The coolest news around

Year of Sustainable Energy for All

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +1300

2012 is the UN International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

Energy is central to nearly every major challenge, and opportunity the world faces today. Be it jobs, security, climate change, food production or increasing incomes , access to sustainable energy for all is essential for strengthening economies, protecting ecosystems and achieving equity.

In fact, more than 1.4 billion people worldwide have no access to electricity, and 1 billion more only have intermittent access. Some 2.5 billion people – almost half of humanity – rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon made sustainable energy one of his five priorities that will guide his second 5-year term. Specifically, he will direct the United Nations to extend energy’s reach in order to combat endemic poverty. Universal access to energy, improved efficiency and enhanced deployment of renewable sources are ambitious goals, and the Secretary-General is leading a Sustainable Energy for All initiative to make them achievable.

For more information, go to http://www.sustainableenergyforall.org/

Do emerging scientists have a future in New Zealand

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +1200

The New Zealand Association of Scientists is hosting a one-day conference at Rutherford House in Wellington, on 16 April. The conference will focus on early-career scientists.

The conference is targeted at emerging scientists, their existing and potential employers, future emerging scientists, policy makers and politicians.

Confirmed speakers to date:
--Professor Richard Blaikie, Deputy Vice-Chancellor University of Otago;
--Phil O'Reilly, BusinessNZ;
--Dr Warren Smart, Ministry of Education;
--Hans van der Voorn, IZON;
--Dr Mark Stagg, RSNZ;

--Cosmin Laslau, PhD Student Auckland
--Dr Melanie Massaro, University of Canterbury;
--Dr Debbie Hay, University of Auckland;

--Dr Richard Furneaux, IRL.

Registrations open 1 March 2012. A full programme is available at http://www.scientists.org.nz/

Women as leaders in Science and Engineering

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +1300

This event is part of Women's Futures Month at the University of Canterbury

Venue KH08 Kirkwood Village, off Kirkwood Ave

Time 7-8.30pm

Join inspiring women discussing why it's important for more of us to strive for leadership roles in the sciences and engineering, the barriers they've faced and how they've overcome them. Half an hour is dedicated to your questions and comments.

The fantastic panel will include:
Georgina Carvell, president of the Reason & Science Society (facilitating),
Dr Lucy Johnston, Social Psychology lecturer and Dean of Postgraduate Research,
Amali Weerasinghe, president of Computer Chicks,
Emily Ward, treasurer of Women in Engineering.

Please bring a minimum gold coin donation or some nibbles to share at the end. We'll be donating the proceeds to a women's organisation TBC.
Anyone welcome.

Brought to you by The Potluck Club, as part of Women's Futures Month. Join the wider conversation about empowering women to become leaders at our facebook page: