Boston Climate Tech: April 24-May 12:
Green Justice, MIT Sustainability Summit, our new domain name- bostonclimate.com & more
Hi all!
This is the Boston Climate Tech newsletter. This newsletter is a digest of community-submitted in-person climate tech events in the Greater Boston area coming up in the next two weeks or so.
We have 15 events in the upcoming 3 weeks- use this calendar or table view if you’d like to sort/filter
Finally we have a new domain name!
https://bostonclimate.com/ and http://bostonclimatetech.com/ both now redirect to our calendar/table landing pages, so feel free to use those when sharing with friends :)
As always, to submit events, use this form
Cheers,
(15 events in this week’s newsletter - if the email is truncated, view it in your browser here)
Massachusetts Climate Action Network: How Massachusetts Can Become A Leader In Reducing Embodied Carbon In Buildings | MassCEC
🕑 Start time
4/25/2023 Tue 6:00 PM
🕓 End time
4/25/2023 Tue 6:00 PM
📝 Notes
Join the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) on Tuesday, April 25th at 6:00 PM to discuss steps Massachusetts can take to become a leader in reducing embodied carbon in buildings. The event features a fantastic group of guest speakers, including Thomas O’Neill from the City of Cambridge, as well as a number of incredible legislators who have been champions for increasing our efforts to reduce embodied carbon in buildings. While the event will include some helpful information about what embodied carbon is, the focus of the event will be on steps that can be taken to reduce embodied carbon, and how you can be a part of this critical work.
🔗 Registration link
Legacies of Coal: In Search of a Just Transition - MIT Events
🕑 Start time
4/25/2023 Tue 11:30 AM
🕓 End time
4/25/2023 Tue 1:30 PM
📍Location
Nexus (14S-130) in Hayden Library, 14S-130
📍Address
160 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02142
📝 Notes
The Environmental Solutions Initiative and MIT Anthropology welcome the MIT community and the broader public to explore just energy transitions in coal dependent communities during a lunchtime presentation and conversation.
The event will begin with a brief overview of the ESI’s ongoing work from ESI Director John Fernández. Next, Technology and Policy Program master’s student, Yiran He, will present her thesis findings on energy transitions in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The featured panel discussion will follow with three invited guests from Greene County, who will join Associate Professor of Anthropology Amy Moran-Thomas for a moderated discussion on the economic and community challenges facing coal dependent regions as a result of decarbonization and the ongoing energy transition. Participants will also offer insights into how MIT might contribute its institutional expertise to increasingly urgent issues of climate justice.
This event is the first of two MIT Earth Month events marking the public launch of the ESI's Climate Justice Program. Climate Justice Program postdoc Briana Meier will provide brief comments on the program. Please register in advance. Lunch will be provided to registered attendees.
This event is sponsored by the MIT Climate Nucleus.
Speakers:
John Fernández, ESI Director
Briana Meier, ESI Climate Justice Program Postdoctoral Associate
Yiran He, Technology and Policy Program Master’s Student, ESI Research Assistant
Moderator:
Amy Moran Thomas, Associate Professor of Anthropology
Invited Guest Speakers:
Mike Belding, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners for Greene County
Veronica Coptis, former Executive Director of the Center for Coalfield Justice and current Senior Advisor for Taproot Earth
Tonya Yoders, Greene County Community Organizer at the Center for Coalfield Justice
🔗 Registration link
https://calendar.mit.edu/event/legacies_of_coal_in_search_of_a_just_transition#.ZC8R8hXMKU8
Making Sustainable Design, From the Classroom to the World - MIT Events
🕑 Start time
4/26/2023 Wed 3:00 PM
🕓 End time
4/26/2023 Wed 4:00 PM
📍Location
📍Address
📝 Notes
This event is part of the Boston Design Week.
How can design address different dimensions of sustainability? We will explore this question through three dialogues, ranging from the design of solar-powered vehicles, to the definition of analytical and sensing mechanisms to improve buildings' thermal performance, to the elaboration of energy-efficient systems to cook. The event will show how sustainable design solutions are possible for every scale and context, and how these solutions can transition from academic experimentation and research to real-world implementation.
This contribution to the Boston Design Week visualizes the MIT Morningside Academy for Design and MIT’s commitment to finding sustainable design solutions for a planet subjected to multiple environmental and climatic crises. The dialogue will complement the many activities programmed around Earth Day in the Boston area.
