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MIT Environment and Sustainability Weekly Roundup, March 5, 2023

Featured This Week

MIT Climate Machine

Over the past year, the MIT Climate Machine, ESI's program uniting climate knowledge with arts and culture events, has been partnering with the Involved Group electronic music labels to engage music festival fans on their climate impact.

MIT Climate Machine "avatars" at a festival in Los Angeles
Ziyuan "Zoey" Zhu was part of the ESI team that developed augmented reality experiences to deploy at the Involved Group's festivals. “We don’t want to use technology for the sake of technology,” she says. “We were asking, how could we use the technology to create stories that can inspire people in their daily life?”

Read more about the project in a new story on our website.

Announcements

https://mit24hourchallenge.mightycause.com/story/Esi
MIT 24-Hour Challenge 2023

We are pleased to share that for a second year, ESI will be participating in the MIT 24-Hour Challenge. On Pi Day, March 14, gifts to ESI will be matched up to $10,000 thanks to the generous support of Mike Geer ’89, Chaitra Chandrasekhar ’04 MEng ’05, and Ken Dinovo ’97.

Join thousands of MIT alumni, parents and friends by giving to MIT this Pi Day. Supporting ESI's microchallenge allows us to continue and grow our work on behalf of people, prosperity and the planet.

What We're Reading

the Ashalim concentrating solar power station in the Negev desert
DOE just can't quit concentrating solar power (and that's a good thing): Unlike the more common solar photovoltaics, concentrating solar power uses mirrors to generate high heat—and can make power 24/7, competing directly with coal, gas and nuclear energy.
- CleanTechnica
movie theater
10 of the best climate change documentaries to see in 2023: The Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada County, California, screened film premiers on topics from storm surge adaptation to climate anxiety to the changing nature of landscape art.
- Yale Climate Connections

Events

This Week
  • White House Forum on Campus and Community-Scale Climate Solutions, a virtual forum hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the University of Washington on how colleges and universities can advance their own climate efforts while benefiting the surrounding communities. Featuring MIT Director of Sustainability Julie Newman, among other guest speakers. Wednesday, March 8, 1-3:30 pm online. Register.
     
  • The Intersection of Disability and Climate Change, part of the Sloan Sustainability Initiative's Sustainability Lunch Series, featuring designer, artist and advocate Kam Redlawsk. Thursday, March 9, 11:45 am-12:30 pm at MIT. Register.

Save the Date
  • MIT Climate Machine: The Image-in Session: The MIT Climate Machine is an ESI program to bring climate knowledge and engagement to arts experiences. After piloting its interactive exhibits at music festivals across the U.S. and Europe, the program is now seeking input on its products, strategy and future direction. Join us for an hour-long workshop of music sharing, AI art, and sharing to envision the future of climate change. Saturday, March 18, 11 am-12 pm online. Register.
     
  • Energy Storage Student Slam, a chance to learn about energy storage projects at MIT as students compete in rapid-fire pitches. Tuesday, March 21, 5-6:30 pm at the MIT Welcome Center (E38). Register.
     
  • Decarbonization Transformation in Chinese Cities, a talk by Daizong Liu, China Director for the World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, hosted by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning. Thursday, March 23, 5-7 pm, Room 9-255 or online. Register.
  • MIT Energy Conference, the largest student-led energy and climate conference in the U.S., this year with the theme "Transition Under Crisis: Technology, Investment and Geopolitics." April 11-12 at the Westin Copley Place in Boston. Early bird tickets on sale now.
     
  • Carbon Management Technical Symposium, a chance to engage with industry, academia and policymakers on the big picture of capturing, transporting and storing carbon. April 21 at California State University, Bakersfield, or online. Register.
     
  • States and Nature: The Effects of Climate Change on Security, a seminar hosted by the MIT Security Studies Program with UT-Austin Prof. Joshua Busby on the role of policy in preparing for climate impacts and why the same climate disaster can cause a security crisis in one country but not another. Wednesday, April 26, 12-1:30 pm, in Room E40-496 or online. Register.
     
  • MIT Sustainability Summit, this year with the theme of "de-mystifying carbon markets." Academics, professionals and students will gather to discuss markets for carbon removal and how they can be effectively implemented. Friday, April 28, at the MIT Samberg Conference Center or online. Register.
     
  • Preparing for a Changing Climate, a space-limited conference hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Business on climate adaptation strategies and international compensation for loss and damage from climate change. April 28-29 on the Stanford University campus. Register.
     
  • Transforming Engineering Education 2023, an international research symposium on how engineering education can impart students with skills in systems thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration to address global challenges. Hosted by MIT, Harvard, and Aalborg University. June 21-23 at venues in Boston and Cambridge. Register.

News & Media from MIT

a coal fired power plant
Improving health outcomes by targeting climate and air pollution simultaneously: A new modeling tool developed at MIT and the University of California Davis enables rapid design of effective and equitable policy combinations.
- MIT News
compost
These companies want to tackle food waste with microbes: Unlike composting, anaerobic digesters deliberately turn food waste into methane—then burn it for energy that can displace conventional natural gas.
- MIT Technology Review
Find more stories on the MIT Climate Portal.

