourage you to watch the film on your own before the live discussions at 7:30 pm since film playback quality on Zoom may vary based on Wi-Fi connection and group size.
Special Guest Speakers
Jeffrey Boland-Prom – June 16
Cameron Weber – June 23
Brad Lancaster – June 30
Bill Zeedyk – July 7
Shantini Ramakrishnan – July 7
Episodes
June 9 — Episode 1: “Willing to Try Things”
June 16 — Episode 2: “All about A Bird: 1,000 Acts of Restoration”
June 23 — Episode 3: “Fire and Flood”
June 30 — Episode 4: “Country Roads, City Roads”
July 7 — Episode 5: “Watershed Wide: Putting it All Together”
July 14 — Wrap Up: Applying What You’ve Learned to Your Local Landscape
Pricing
We offer a sliding scale and partial or full scholarships to ensure that everyone has access to this program.
Early Bird – $125 – ends May 31
Bring a Friend – $100/person
Seniors (65+) – $99
Partial Scholarship – $75
Artisans, Students – $50
Full Price – $175 – starts June 1
We recognize that opportunities and resources are not equally distributed across the world and people are able to contribute at different levels or in different ways.
For full scholarships or non-monetary contributions, please email us at films@bio4climate.orgwith the details of your request.
Group rates are also available. Please email us at films@bio4climate.org to share details about your group and your request.
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Climate Risks and Biodiversity for European Resilience and a Nature-Positive Economy
Tuesday, June 9
10:30 am – 12:00 pm CEST
Online
RSVP at https://iiasa.ac.at/events/jun-2026/eu-green-week-2026-climate-risks-and-biodiversity-for-european-resilience-and
During EU Green Week 2026, on 9 June, experts and stakeholders from three flagship Horizon Europe projects – SPARCCLE, CROSSEU, and ACCREU – will discuss the critical intersection of a nature-positive economy and climate risks. With Europe advancing the implementation of the EU Green Deal, EU Climate Law, and Mission Adaptation, it is increasingly clear that the transition to a sustainable future requires a holistic understanding of how biodiversity loss compounds socioeconomic and financial vulnerabilities. This webinar aims to bridge the gap between advanced climate risk assessment and actionable economic policy.
Key Objectives:
Quantify the economic burden of biodiversity loss and its interaction with extreme climate hazards.
Demonstrate synergies between nature-positive strategies and climate mitigation/adaptation efforts.
Inform decision-making for EU and national authorities by presenting high-resolution, policy-relevant data products.
Target Audience: This session is designed for EU and national policymakers (including DG CLIMA and the JRC), representatives from the finance and insurance sectors (e.g., NGFS), scientific researchers, and civil society actors engaged in climate and nature advocacy.Agenda
Moderator: Edward Byers (IIASA, SPARCCLE Project Coordinator)
Welcome and Introduction
10:30 – 10:40 | SPARCCLE, CROSSEU, ACCREU
Keynote Presentation
10:40 – 10:55
Andrej Ceglar of the European Central Bank (ECB) will discuss the systemic implications of biodiversity for climate transitions and financial stability.
Project Talks
10:55 – 11:40
Zoi Vrontisi (E3Modelling, SPARCCLE project) will present new insights into how biodiversity risks manifest within the broader economy, drawing on results from leading macroeconomic CGE models such as GEM-E3.
Kirsten Halsnæs (Danish Technical University, CROSSEU project) presenting on measuring socioeconomic impacts of climate hazards in European hotspots for Drought, Heat, Storms, Floods and sectoral spillovers.Gemma Gerber (IIASA, ACCREU project) presenting on “Shifting Supply, Moving Demand: An Ecosystem Service Evaluation of Pollination in Europe’s Field Crops”.
Moderated Panel Discussion and Q&A
11:40 – 12:00
The session will conclude with a panel discussion, inviting a dialogue between scientists, policymakers, and practitioners on the characteristics of societal transformations required for a nature-positive and climate resilient transition.
About the projects: SPARCCLE, CROSSEU, and ACCREU are Horizon Europe funded research projects dedicated to understanding the socioeconomic risks of climate change in Europe. Running between 2023 and 2027, they are developing novel insights on climate risk and adaptation in Europe.
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Conference: Geo-Solutions for the Energy Transition
Wednesday, June 10 - 11
MIT, Building 55-110 (the tallest building on campus), Cambridge, MA
The path to a net-zero future runs directly through the earth beneath our feet.
As the global energy landscape shifts, subsurface innovation is becoming the backbone of decarbonization. MIT’s Earth Resources Laboratory is hosting a two-day conference to take a deep dive into the technical and economic scaling of:
Advanced geothermal systems (EGS)
Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS)
GeoH2
Critical minerals
Wild card factors
This summit will bring together geoscientists, engineers, policy-makers, and industry leaders to bridge the gap between traditional geoscience and the renewable frontier. We especially encourage students and postdocs to attend and present on their work. The conference will be a mix of oral and poster presentations.
Advanced registration is required. Free to attend, but space is limited — contact erl-info@mit.edu to request the registration link.
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Beyond “buy local”: Rethinking food systems for climate and community
Wednesday, June 10
5:00pm–7:00pm ET
149 Woods Hole Rosd, Falmouth, MA
And online
RSVP at https://www.woodwellclimate.org/?event=woodwell-climate-conversations-june-2
Join us for this month’s Woodwell Climate Conversations to explore how regional and local agriculture can maximize climate benefits while minimizing environmental impacts. From soil health to supply chains, we’ll discuss how regenerative practices can deliver better outcomes for farmers, ecosystems, and communities, and how diet, policy, and markets shape the climate footprint of what we eat.