TOPICS & SPEAKERS
Our dialogues, presented and moderated by Tony Hu, will present three main design projects, all sharing the same desire to identify the most apt environmental solutions for a particular geographic context, using the most appropriate technological means.
- MIT's first solar-powered car, designed and manufactured by the Solar Electric Vehicle Team, a student group under the MIT Edgerton Center. Every two years they create a solar powered vehicle that competes in prestigious national and international competitions.
- Technology leveraging robotics and AI to design impactful solutions for the built environment, imagined and developed by Norhan Bayomi, co-founder of Lamarr.AI.
- Clean cooking products for the developing world: led by Daniel Sweeney, D-Lab's "Biomass Fuel and Cookstove Group" researches, designs and tests solutions to reduce the environmental repercussions of food preparation on contexts reliant on the use of biomass.
🔗 Registration link
EBC Energy Resources Webinar: The Challenge of Net Zero – Can We Electrify to Our Goal? - Environmental Business Council of New England, Inc.
🕑 Start time
4/26/2023 Wed 9:00 AM
🕓 End time
4/26/2023 Wed 11:30 AM
📍Location
Virtual
📍Address
📝 Notes
The federal government’s ambitious goal to be Net Zero by 2050 means big changes for the electric grid and how we generate and use electricity. This EBC Energy Resources webinar brings together experts and industry leaders to discuss what it will take to meet the immense increase in electricity demand required to accomplish the drastic move away from fossil fuels.
A robust panel discussion with the audience will conclude the webinar.
🔗 Registration link
👉 Event title
Green Justice: A Climate Crisis Conversation - Greentown Labs
🕑 Start time
4/27/2023 Thu 4:30 PM
🕓 End time
4/27/2023 Thu 7:30 PM
📍Location
Greentown Labs Somerville
📍Address
444 Somerville Ave
Somerville, Massachusetts
02143 United States
📝 Notes
Join us for the screening of Mossville: When Great Trees Fall and a panel discussion on the impact of commercialization on vulnerable communities
Join Greentown Labs and Blacks In Tech for Green Justice: A Climate Crisis Conversation, featuring a screening of “Mossville: When Great Trees Fall” and a discussion with Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer, Fire River Films Producer Daniel Bennett, and Beacon Climate Innovations Principal Moneer Azzam. This film tells the story of a centuries-old Black community uprooted by petrochemical plants, and will be the launchpad for an evening of conversation around climate justice, building resilient communities, and innovative startups working to combat climate change.
The event is co-sponsored by Blacks In Technology New England Chapter. Please visit Blacks In Tech to get more information on events, resources, and membership.
🔗 Registration link
https://greentownlabs.com/event/green-justice-climate-crisis-conversation/
ESI Climate Justice Program Public Launch; Keynote Roundtable: Building an Infrastructure of Climate Justice—Energy Democracy, Disaster Displacement, and Mobilizing for Increasing Climate Risk in New York City - MIT Events
🕑 Start time
4/27/2023 Thu 4:30 PM
🕓 End time
4/27/2023 Thu 8:00 PM
📍Location
MIT Media Lab Dreyfoos Lecture Hall E14-633, E14-633
📍Address
MIT Media Lab, 75 Amherst St, Cambridge, MA
📝 Notes
The MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative welcomes the MIT community and the broader public to join us in celebrating the public launch of the ESI Climate Justice Program.
This three-part event will introduce the ESI Climate Justice Program focal areas and first year priorities, with a special focus on how this program can serve as a cross-Institute resource for future work and an invitation for collaboration; introduce special guests working on urgent climate justice issues to the MIT community to spark ideas and conversation; and provide an opportunity for participants to gather for food, drinks, music, and conversation.
Agenda:
4:30: Showcase Presentations: Ongoing climate justice initiatives at MIT
Noelle Selin, Co-Chair, MIT Climate Nucleus; Institute for Data, Systems and Society and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences
Chris Cappozola, Senior Associate Dean for Open learning
Haruko Wainwright, Departments of Nuclear Science and Engineering and Civil and Environmental Engineering
Bettina Stoetzer, Department of Anthropology
Chakunetsa Mahvunga, Science, Technology and Society Program
Imran Ali Sultan, Department of Urban Studies and Planning SPURS Fellow
Susy Jones, MIT Office of Sustainability
Jungwoo Chun, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Justin Steil, Department of Urban Studies and Planning
Christopher Rabe, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative
5:30: ESI Climate Justice Program Announcement with ESI Director John Fernández and Postdoctoral Associate Briana Meier
5:45: Building an Infrastructure of Climate Justice in New York City: A roundtable discussion with invited guest speakers
Elizabeth Yeampierre, Uprose Executive Director, Climate Justice Alliance Co-Chair
Louise Yeung, Chief Climate Officer, NYC Comptroller’s Office
Amy Chester, Managing Director, Rebuild by Design
Phil Thompson (moderator), MIT Associate Professor of Political Science and Urban Planning, Former Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives for NYC.
