MCLA Green Living Seminar: Factors that Influence Demand for Green Power

Print Story | Email Story
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Lori Bird, director of the World Resources Institute's U.S. Energy Program and Polsky Chair for Renewable Energy, will give a talk titled "Factors that Influence Demand for Green Power" as part of MCLA's Green Living Seminar Series at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. 
 
Green Living Seminar Series webinars are free and open to the public; community members can register for each lecture at mcla.edu/greenliving. All seminars take place weekly on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. through April 14. 
 
For the World Resources Institute (WRI), Lori Bird focuses on decarbonization by the utility sector and large buyers, increasing grid flexibility through market design and transportation electrification. 
 
Prior to joining WRI, she served as a principal analyst in the Markets and Policy Group of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where she specialized in renewable energy policy, solar and wind energy markets, and integrating variable generation into electric grids. At NREL, she helped launch the Solar Energy Innovation Network, a large, multi-year program designed to leverage research support to advance cutting edge solutions to solar market challenges. Earlier, she led extensive work on green power markets and stakeholder engagement activities on renewable grid integration. She also provided testimony to states on renewable energy policy and technical assistance to state agencies and international clients. Over her career, she has co-authored nearly 150 publications on renewable energy, including articles in a variety of academic and trade journals. She received several NREL awards for her sustained contributions in renewable energy markets. 
 
Earlier in her career, she worked for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Denver on the Million Solar Roofs Initiative and Hagler Bailly Consulting in Boulder, Colorado, where she prepared economic and policy analyses for clients such as utilities, U.S. EPA, and the World Bank. She holds a master's degree in environmental studies from Yale University's School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a B.A. in economics and environmental studies from Indiana University. 
 
Every semester, MCLA's Green Living Seminar Series hosts lectures by local, regional, and national experts organized around a central theme related to the environment and sustainability. The 2021 series theme is "Individual Actions and Environmental Sustainability." The series is a presentation of the MCLA Environmental Studies Department and MCLA's Berkshire Environmental Resource Center. 
 
For more information, go to www.mcla.edu/greenliving or contact Elena Traister at (413) 662-5303. 

Tags: MCLA,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Companion Corner: Stink at No Paws Left Behind

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat at No Paws Left Behind looking for his forever home.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Don't let the name fool you! Stink is a 4-year-old domestic shorthair tabby who has been at the shelter for about a month.

Volunteer Claire Morin introduced us to him.

Stink came from his previous home after not getting along with some of the cats there.

"He came from a woman who had horses. He was an indoor cat, but he also spent some time in the barn, and I think he was not getting along with the other cats at the house."

Stink does like to roam around and check new stuff out. He can be a little shy at first but once he comes out he likes to play with toys and get a lot of pets. He can be quite territorial especially around male cats.

"He clearly likes treats. He likes to explore when he's out. He is a little bit territorial, so he has not come out that much. Actually, I'm surprised that he's out today, but, like I said, he prefers the company of female cats," she said. "He has been sort of interacting today with the male cats that he can now see ... he hasn't been acting out or hissing or anything towards them."

While it takes him a while to get out of his shell he is not shy to chat with you, most likely asking for more pets or to play.

"He does like people, he's very affectionate. He would not come out on his own for a long time. We could open the cage and he would interact with us, and he would be super sweet. You could interact with him, but he really preferred to stay in his cage. But now that he started to come out more, he's a lot more interactive," she said.

Stink would have to go home as the only cat or with a female cat because of his aversion to male cats.

"I think his perfect home would be someone who has children who are over the age of 8, because he can be a little bit territorial," Morin said. "The home can be cat friendly, there can be other cats, but preferably female, because he has been reactive towards male cats here at the shelter, and he can go home with dogs that have interacted with cats before."

Stink is a very sweet guy who can't wait to talk and snuggle up to you. Plus, you can pick a new name for him.

"I just think he's a super warm, friendly cat. He's clearly exploring the whole space today. He doesn't come out that often, but he's very gentle and very sweet," she said.

View Full Story

More North Adams Stories