Andrew Woodruff has been farming on Martha’s Vineyard for 44 years. He is the owner of Whippoorwill Farm in West Tisbury and has served as Island Grown Initiative’s Regenerative Farming Consultant for the past four years. Andrew is passionate about the power and potential of regenerative farming, and has seen firsthand how soil health-focused practices impact farms, farmers, and the food they grow.
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The Good Anthropocene: High-Tech meets No-Tech
Thursday, June 11
8:30am ET [14:30 CET]
Online
RSVP at https://iiasa.ac.at/events/jun-2026/forum-anthropozan-2026-iiasa-director-general-to-deliver-keynote-on-good
As part of the opening program, IIASA Director General Hans Joachim (John) Schellnhuber will deliver a keynote lecture titled “The Good Anthropocene: High-Tech meets No-Tech” on Thursday, 11 June 2026 at 14:30, during which he will present new perspectives on how a “Good Anthropocene” could be achieved by combining technological innovation with nature’s evolutionary solutions.
The keynote will be followed by the ZEIT-GESPRÄCH, a high-level public discussion marking the highlight and concluding event of the Anthropocene 2026 lecture series. Moderated by Fritz Habekuß of German newspaper, DIE ZEIT, the panel will feature representatives from science, government, conservation, spatial planning, and business, including Jürgen Schneider (Austria’s Federal Ministry for Climate Action), Barbara Pucker (Director of Hohe Tauern National Park Carinthia), Liliana Dagostin (expert in nature conservation and spatial planning), Ruedi Haller (Director of the Swiss National Park), and entrepreneur Reinhard Schneider (owner of Werner & Mertz).
Join online
The ZEIT-GESPRÄCH will be streamed live in both German and English via Zoom, allowing participants from around the world to join the discussion remotely.
Participation is free of charge and open to all interested audiences. Registration is available through the Forum Anthropozän lecture series website:Registered participants will receive a personalized Zoom link by email prior to the event.
Additional highlights of the forum include panel discussions on smart cities and regions, biodiversity networks, and the geopolitical role of national parks; interdisciplinary workshops and innovation sessions; artistic evening programs; and dedicated activities for children and youth.
The FORUM ANTHROPOZÄN has established itself as an important platform for dialogue between science, policy, civil society, and local communities on shaping sustainable futures in the Anthropocene.
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Facts vs. Fiction: The Fight for Science in American Democracy
Thursday, June 11
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/facts-vs-fiction-the-fight-for-science-in-american-democracy-tickets-1984930177594
Dive into the battle between truth and myths shaping science and democracy in America today.
In our first event, we examined the cost of anti-science misinformation chaos, from healthcare to policy decisions that raise premiums and weaken public health. But what actually changes when scientists, doctors, engineers, and experts help shape the laws
Across the country, policymakers with technical and scientific backgrounds have advanced legislation that has lowered drug costs, protected infrastructure, expanded healthcare access, and strengthened disaster preparedness. These are not abstract; they are measurable outcomes that improve lives.
Join COURIER and 3.14 Action for a conversation on what’s at stake, what works, and how evidence-based leadership is delivering real results.
What We’ll Cover
Science-informed leadership shaping policy on agriculture, EPA rollbacks, NCAR, and climate risk
The impact of misinformation on healthcare costs and access
Legislative efforts that have lowered out-of-pocket costs and protected the ACA
How vaccine misinformation is shaping public health
Why scientific integrity is essential to democracy
Speakers
Senator John Hickenlooper, U.S. Senator (D-CO)
Dr. Annie Andrews, Candidate for U.S. Senate (SC-SEN), Pediatrician
Representative Emily Gregory, Member of the Florida House of Representatives (HD-87)
Dr. Paul A. Offit, Director, Vaccine Education Center, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Vin Gupta, Physician + Medical Analyst
Shaughnessy Naughton, 314 Action President
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A Pox on Fools
Thursday, June 11
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Cambridge Public Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/thomas-levenson-at-the-cambridge-public-library-tickets-1988203851240
Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Thomas Levenson—professor of science writing at MIT and author of several books, including So Very Small and Einstein in Berlin—for a discussion of his new book, A Pox on Fools: The True Believers, Grifters, and Cynics Who Convinced Us to Reject Vaccines.
About A Pox on Fools
An urgent and profound history of vaccine skepticism, seeking to understand how our three most common fears about vaccines hardened into a lethal ideology—from a leading science writer.
Since the advent of smallpox inoculation in the eighteenth century, the idea that a disease introduced to the body in some lesser, weakened form might prevent full-blown infection has been one of the greatest public health insights of the modern era, inspiring the invention of numerous vaccines and saving countless human lives. But, just as humanity acquired the god-like power to stop infectious disease in its tracks, some feared we had gone too far, leading to the skepticism that has hijacked public health discourse today.
In three sweeping essays written for our current moment of scientific mistrust, Thomas Levenson searches for the origins of the most common arguments against vaccines: that they are unnatural; that they are more dangerous than the illnesses they claim to prevent; and that they are an affront to freedom. Each arose from the earliest development of particular vaccines and the campaigns to distribute them. Even as the pattern repeats, Levenson reveals how innocent that skepticism initially was and, in each case, how very human fears and questions ultimately turned into something darker, where no truth would be enough to overcome the doubt.
Searing but ultimately empathetic, A Pox on Fools explores the human impulse to question and wonder—sometimes past the point at which the very act of questioning turns deadly.
Bio
Thomas Levenson is a professor of science writing at MIT. He is the author of several books, including So Very Small, Money for Nothing, The Hunt for Vulcan, Einstein in Berlin, and Newton and the Counterfeiter: The Unknown Detective Career of the World's Greatest Scientist. He has also made ten feature-length documentaries (including a two-hour Nova program on Einstein) for which he has won numerous awards.