Opportunities

Internships, Fellowships and Work Opportunities
  • UROP: MIT undergraduates are invited to apply for research positions in spring 2023 on "Overcoming Local Opposition to Renewable Energy Facility Siting in the United States" with Prof. Lawrence Susskind. The project will employ four UROPs: one "visualization and web development lead," two "curriculum developers," and one "research lead." Contact Jungwoo Chun and David Beron to apply.
     
  • Undergraduate Fellowship: The MIT CAPD Career Exploration Fellowships are open for applications. These fellowships provide MIT undergrads with up to $5,000 to help them pursue underfunded summer work experiences in key fields including sustainability and environmental services. Apply by March 15.
     
  • Student Jobs: The MIT Office of Sustainability is hiring MIT students for a variety of paid, part-time research positions. Apply.
     
  • Fellowships: The MIT Energy Initiative has opened applications for the Society of Energy Fellows. MIT graduate students and postdocs should learn how to be nominated by March 22.
     
  • Job: MIT Sloan's Aggregate Confusion Project is seeking to hire a pre-doctoral associate as a full-time researcher into the quality of ESG measurement and decision making in the financial sector. This position is ideal for candidates planning to pursue a PhD in sustainable finance. Apply.
  • Job: The MIT Office of Sustainability is hiring a Data Engineer to update and build out the architecture for tracking and reporting on all campus sustainability activities, including in food, waste, and climate mitigation and resiliency. Apply.
     
  • Job: The MIT Office of Innovation and the Plasma Science and Fusion Center are hiring a Program Manager Venture Builder to find new market opportunities for translated technologies coming out of MIT. Apply.
     
  • Job: The MIT Energy Initiative is seeking a Development Officer to help fund its mission of advancing clean energy development. Apply.
     
  • Fellowships: The Tufts Fletcher School Climate Policy Lab is hiring postdoctoral fellows for the spring or the 2023-24 school year, whose research touches on any area of climate policy with a particular interest in emerging economies. Apply by March 15.
     
  • Job: The University of Miami is seeking a postdoctoral associate to study climate change disinformation and propaganda. Apply.
     
  • Job: The Pratt Institute's Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment is seeking an Assistant/Associate Professor in Sustainable Environmental Systems. Apply.
     
  • Jobs: The City of Boston is hiring for positions including Executive Director of the Boston Conservation Commission, Director of Environmental Quality, Director of Climate Resilience and Adaptation, and a Climate Environmental Planning Project Manager.
     
  • Internship: Northwest RiverPartners is seeking a Clean Energy Research Intern to study a clean energy mix anchored by hydropower for the U.S. northwest. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 10.
     
  • Internship: The LivableStreets Alliance is seeking a Housing and Land Use Policy Intern to produce white papers and support grassroots organizing efforts. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 17.
     
  • Internship: Climate Change AI is seeking a Content Workflow Automation and Web Development Intern to support their online content. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 20.
     
  • Internship: The American Carbon Registry is seeking a Technology-Based Climate Solutions Intern to support development of carbon credit methodologies and registration and verification of carbon offset projects. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 20.
     
  • Internship: The Jenks Center is seeking an Energy and Sustainability Intern to help lower their building carbon footprint. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 20.
     
  • Internship: The City of Tucson is seeking an Urban Planning Intern to support the city's next General and Sustainability Plan. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 20.
     
  • Internship: The South Boston Neighborhood Development Corporation is seeking a Climate Action Intern to develop a climate action curriculum for South Boston communities. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 31.
     
  • Internship: Beth Israel Medical Center is seeking a Sustainability Program Assistant to help execute its sustainability goals. MIT students can apply through Handshake by March 31.
 
Grants, Scholarships, Contests and Funding Opportunities
  • Grants: The MIT Water, Food and Agriculture Innovation Prize will award up to $50,000 in innovation grants to student-led teams from across the country. Apply by March 20.
     
  • Contest: The Kellogg Energy and Sustainability Case Competition challenges teams of MBA students to create a strategic plan for long duration energy storage, with $12,000 in prize money. Register by March 20.
     
  • Tech Accelerator: Greentown Labs, the Urban Future Lab, and Fraunhofer USA have opened calls for the Carbon to Value Initiative, open to startups who aim to capture carbon, use captured carbon to make valuable products, or enable scalable carbon capture. Winners will join a six-month accelerator program, connect with a network of peers and funders, and receive a $10,000 stipend. Apply by March 31.
  • Grants: The MIT Portugal Program has opened its call for seed grants of up to $100,000 over 15 months for research projects in which MIT investigators will collaborate with Portuguese faculty, students, industry or other institutions. Focus areas include climate science and climate change, Earth systems: oceans to near space, and sustainable cities. Apply by April 3.
     
  • Grants: The MIT Solve Global Challenges are open for entries. Winning teams of social entrepreneurs, in categories including Climate Adaptation and Low-Carbon Housing, are received into a nine-month support program and gain access to over $1 million in funding, grants and investments. Apply by May 9.
     
  • Grants: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has a wide variety of open grant calls for projects ranging from clean transportation to high performance buildings to a net zero grid. Explore opportunities.

Student and Volunteer Opportunities
  • Student Group: The MIT Energy and Climate Club is seeking volunteers to support the MIT Energy Conference, the country's premiere student-led clean energy event. Sign up.
Got news? Contact us!
Copyright © 2023 MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, All rights reserved.


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