Join The Boston Globe for an in-depth conversation with New England’s top weather and climate science leaders, hosted by Globe Lead Meteorologist Ken Mahan. New England’s seasons are shifting dramatically because of climate change — warmer winters, erratic springs, hotter summers, and muted autumns — as bouts of extreme weather become more prevalent. These increasingly unpredictable weather patterns are redefining our region’s identity, blurring the lines between our distinctive seasons. We’ll explore the science behind these changes to help us better understand what’s happening.The event takes place at the New England Aquarium on January 29 at 6 pm, in partnership with the Aquarium and the Lowell Institute. RSVP at https://events.bostonglobe.com/2026/reshaping-NE-seasons/SW?et_rid=832984181&s_campaign=BGSubscribers:newsletter
The New England Aquarium and GBH present a special behind-the-scenes look at NOVA’s three-part series Sea Change: The Gulf of Maine as part of the Aquarium’s Lowell Lecture Series. Featuring imagery by acclaimed film producer and veteran photojournalist Brian Skerry, the series examines the changes taking place in the Gulf of Maine, a body of water that is warming 97 percent faster than the global ocean. Blending science, exploration, natural history, and stories of human experience, Sea Change illuminates how the gulf may serve as a preview of what might happen in other parts of the world due to climate change. Free. Registration required at https://www.wgbh.org/events/boston-premiere-of-sea-change-the-gulf-of-maine-a-nova-special-presentation?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_10758959
Join us on September 10 at 6:30 pm in person at Simons Theatre, New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, or via live stream for a screening of highlights from the series followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with Skerry and other members of the filmmaking team about their experiences documenting and studying this spectacular wilderness, and how the communities that live and work along along the gulf’s shores are working to sustain its future. Panelists include:
Laurie Donnelly, Executive Producer, Sea Change, and Director of Lifestyle Programming, GBH
Dr. David Fields, Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Labs
Brian Skerry, Photographer and Producer, Sea Change
Chun-Wei Yi, Writer, Director, and Producer, Sea Change
Moderated by Dr. Letise LaFeir, Chief of Conservation and Stewardship, New England Aquarium
Free of charge and open to the public, the Lowell Lecture Series is made possible due to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. This event is presented in partnership with GBH. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the program starts promptly at 6:30 p.m. NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. NOVA is a production of GBH.
Kelp Forest at Cashes Ledge; 70-miles off the coast of Maine
The sustainable future we are collectively building comes with significant environmental costs, primarily felt by the global south. The mining and processing of rare earth metals, nickel, cobalt, copper, and many other critical materials, essential for electrification and renewable technologies, often result in considerable ecological damage.
These activities can lead to deforestation, contamination of water sources, soil erosion, and the emission of harmful gases. Consequently, the health and safety of workers and local residents are compromised along with the environment. All of this stands in stark contrast to the overall goals of the green revolution, but currently represents an unavoidable aspect of progress.
This talk will explore how the mining and extraction of these materials, while essential for driving forward the clean energy revolution, often contradicts the principles of environmental stewardship. The lecture will particularly focus on the impact in the global south, where much of the world’s mining and refining activities take place, often with less stringent environmental regulations and oversight. This raises critical questions about the true cost of our transition to renewable energy and electric mobility.
In response to these challenges, Dr. Tomas Villalón will share Phoenix Tailings’ transformative approach to mining and material processing. Our innovative strategies aim to revolutionize the industry by extracting rare earth metals and other crucial materials sustainably. He will discuss their cutting-edge techniques for minimizing ecological impact through rethinking the approach to material refining and the remediation of toxic waste. By turning a historically pollutive process into a more environmentally responsible one and cleaning up the toxic byproducts of mining operations, Phoenix Tailings is not only contributing to the cleaner production of electrification materials but also paving the way for a more equitable and truly sustainable future.
Dr. Tomas Villalón has dedicated his life to solving the issues of the mining and metals industry. He received his PhD Boston University, and BSc from MIT, going on to co-found Phoenix Tailings in 2019 with a mission of building the world’s first fully clean mining and metals production company. Tomas is an expert in the sustainable extraction of critical minerals from tailings and environmentally responsible rare earth refining.
The free event takes place February 7 from 7 – 8 pm at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, 154 Moody St, Waltham, Massachusetts, and is cosponsored by the Museum in partnership with the GBH Forum Network and the Lowell Institute. For more information visit www.wgbh.org
Traditional wisdom prescribes a relatively simple course for weight loss: eat less and exercise more. But what if the modern food industry has learned to manipulate the prescription? FED UP takes on industrial food giants and the products causing millions of Americans to become obese, diabetic, and difficult to treat.
Join Mark Hyman, a physician featured in the film, for a screening and discussion of the defining public health issue of our time, at the Museum of Science on Wednesday, March 25 from 7 – 9 in the Cahners Theater.
Free but advance registration begins at 9:00 am, Wednesday, March 11 (Monday, March 9 for Museum members).
This program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Additional funding provided by the Richard S. Morse Fund. For more information visit http://www.mos.org/public-events/fed-up
Join The Arnold Arboretum on Wednesday, January 29 at 7 pm to explore the complexity and mystery of the miraculous substance, soil. Drawing from ancient knowledge and cutting edge science and filmed on four continents sharing the voices of some of the world’s most esteemed soil scientists, farmers and activists, the film Symphony of the Soil, by Deborah Koons Garcia,portrays soil as a protagonist in our planetary story. By understanding the elaborate relationships between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, including humans, we come to appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource. Soil is alive, and its health and survival are intricately connected to that of all life. The free program will take place in the Cahners Theater, Museum of Science, Boston, and will feature a panel consisting of Thomas J. Akin, Conservation Agronomist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Serita D. Frey, PhD, Professor of Soil Microbial Ecology, University of New Hampshire and Research Faculty, The Harvard Forest ; Jim Ward, Farmer and Owner, Ward’s Berry Farm, Sharon, Massachusetts. Registration for this program begins on Wednesday, January 15 at 9:00 am at www.mos.org. Presented with the Museum of Science. This program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute.
The New England Aquarium has been providing free lectures and films by scientists, environmental writers, photographers and others since 1972. The Aquarium Lecture Series is presented free to the public through the generosity of the Lowell Institute, which has been providing funding for free public lectures at universities and museums since 1836.
With striking imagery from her book Smithsonian Ocean: Our Water, Our World, author Deborah Cramer makes a powerful case for a basic truth about the ocean: we need the sea, and now the sea needs us.
Lectures are free and open to the public. Registration is requested. The program will start at 7 p.m. in the Aquarium’s Harborside Learning Lab, will last approximately one hour, and will be followed by a reception. To register, call Amanda Kelley at 617-269-7171, or log on to www.neaq.org.