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Supply and Demand: Scaling Solutions for Affordability and Clean Energy in New England
Friday, June 12
9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Foley Hoag LLP, 155 Seaport Blvd, 17th Floor Boston, MA 02210
And online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/6-12-26-new-england-energy-roundtable-tickets-1987182215500?aff=oddtdtcreator
Cost: $0 - 110
Panel I: Building the Energy Future: What Will It Take to Bring Affordable, Reliable, and Clean Energy to New England?
New England has rising energy demand, ambitious clean energy goals and some of the highest electricity prices in the country. By every logic, the market should be signaling "build here." Generators are deploying billions across the country, yet very little new energy capacity is in the ISO-NE queue. Meanwhile, recent federal actions, including executive orders relating to offshore wind, have put pressure on state resources at the worst possible moment.
This panel brings together a utility operating at the center of the region's resource pressures, a merchant generator with capital deployed across the country, a clean energy developer actively building in New England, and a state official trying to affordably open access to new resources.
Speakers will examine why New England is failing to attract investment in new energy infrastructure across both clean and conventional resources, and if current markets, policy signals, and government actions are effectively bringing new projects to the region. Discussion will also include issues such as the role of natural gas, legislatively driven resource planning, and siting and permitting. The panel will explore the practical realities of getting projects built, as well as broader strategic questions about whether an "all-of-the-above" approach will deliver a reliable, affordable, and clean system.
Speakers:
Greg Cornett — CEO, Rhode Island Energy
Mason Emnett — Senior VP of Public Policy, Constellation
Liz Delaney — VP, Market and Commercial Strategy, New Leaf Energy
Philip Bartlett II — Chair, Maine Public Utilities Commission
Moderator: Matt Nelson, Apex Analytics
Panel II: Flexibility for Affordability: How Can Demand-Side Solutions Lower Costs in New England?
As New England is facing rising energy costs, winter reliability risks, and accelerating electrification— demand flexibility is increasingly positioned as a critical lever for affordability, system performance, and a cleaner energy system. But how much of that promise is real—and how much remains out of reach?
This panel will explore the role that time-varying rates, demand flexibility, and virtual power plants (VPPs) can play in lowering costs and improving reliability across the region. It will kick off with discussion from the policy front lines, exploring how new time-of-use rate proposals are being shaped by key goals—affordability, decarbonization, and equity. Speakers will also examine rate design more broadly, drawing on national experience and considering additional opportunities for New England. From the system and market integration side, we’ll hear a perspective focused on the role of VPPs and distributed resources in delivering real grid value. What are the barriers to greater deployment and how do retail load flexibility programs and ISO-NE processes need to evolve to ensure that the region is planning and optimizing for load flexibility?
This panel will explore core questions facing New England: how much savings demand flexibility can realistically deliver and who benefits; which regulatory, market, technological, and behavioral barriers are most limiting progress; and what changes in policy, market design, and program structures are needed to move from limited deployment to system-wide impact.
Speakers:
Elizabeth Mahony — Commissioner, MA Department of Energy Resources
Mark LeBel — Principal, U.S. Research & Strategy, RAP
Dana Guernsey — CEO & Co-founder, Voltus
Greg Geller — CEO & Founder, Stack Energy Consulting
Moderator: Lauren Gage, Apex Analytics
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A Voice Like Mine: Deb Haaland
Saturday, June 13
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
Harvard Book Store welcomes Deb Haaland—New Mexico 2026 gubernatorial frontrunner, organizer, congresswoman, and former cabinet secretary—for a discussion of her new memoir, A Voice Like Mine. She will be joined in conversation by Saeed Jones—prize-winning author and Lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
About A Voice Like Mine
New Mexico 2026 gubernatorial frontrunner, organizer, congresswoman, and former cabinet secretary Deb Haaland shares her story, offering a powerful and personal look at what it means to be “the first.”
Nothing about Deb Haaland’s upbringing or family history set her up for a life of firsts: the first Native American woman elected to chair a state political party in the United States; one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress; the first Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet. Yet Haaland has embraced every opportunity, knowing that each step forward lifts up those who are too often left out of the conversation.
A 35th-generation New Mexican and member of the Pueblo of Laguna, Haaland has lived a remarkable life shaped by poverty, alcoholism, and single parenthood. After a late but meteoric rise in politics, she stepped down from her cabinet position as Secretary of the Interior in January 2025 and is now running for Governor of New Mexico in the 2026 election.
In A Voice Like Mine—titled after Haaland’s congressional campaign slogan, “Congress has never heard a voice like mine”—she shares the personal history that shaped her courage to organize, run for office, and lead. She tells the stories that have defined her life in politics and beyond, from her grandfather’s cornfield, where she learned the importance of hard work and care for the earth, to the oak-paneled halls of Washington, D.C. Throughout her journey, Haaland has drawn on her heritage in her activism and service, leading with humility, purpose, and a commitment to “leave the ladder down” for those who follow.
Bios
Deb Haaland, a 35th-generation New Mexican who organized for President Obama, led the New Mexico State Democratic Party to victory and made an unprecedented run and win as one of the first Native women to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. She also made history as the first Native American appointed to a U.S. President's cabinet. Drawing on her experience as a military kid, a single mom, and a Pueblo woman, Deb has championed working families, fought to give underserved communities a voice, and taken action to address the climate crisis. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo Credit: Karina Bolaños
Saeed Jones is the author of the memoir How We Fight For Our Lives (Simon & Schuster), winner of the 2019 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction and the poetry collection Prelude to Bruise (Coffee House Books), winner for the 2015 PEN/Joyce Osterweil Award for Poetry. His poetry and essays have appeared in the New Yorker, New York Times, Oxford American and GQ among other publications. His most recent book Alive at the End of the World(Coffee House Press) won the 2023 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Poetry. Jones teaches at the Media, Health and Medicine program at Harvard Medical School and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His next book Home Out There, a memoir, is forthcoming from Washington Square Press. He co-hosts the podcast Vibe Check with Zach Stafford.