7:00: Reception with music, food, drinks
This event is the second of two MIT Earth Month events marking the public launch of the ESI's Climate Justice Program. Please register in advance.
This event is sponsored by the MIT Climate Nucleus.
🔗 Registration link
https://calendar.mit.edu/event/esi_climate_justice_program_public_launch#.ZC8TEBXMKU8
2023 NEWIEE Annual Awards Gala | MassCEC
🕑 Start time
4/27/2023 Thu 6:00 PM
🕓 End time
4/27/2023 Thu 6:00 PM
📍Location
The Westin Copley Place
📍Address
10 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
📝 Notes
Join us for New England Women in Energy and the Environment's (NEWIEE) 12th Annual Awards Gala celebrating the accomplishments of women in the energy and environment fields! The Gala draws professionals (women and men) from across New England for an inspirational evening celebrating distinguished women from New England who have driven change. The evening includes networking opportunities both before and after a seated dinner and the Gala program.
🔗 Registration link
https://www.masscec.com/event/2023-newiee-annual-awards-gala
👉 Event title
Igniting the Sunrise Movement: Strategies for U.S. Climate Activism | DUSP
🕑 Start time
4/27/2023 Thu 12:30 PM
🕓 End time
4/27/2023 Thu 12:30 PM
📍Location
MIT Building 9, 450
📍Address
📝 Notes
How have American youth organized to change national, state, and local climate policy? How have they nudged (motivated, persuaded, sharply prodded) national leaders to take a stand on our generation's defining issue? Are coalitions to win elections different than alliances to shape effective climate policy?
Dyanna Jaye, Master's in City Planning at DUSP, shares her experience co-founding the Sunrise Movement, which in 2020 The Atlantic called "the highest-profile American climate-activism group." She will discuss the group's organizing strategies in their campaign for federal climate policy, including high points and disappointments, and what approaches work in the unique context of the American political economy.
The Sunrise Movement calls itself "a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process." Its mission is to "build an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and well-being of all people."
🔗 Registration link
https://dusp.mit.edu/events/igniting-sunrise-movement-strategies-us-climate-activism
MIT 15th Annual Sustainability Summit: De-mystifying Carbon Markets
🕑 Start time
4/28/2023 Fri 8:30 AM
🕓 End time
4/28/2023 Fri 6:00 PM
📍Location
MIT Samberg Conference Center
📍Address
50 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02142
📝 Notes
This year’s theme of De-mystifying Carbon Markets seeks to educate present and future leaders on carbon markets as we move towards durable, equitable climate solutions.
Our summit will bring together diverse perspectives on sustainability—from established thought leaders to emerging innovators—to discuss how we can create this future. We invite you to join us at the 2023 MIT Sustainability Summit as we explore the future of carbon markets. Be a part of these meaningful discussions!
For more information, please visit our website, Instagram and LinkedIn, and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
STUDENT TICKET SCHOLARSHIPS: If you are a current student and the ticket price is a barrier for you to attend our summit, please fill out this form to request a scholarship and we will get back to you shortly. Note that we only have a limited number of scholarships available.
🔗 Registration link
👉 Event title
Atlas of Disaster: Tracking Climate Disasters and Building Resilience Across the U.S. | DUSP
🕑 Start time
4/28/2023 Fri 12:00 PM
🕓 End time
4/28/2023 Fri 1:00 PM
📍Location
MIT Building 9-255
📍Address
📝 Notes
Join us for a lunchtime discussion, as Amy Chester, the Managing Director of Rebuild by Design, shares about the Atlas of Disaster project. Assembled by a team of engineers, researchers, finance experts, data managers and volunteers, the digital atlas synthesizes data into a county-by-county map illustrating the extent and severity of climate impacts across the United States.
What can we learn from this information? How can this prepare localities to manage a pattern of increasing climate disasters?
🔗 Registration link
2023 SSL Transdisciplinary Climate Justice Research Workshop - UMass Boston
🕑 Start time
4/29/2023 Sat 8:00 AM
🕓 End time
4/29/2023 Sat 8:00 AM
📍Location
📍Address
📝 Notes
The UMass Boston Sustainable Solutions Lab is hosting a workshop for members of the Northeast Climate Justice Research Collaborative. The event will consist of in-depth sessions on communication and collaboration in cross-disciplinary research and practice led by the Toolbox Dialogue Initiative. There will also be time for connection and networking and limited slots for sharing your research and receiving feedback.
For disability-related accommodations, including dietary accommodations, please visit www.ada.umb.edu two weeks prior to the event.
🔗 Registration link
MIT Solve | Solve at MIT 2023 - Schedule | Solve at MIT 2023
🕑 Start time
5/4/2023 Thu 10:00 AM
🕓 End time
5/4/2023 Thu 10:00 AM
📍Location
📍Address
📝 Notes
MIT Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation with a mission to drive innovation to solve world challenges.
🔗 Registration link
https://solve.mit.edu/events/solve-at-mit-2023/schedule#page-subnav
Harvard Climate Action Week - The Salata Institute (5/8-5/11)
🕑 Start time
5/8/2023 Mon 12:00 AM
🕓 End time
5/8/2023 Mon 12:00 AM
📍Location
Various
📍Address
📝 Notes
Harvard Climate Action Week is a celebration and acceleration of climate research, education, and engagement across Harvard University.
Climate change touches every discipline we teach, research, and learn here at Harvard University. That’s why every School at Harvard is home to students and scholars working to meet the climate challenge. Harvard Climate Action Week, May 8 – 12, 2023, is a celebration and acceleration of that work. Harvard Climate Action Week will convene thousands of experts, decision–makers, students, alumni, and scholars across campus and online.
🔗 Registration link
https://salatainstitute.harvard.edu/hcaw/
Mass Tech 15 | MassCEC
🕑 Start time
5/10/2023 Wed 9:15 AM
🕓 End time
5/10/2023 Wed 9:15 AM
📍Location
📍Address
📝 Notes
Join The Engine, The Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC), and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) to learn from and build on the burst of activity that created the life science initiative and important climate legislation. Fifteen years ago, Massachusetts leaders drove a burst of catalyzing activity: creating the billion-dollar Life Science Initiative and passing important climate legislation that kickstarted the energy transition. Join Deval Patrick, Katie Rae, and more colleagues across business and government in the Commonwealth for a retrospective on the decade and a half since and a call to action on where we go next.
🔗 Registration link
https://www.masscec.com/event/mass-tech-15
EnergyBar: Go Move 2022 Final Showcase - Greentown Labs
🕑 Start time
5/11/2023 Thu 5:00 PM
🕓 End time
5/11/2023 Thu 7:00 PM
📍Location
Greentown Labs Somerville
📍Address
444 Somerville Ave
Somerville, Massachusetts
02143 United States
📝 Notes
This EnergyBar is focused on celebrating the culmination of of Go Move 2022, a Greentown Go startup-corporate partnerships accelerator program focused on decarbonizing automotive manufacturing and reducing vehicles’ life-cycle impact, in partnership with BASF and Magna.
Go Move is a program that aims to decarbonize the transportation sector, which is responsible for 16 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While the transition to electric vehicles garners the bulk of industry and media attention, there are also countless areas across the automotive manufacturing value chain that are in vital need of innovative climatetech solutions.
Together, our partners have supported five innovative startups to accelerate the commercialization of technologies seeking to solve these issues. Attendees will hear the Go Move 2022 cohort speak about their technologies, their work with our corporate partners, and where they are headed next.
AGENDA
Agenda (times are in ET):
5:00-5:30 PM: Check-in and Networking*
5:30-7:00 PM: Speaking Program
7:00-8:00 PM: Networking and Showcase*
*In-person only
ABOUT ENERGYBAR
EnergyBar is Greentown Labs’ signature networking event that fosters conversation and collaboration among entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders, students, neighbors, and other climate champions passionate about innovations in climatetech and the energy transition.
ABOUT GREENTOWN GO
The climate crisis urgently demands sweeping climatetech deployment. While startups bring the solutions, corporates often bring commercialization pathways and scale. That’s why Greentown Go builds partnerships that propel climatetech solutions to market—at the pace needed to tackle climate change.
With a mission of decarbonizing the key greenhouse gas-emitting sectors, Greentown Go programs inject momentum and traction into startup-corporate collaborations, unlocking the power of climate solutions at scale.
🔗 Registration link
https://greentownlabs.com/event/energybar-go-move-2022-final-showcase/