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Food Forests: Working with Nature to Grow Fresh Food
Sunday, June 14
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Eastern)
Online
RSVP at https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001mHfQtIAK&mapLinkHref=
Learn how a grassroots organization in Pennsylvania preserves and expands food forests as sources of fresh, healthy food. Restore Our Roots is a Downingtown, PA-based volunteer group that, since its founding in 2019, has planted nearly 1,000 native plants in community spaces, served as an advisory resource for both residential and municipal projects, and continues to advocate for a deeper understanding of the connection between people and their native landscapes. Restore Our Roots also works to preserve the John Hershey Food Forest, a historic entity started in the 1920s. They also help people establish their own food forests.
Zak Hawk is 4th-generation Chester County resident and Audiovisual Engineer. A founding Restore Our Roots member and a historical map enthusiast, Zak and his wife Carrie are actively re-wilding a 2.8-acre homestead-to-be in historic Unionville. He will describe the concept of a food forest, including the historic John Hershey Food Forest.
Michael Rolli is an avid plantsman who works as an estate gardener and lavender farmer at Warwick Furnace Farms in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Mike and his wife Krista steward a 2.5-acre food forest-style homestead with a huge diversity of plants, and they host a few classes related to permaculture and herbalism each year. Michael will discuss starting a food forest in your community or your backyard.
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Courage Can Save Us
Monday, June 15
6:00pm - 7:00pm
Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rye-barcott-at-the-brattle-theatre-tickets-1988337323459
Cost: $13.59
Harvard Book Store welcomes Rye Barcott—Marine Corps veteran, author of It Happened on the Way to War, and co-founder and CEO of With Honor—for a discussion of his new book, Courage Can Save Us: Ten Extraordinary Americans and the Fight for Our Future. He will be joined in conversation by Congressman Seth Moulton—Marine Corps veteran and the U.S. representative for Massachusetts's 6th congressional district.
About Courage Can Save Us
From a U.S. Marine and co-founder of With Honor, and written ahead of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, comes the story of principled veterans who work across party lines to shape our nation and inspire us to serve with courage in our own lives.
* Mikie Sherrill * Todd Young *Mark Kelly * Brian Fitzpatrick * Wes Moore * Dan Crenshaw * Seth Moulton * John James * Don Bacon * Jared Golden *
When most Americans think of acts of courage, elected office is rarely the first place they look. And while more Americans than ever reject party labels, the political arena remains dominated by the loudest voices at each extreme. This moment demands leaders willing to govern across party lines, resist the incentives of modern politics, and choose courage over outrage.
One group is uniquely suited to meet that challenge: America’s veterans. Courage Can Save US follows nine veterans and a former FBI agent—five Democrats and five Republicans—who have carried the ethic of service from the battlefield into public life. Ambitious and altruistic, forthright and flawed, they confront the moral and personal costs of leadership in an unsettled age: public attacks, private doubt, and the risk of losing everything they have worked for in service of the common good.
More than a collection of political profiles, Courage Can Save USis a portrait of a bipartisan generation of post-9/11 leaders striving to rise above polarization and a culture of contempt. It is an examination of courage in its many forms—and a challenge to all of us to consider how courage can strengthen our democracy, and our own lives.
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America, U.S.A
Monday, June 15
6:30pm
WBUR CitySpace, 890 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
RSVP at https://www.wbur.org/events/1084402/america-usa-eddie-glaude-jr
Cost: $10 -$30
Here & Now co-host Scott Tong moderates a conversation with educator, author and political commentator Eddie Glaude, Jr., about his new book, America, U.S.A.: How Race Overshadows the Nation's Anniversaries. The book examines how racial injustices overshadow all of the nation’s milestones and the whitewashing that occurs repeatedly to bury these truths. Using lessons and accounts from W.E.B. DuBois, John Dos Passos, Herman Melville, Martin Luther King, Jr. and more, Glaude presents examples of our tangled, complicated past and ever more tenuous future.
The New York Times bestselling author of Begin Again confronts America’s unfinished story in this blistering reassessment of race, freedom and the myths that bind us.
Celebrated public intellectual Eddie S. Glaude, Jr. presents a groundbreaking analysis of the vicious cycles of American history and the country’s enduring refusal to face its true nature — especially at the moments when national anniversaries steer us back toward the mythology meant to disguise the truth.
America, U.S.A., deliberately formulated and beautifully written, details a heart-wrenching exploration of America’s legacy. It is a magnificently complex combination of lessons and voices — from W.E.B. DuBois and John Dos Passos to Herman Melville and Martin Luther King, Jr. — that, together, paint a sprawling and honest tableau of the United States, its complicated past and ever more tenuous future. Glaude’s is a powerful voice of conscience in our tumultuous world. He pulls no punches, calling on us to interrogate our conceptions of innocence and freedom and the stories we tell ourselves about our past and present.
Centered around the major celebrations of America’s milestone birthdays across 250 years of history, the book offers a riveting look at the battles over who has a stake in writing the American story. Devastatingly candid, profoundly moving, and deeply reflective, America, U.S.A. is a shining meditation on how we must reckon with a grim past in order to strive for the better angels of our future.
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Online One Day Introduction to Passivhaus
Monday, June 15-Tuesday, June 16
7 PM-3 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/online-one-day-introduction-to-passivhaus-cpd-available-tickets-1989632937676
A Practical Introduction to the World’s Leading Building Standard. Join now for CPD points available for architects, builders and engineers.
CPD Points Available:
Architects — Informal 6 | Formal 7
Builders & Engineers — 6
The One Day Introduction to Passivhaus Training was developed for newcomers to Passivhaus—whether developers, suppliers, trades, architects, engineers, or contractors, who want to learn foundational knowledge about the Passivhaus building standard.
In this course, we’ll cover:
A deep dive into the 5 major principles of Passivhaus, and how we can successfully integrate them into our buildings.
The myriad of benefits that come along with it and the reason why they are so important in today’s climate.
Passivhaus’ suitability for Australia’s varied climate, where Passivhaus currently sits compared to code and how it works alongside other commonly used rating tools.
An in-depth discussion of design processes, construction methods, material choices, product options and more to help guide your buildings towards better outcomes.
Key considerations to be made throughout each stage of a project to help guide your projects towards a truly high-performance outcome.
This knowledge prepares you to complete further Passivhaus education and sets you up to leverage learnings for better building outcomes—namely, energy-efficient, healthy, resilient and more sustainable buildings.
Attendees of this course will be able to:
Clearly articulate what the Passivhaus Standard is, how it works and the benefits
Work with Certified Passivhaus Professionals on a Passivhaus Standard Project
Understand the fundamentals of high-performance buildings and principles
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The Brain and Climate Change: The Next 100 Years
Tuesday, June 16
7 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-brain-and-climate-change-the-next-100-years-tickets-1989935956012
Dive into an illuminating discussion about the relationship between brain and climate with Harvard's Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime.
Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime is a senior pediatric neurosurgeon at the Massachusetts General Hospital and is the Nicholas T. Zervas Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School. Her neuroscience research investigates mechanisms, pathophysiology, imaging, and treatment of injury in the immature brain, using translational and clinical approaches to study injuries occurring in infants and young children, including those seen most commonly in child abuse. The work also investigates plasticity, recovery, and return of brain function in children and adolescents during maturation.
Dr. Duhaime also has a longstanding interest in the relationship between brain and behavior, and in environmental issues. She is a Faculty Associate of the Harvard University Center for the Environment. Beginning with a fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute in 2016 she has explored the neurobiology of reward circuitry and plasticity and its relevance to pro-environmental behavior, and also worked with a diverse team to design a prototype advanced “green” biophilic pediatric hospital. Her book on this work, Minding the Climate (Harvard University Press), was awarded the Sustainability Book of the Year in 2023 by Project Syndicate. She now serves as Associate Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for the Environment and Health, supervising the Research pillar, serves as Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Climate Change and Health, and through the Harvard Global Health Institute is pursuing interdisciplinary collaboration on the intersection of climate change, war, and health.
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Civic climate education: preparing places for a greener future
Wednesday, June 17
5 AM - 6:30 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/civic-climate-education-preparing-places-for-a-greener-future-tickets-1987989431906
How can we equip people of all ages to shape a greener future, and what role should universities and anchor institutions play locally?
This webinar will explore how climate education can best be delivered in the age of civic universities. It will feature three inspiring speakers, sharing directly from their experience working with different age groups. We will be sharing a new report on Civic Climate Education, and holding space for reflection and peer learning.
Andrew Reeves, De Montford University, will speak to the challenges of equipping university students with critical thinking and preparing them for action within the confines of a university ecosystem.
Simeon Shtebunaev, Social Life, will share about his experience engaging young people in Balsall in the development of a game on retrofit titled Climania.
Lee Jowett, Sheffield Hallam University, will talk about his collaborative initiative Think Climate! Project in a Box, which distributed boxes of learning materials to over 70 primary schools across South Yorkshire.
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Making Stuff is Baking the Planet
Wednesday, June 17
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
2910 Broadway, New York, NY 10025 Conference Room A
And online
RSVP at https://www.climate.columbia.edu/events/columbia-climate-school-research-seminar-series-rebecca-dell
Abstract: Making and processing the physical stuff around us—that is, mining, manufacturing, construction, and waste processing—generates between a quarter and a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. In spite of this, it remains one of the most under-studied and under-discussed drivers of climate change. This presentation will provide an overview of the emissions sources in the industrial sector and their variation in space and time, with a focus on the largest sources: commodity production of steel, cement, fertilizer, and plastics. These materials are the ingredients we make everything else out of, and we produce billions of tons of them every year. I will give a deep dive on recent research mapping the emissions of the most complicated of the commodity sectors—chemicals—and finish by laying out the current state of climate action in the industrial sector and the opportunities going forward.
Bio: Rebecca Dell is a visiting scholar at Columbia Business School and a Senior Fellow at its Climate Knowledge Initiative, where she researches and writes about climate transitions in heavy industry. For the last seven years, she led the industry sector program at ClimateWorks Foundation, a grantmaker based in San Francisco, CA. Prior to that she served in the Obama administration at the U.S. Department of Energy, where she led implementation of the President's Climate Action Plan. She has a PhD in climate science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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The ins and outs of carbon in the air
Wednesday, June 17
12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT [17.30 - 18.30 BST]
Grantham Institute, Lecture Theatre 1, Blackett Building, South Kensington Campus
And online
RSVP at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/208011/the-ins-and-outs-of-carbon-in-the-air/
Join Professor Heather Graven, Professor of Climate Physics, to discover how carbon moves through our atmosphere and uncover the impact of the gases shaping our climate.
Abstract
The buildup of carbon dioxide and methane in Earth’s atmosphere is driving global climate change, but what exactly are the sources of carbon dioxide and methane going into the air? How are natural processes removing carbon dioxide and methane out of the air? Do estimates of emissions based on economic data for fossil fuel burning, agriculture and other processes match the changes observed in the air?
Biography
Heather Graven is a Professor of Climate Physics at Imperial College London whose research investigates emissions and removals of carbon dioxide and methane. In her inaugural lecture she will discuss how atmospheric measurements of carbon dioxide and methane concentrations and their isotopic composition can be used to evaluate emissions and removals on urban to global scales.
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The Problem with Plastic
Wednesday, June 17
7 PM
Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/judith-enck-with-david-abel-the-problem-with-plastic-tickets-1986015432621
Join us at Brookline Booksmith to celebrate the release of The Problem with Plastic with author Judith Enck, in conversation with David Abel.
"Plastic pollution has reached crisis proportions, and false solutions abound. But as The Problem with Plastic shows, there are real solutions out there. And, fortunately, there are people like Judith Enck working to enact them." --Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction
A powerful look at plastic's impact on human health and the environment, and how we can fight back by putting people and the planet over plastics
Plastic is everywhere--wrapped around our food, stitched into our clothes, even coursing through our veins. Once a marvel of modern science, plastic has become so inextricably woven into our lives that imagining a world without it can seem impossible. Over the last seventy-five years, plastic has cradled our planet in a synthetic embrace.
The Problem with Plastic critically examines the paradox of this material, first celebrated for its innovations and now recognized for its devastating environmental and public health impacts. With clarity and urgency, the book reveals how plastic pollution contributes to poisoned oceans, polluted air, a warming planet, and overwhelming waste, disproportionately impacting marginalized communities who bear the brunt of petrochemical pollution.
Revealing the alarming extent of microplastics infiltrating both the natural world and the human body, this compelling narrative challenges the illusion that recycling alone will save us. It unpacks the mechanisms of environmental racism and the deceptive greenwashing strategies used by the plastics industry to maintain the status quo.
More than a critique, The Problem with Plastic emphasizes the urgent need for action against plastic's toxic legacy. It highlights powerful stories of frontline resistance in places like Louisiana, Texas, and Appalachia, and equips readers with practical tools--including a "Household Waste Audit" to track and reduce plastic consumption, as well as model policy guides for driving legislative change.
Urgent, eye-opening, and ultimately empowering, The Problem with Plastic reminds us: plastic is a problem--but together, we can be the solution.
Judith Enck: A dynamic community leader who has spent her expansive career working to protect public health and the environment, Judith began as an environmental advocate and has held top influential positions in state and federal government. Appointed by President Obama, Judith served as the regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency overseeing environmental protection in New York, New Jersey, eight Indian Nations, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Judith is a professor at Bennington College, where she teaches classes on plastic pollution and was a Visiting Scholar at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.
David Abel is an award-winning reporter and documentary filmmaker. He's also a professor of journalism at Boston University. He spent 25 years as a reporter at The Boston Globe, where he was part of the team that won a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. Abel has spent more than a decade covering climate change and other environmental issues. His work has won an Edward R. Murrow Award, the Ernie Pyle Award from the Scripps Howard Foundation, and the Sigma Delta Chi Award for Feature Reporting. His films include the Emmy-nominated “Entangled,” which was broadcast on PBS, and other award-winning feature films, such as "In the Whale," “Inundation District,” “Lobster War,” and “Sacred Cod.” His most recent film, "The Petal Pusher," is an ode to New York City's Penn Station and his family's flower business there. It premiered at the DOCNYC Film Festival. See more about him at www.davidsabel.com.
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Mapping tipping risks from Antarctic ice basins under global warming
Thursday, June 18
4 AM - 4:45 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.dk/e/mapping-tipping-risks-from-antarctic-ice-basins-under-global-warming-tickets-1985443048605
The Antarctic Ice Sheet is subject to amplifying feedbacks which can accelerate ice loss and lead to effectively irreversible retreat. We here analyse the distinct nature and risk of long-term ice loss for each individual drainage basin under different levels of warming. Depending on topographic and climatic conditions, we find that ice loss in some basins unfolds gradually with warming, whereas other basins are characterised by a critical threshold or tipping point beyond which large parts eventually disintegrate. A first threshold, potentially as low as 1–2 °C above pre-industrial levels, triggers the long-term collapse of ~40% of marine ice volume in West Antarctica. Marine-based sectors in East Antarctica, representing ~5 m of potential sea-level rise, are at risk of losing stability at 2–5 °C. Our results imply that the Antarctic Ice Sheet does not act as one single tipping element, but rather as several tipping systems interacting across drainage basins.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02554-0
Our speaker
Torsten Albrecht is a Senior Scientist, Theme Lead in Ice Dynamics at PIK.
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From Commitments to Climate Justice: Food Systems & Rural Resilience
Monday, June 22
10 AM - 11:30 AM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/from-commitments-to-climate-justice-food-systems-rural-resilience-tickets-1989641315735
Climate justice in practice: food systems, land regeneration and rural resilience through systems-led panel dialogue.
This 90-minute online panel and interactive workshop explores how climate justice can move from high-level commitments to practical implementation across food systems, land regeneration and rural livelihoods.
The session brings together institutional and enterprise leaders working across applied science, sustainability practice, regenerative agriculture and diaspora-funded agribusiness:
Michael Jones – Co-Founder, AgroReGenerations
Dr. Cecilia Wandiga – Centre for Science and Technology Innovations (Kenya)
Gwyn Jones – Director, Association of Sustainability Practitioners
Maryam Nama – Founder & Leader, Afghanistart (PatchRoot representative)
Ikenna Unachukwu – CEO, Organic Veggie Vibes Limited
The discussion will focus on the interdependence of climate action, food security, land restoration and rural resilience, with emphasis on regionally grounded, systems-level solutions.
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TEDxBoston – 250 Talks
Tuesday, June 23
3:00 PM - 6:30 PM
WGBH, 1 Guest St, Boston, MA 02135, USA
RSVP at https://luma.com/z725m3ck
Approval Required
Your registration is subject to host approval.
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How We Disappear
Tuesday, June 23
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
Harvard Book Store welcomes Thomas S. Mullaney—award–winning Stanford historian, Guggenheim fellow, and former Kluge Chair in Technology and Society at the Library of Congress—for a discussion of his new book, How We Disappear: A Personal History of Information. He will be joined in conversation by Ann Blair—Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor in the Department of History at Harvard University.
About How We Disappear
A brilliant foray into the nature of information, of history, and of making meaning in the face of death and decay.
When world-renowned scholar Thomas S. Mullaney “lost” both his parents, he began thinking of how information—all the stuff that makes us, that we make, and that we leave behind—ultimately disappears. The information that makes up our lives, from mundane official documents, poignant family photos, and sentimental artifacts to the cues embodied in our genes, both defines us, and inevitably decays, no matter the medium. Everything that we put “in formation” eventually collapses into randomness. Never is this more evident than in the wake of a parent’s death. Yet from all these elusive, even evanescent, data points, history is written and a future is made.
How We Disappear is a wide-ranging examination of the micro and macro, toggling between storytelling from Mullaney’s own life and his reflection on the science of entropy and the nature and history of information. Lyrical and poignant, the book offers inspiring and eye-opening insight on the miracle of existence, and on what it means to forge meaning from a chaotic universe.
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Astonished By Beauty: The Essential Practice of Natural History
Wednesday, June 24
6 – 7 p.m.
Harvard, Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge
RSVP at https://hmsc.harvard.edu/calendar_event/astonished-by-beauty-the-essential-practice-of-natural-history/
Speaker: Thomas Lowe Fleischner, Senior Advisor and Founding Director, Natural History Institute, Prescott, Arizona; Faculty Emeritus of Environmental Studies, Prescott College
What happens when we truly pay attention to the natural world? Join us for a talk by naturalist Thomas Fleischner on his new book, Astonished by Beauty (Torrey House Press, 2026), a thoughtful and practical guide to reconnecting with nature through natural history. With a series of brief, intimate stories from the Alaskan Arctic to the Amazon, Fleischner reveals how we may easily deepen our connection with the land and its creatures. Offering simple, grounded steps to nurture this meaningful bond, Fleischner's book is part reflection, part guide, calling for a life lived with care, presence, and respect for the wild beauty that surrounds us.
Copies of Astonished by Beauty will be available for purchase after the program.
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Polar Bears on the Edge: Climate, Conflict and Crisis in the Arctic
Thursday, June 25
12 PM - 1 PM EDT
Online
RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/polar-bears-on-the-edge-climate-conflict-and-crisis-in-the-arctic-tickets-1984221312359
Declining polar bear subpopulations, new research on ice-free survival challenges, policy threats and human-bear conflicts in the Arctic
Of the 19 recognised polar bear subpopulations, five are already in decline. New GoPro collar footage published in Nature Communications shows that land-based feeding cannot sustain bears through extended ice-free seasons. As sea ice retreats, the threats multiply: expanded offshore drilling puts marine ecosystems at risk, and the rollback of the U.S. Endangerment Finding has weakened a key climate protection measure.
At the same time, Arctic communities are facing more frequent human–bear encounters, as hungry polar bears move increasingly into settlements. This webinar explores the intersection of climate change, animal welfare and human safety in the far north. Together we will examine the latest research, consider the ethical challenges, and discuss what meaningful action can still be taken before the next decade decides the polar bear’s future.
Agenda
New GoPro collar research: polar bears on land and the survival challenge
Svalbard weight variability and why current stability may be short-lived
The legal battle to protect fragile Arctic ecosystems
Coexistence and response strategies from Nunavut communities
The case for Animal Quality-Adjusted Life Years (AQALYs)
What communities, conservationists and policymakers can do now
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The Perfect Moment
Monday, June 29
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
Harvard Book Store welcomes Isaac Butler—author of the National Book Critics Circle Award-winner The Method and the coauthor of The World Only Spins Forward—for a discussion of his new book, The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art, and the Birth of America's Culture Wars.
About The Perfect Moment
The prize-winning author of The Method reveals the forgotten origins of America’s culture wars—a story of late twentieth century art vs. censorship, brimming with intense drama and fierce moral urgency
It’s 1988, the final year of the Reagan presidency, and the curtain is closing on the Cold War. In the absence of external adversaries, the American public is on the precipice of war with itself. The religious right, newly ascendant and emboldened, is determined to seize control of America’s future. And the first battles will be fought over, of all things, contemporary art.
In The Perfect Moment, cultural historian Isaac Butler reexamines this pivotal, misunderstood American era. Archconservatives like Jesse Helms, Pat Buchanan, and Pat Robertson fixed their sights on artists including Andres Serrano, Robert Mapplethorpe, David Wojnarowicz, and Karen Finley, capitalizing on the provocative politics of their work to stir a nascent evangelical coalition into moral panic. It was at this moment, Butler argues, that the far right perfected the tactics it still uses today to whip its base into a frenzy—from banning books and sanitizing American history to spreading medical misinformation. All too relevant today, The Perfect Moment is an incisive and meticulously researched account of this crucial period and a stirring ode to the power of the creative spirit.
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The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution
Thursday, July 2
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
Harvard Book Store welcomes Mark Peterson—Edmund S. Morgan Professor of History at Yale University and the Faculty Director of Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library—for a discussion of his book, The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution: A Thousand-Year History. He will be joined in conversation by Emilie Connolly—Assistant Professor of History at Yale University and the award-winning author of Vested Interests.
About The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution
A provocative new history of America’s constitution and an urgent call to action for a nation confronted by challenges its founders could never have imagined.
The American Revolution occurred at a time when Britain’s constitutional order failed to adapt to the extraordinary growth of its colonies. The framers designed an American constitution to succeed where Britain’s had faltered, planning for continuous population and territorial expansion that would eventually cross the continent. Yet by the end of the nineteenth century, it was already ill-suited for an increasingly urban, industrialized society, and the transformations of the twentieth century have pushed it to a breaking point. This book charts the history and aims of the American constitution from its origins in an agrarian past to the grave crisis we face today.
Mark Peterson traces the American constitutional tradition to the control of land in medieval England, showing how the founders incorporated the aspirations of Magna Carta with the administrative principles of the Domesday Book, a meticulous survey and valuation of landed property commissioned by William the Conqueror. This framework encouraged the growth of democratic self-government in a young nation. It also institutionalized the colonization of territory and the expulsion of Indigenous peoples, establishing a legal blueprint for transforming tribal lands into revenue-yielding real estate for settlers. Peterson’s riveting narrative paints an arresting picture of a dynamic republic whose frame of government has changed enormously to meet the challenges of the modern age but whose written constitution has changed very little.
Marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution reveals how this widening disconnect threatens the very existence of our democracy. It calls for a constitution that sustains the ideals developed over the past thousand years while meeting the challenges of the future.
Bios
Mark Peterson is the Edmund S. Morgan Professor of History at Yale University, and the Faculty Director of Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library. At Yale he teaches courses on the American Revolution, the US Constitution, and Climate and Environment in American History. He earned his Ph.D. in History at Harvard University, and taught previously at the University of Iowa from 1998 to 2007, and at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2007 to 2018, where he was Chair of the History Department from 2015-2018. He is the author of The Making and Breaking of the American Constitution: A Thousand-Year History (2026); The City-State of Boston: The Rise and Fall of an Atlantic Power, 1630-1865 (2019); and The Price of Redemption: The Spiritual Economy of Puritan New England (1997).
Emilie Connolly is Assistant Professor of History at Yale University. Her research focuses on the history of political economy, colonialism, and the Indigenous peoples of North America. Her first book, Vested Interests: Trusteeship and Native Dispossession in the United States (Princeton University Press, 2025) was awarded the Bancroft Prize and the James A. Rawley Prize from the Organization of American History. Her writing has also appeared in the American Historical Review, William and Mary Quarterly, Journal of the Early Republic, and International Labor and Working-Class History.
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Freedom of Speech: A People’s History of Democracy’s Most Essential Right
Monday, July 6
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
Harvard Book Store welcomes Christopher M. Finan—former executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship and the former president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression—for a discussion of his new book Freedom of Speech: A People’s History of Democracy’s Most Essential Right. He will be joined in conversation by Randall Kennedy—Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School and the author of Say It Loud!: On Race, Law, History, and Culture.
About Freedom of Speech
An essential look at how, throughout American history, the powerless have exercised their 1st Amendment right to free speech, informing how we can defend democracy today, with a forward by Randall Kennedy.
From the beginning of American history, free speech has been crucial for the pursuit of justice and expansion of democracy. Yet today, we are seeing growing attempts to roll back free speech protections in America: cultural warriors are banning books from library shelves at a level not seen in decades, and elected officials are attacking free speech principles to undermine other rights and consolidate their own power.
Uncovering vivid and engaging stories about 1st Amendment pioneers throughout American history, historian and leading censorship expert Christopher Finan highlights how free speech has been used to advocate for change. In the 19th century, abolitionists, advocates for women's rights, and leaders of the labor movement had to fight for free speech. In the 20th century, the civil rights and anti-war movements expanded free speech, creating a shield for every protest movement that we have seen since.
With sharp insight and page-turning storytelling, Finan demonstrates that the most effective antidote for the growth of hate speech, misinformation, political violence, and anti-democratic efforts by government officials is support for and cultivation of a free and robust marketplace of ideas.
Bios
Christopher M. Finan has been involved in the fight against censorship for over 40 years. He is the former executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship and the former president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression. After working as a newspaper reporter, he received his Ph.D. in American History from Columbia University. He is the author of Drunks: The Story of Alcoholism and the Birth of Recovery, Alfred E. Smith: The Happy Warrior, and From the Palmer Raids to the PATRIOT Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America, which won the American Library Association’s Eli M. Oboler Award for the best work on intellectual freedom published in 2006 and 2007. Photo Credit: Sandra Benevuto
Randall Kennedy is the Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School where he teaches courses on contracts, criminal law, and the regulation of race relations. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina. For his education he attended St. Albans School, Princeton University, Oxford University, and Yale Law School. He served as a law clerk for Judge J. Skelly Wright of the United States Court of Appeals and for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia and the Supreme Court of the United States. Awarded the 1998 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award for Race, Crime, and the Law, Mr Kennedy writes for a wide range of scholarly and general interest publications. His other books are For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the Law (2013), The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency (2011), Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal (2008), Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption (2003), and Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word (2002). A member of the American Law Institute, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Association, Mr. Kennedy is also a Trustee emeritus of Princeton University.
