MIT學生籌得五十萬元 發比特幣給同學

兩名麻省理工學院（MIT）學生籌得五十萬元，以每人一百元額度，發放給該校的4500本科生，期使更多人接受比特幣（Bit Coin），並想出創新用法的行為，在波士頓引起人們注意。

波士頓環球報(Boston Globe)昨（4月30）日刊文報導此事。該篇報導也指出，由於價格波動過於劇烈，很可能被駭客攻擊，可以儲存在電子錢包中，用來做虛擬環境的交易等特色，過去這一年來，在國際間引起許多爭議。

的電子貨幣 – 比特幣（Bit Coin），最近在麻省理工學院（MIT）又再引人矚

在波士頓，目前有數可以計的商戶，接受比特幣。推出發放比特幣項目的MIT大二學生Jeremy Rubin和該校比特幣俱樂部創辦人，目前在研究所就讀的Dan Elitzer合作，要讓MIT成為比特幣事業及研究樞紐。MIT校友捐出了這五十萬元。

他們表示，讓學生接觸比特幣，就像在網際網路世代讓人能上網一樣。他們計劃和研究人員一起研究影響。他們也說，這發放比特幣行動，將使MIT成為全世界第一個比特幣發行最廣的地方，也將藉由學生們的如何使用，商家的如何回應，形成有如實驗室的研究。

他們將在今秋，把比特幣發進學生的個人電子戶口，同時將協助商家安裝比特幣付款系統。

麻省理工學院新興科技論壇（EmTech）去年也關注比特幣的發展，請得該校史隆管理學院教授Simon Johnson談論這一話題。他認為，比特幣將吸引更多政府及法規制定者注意，並在大銀行等積極遊說下，試圖加以控制。

他在會議中表示，比特幣容許使用者非常快速，廉宜的進行付款交易，將對收取費用來轉移金錢的服務，形成極大競爭。銀行大概都感到很恐怖。

根據維基百科，比特幣是一種用戶自治，全球通用的加密電子貨幣，也是一種使用網路做支付設施的虛擬計價工具。比特幣的設計，理論上可確保任何人，機構，或政府都不能操縱比特幣的貨幣總量，也不能偽造。該幣從2009年一月三日問世後，在數位世界中越來越受歡迎，甚至出現多家以買賣比特幣為營業內容的公司。2013年時，美國聯邦調查局關閉了“絲路”這網上黑市，並沒收了時值二千八百萬元的144,000個比特幣。2013年十二月時，比特幣和人民幣的兌換價格，從最高峰時的7588元人民幣，跌到2560元人民幣，中國也開始禁止使用比特幣和人民幣做清算交易。

全球青年領導力聯盟成立北美社區

全球青年領導力(GYL)聯盟日前在麻州劍橋市舉辦北美峰會，宣布成立GYL北美社區，推選出五人主席團。廿餘名來自多所學校的代表，還一起簽署“青年宣言”，發誓珍惜時間，會把自我人生目標和促進世界未來更好的願景結合起來。

當晚當選為活動部長的王子璇表示，首次在北美舉辦的這一峰會，有來自哈佛，MIT，哥倫比亞，康乃爾，賓州等大學的學生骨幹參加。次日下午還在哈佛大學內舉辦了一場“創業：勇氣與行動”的專題研討會。

曾被譽為“淘寶女王”，現為視頻搜索網站Pcpie執行長，女性奢侈精品網站SohoNow創始人的達貝妮（Nenny Da)，也應邀出席，與青年學子交流。

浙江大學校友，目前在麻省理工學院修讀博士的路宜，當晚代表全球青年領導力（GYL）工作室創始人張萌致辭。哈佛燕京學社訪問學者陳曦代表北美區青年致辭，暢言他們這一代青年，抱著“青年一代有理想，有擔當，國家就有前途，民族就有希望”這理念，希望為大我的完善，盡一分力量。

出席活動者當晚以匿名方式投票，選出主席一人，陳曦；副主席三人，路宜，王旭，栗霄霄；秘書長高松。

其他獲選的工作人員包括，宣傳部長張橦，研創部長龔凡，活動部長王子璇，外聯部長孫一文，副秘書長兩人，王瑛，喻曉等。

應邀出席“創業：勇氣與行動”研討會的演講嘉賓包括荊莉US網創始人荊莉，奢侈品網站SohoNow創始人達貝妮，Neobiolab創始人朱鵬程等。

全球青年領導力聯盟北美社區在活動介紹中指出，張萌是全球青年領導力工作室的創辦人，曾多次獲邀代表中國青年出席APEC會議，達沃斯世界經濟論壇，前不久還參加了博鰲雅洲論壇的“青年領袖圓桌會議”。她所創辦的全球青年領導力工作室，是要“引領青年成就未來”。北美社區希望朝此方向，帶動更多在北美學習，工作的青年人，努力使世界變得更美好。

圖片說明：

            全球青年領導力聯盟北美社區主席陳曦（左二），路宜（右二），王子璇（右一）等人和嘉賓達貝妮（中）合影。（菊子攝）

波士頓收入差距之大全美排名第四 市府辦可負擔住宅公聽會

華人前進會與波市權（Right to the City Boston），波士頓就業聯盟（Boston Jobs Coalition）等多個機構攜手，週一（28日）下午再度走上街頭遊行，並赴市政府出席可負擔住宅公聽會，呼籲各界關注社區亟需可負擔住宅現況。

            華人前進會等人當天從華盛頓街580號的千禧地（Millennium Place），遊行到波士頓市政府大樓。

            遊行者在千禧地大樓貼上千禧年夥伴公司少付了一千五百萬元可負擔住宅費的付款逾期通知。這是他們送交給千禧年夥伴公司的第二張逾期通知。

            華人前進會表示，他們遊行是希望人們注意到，藉由可負擔住宅及好工作來穩定社區的需要。

            遊行群眾走到市政府廣場後，要求政府投資建造低收入住宅，執行要求發展商提供好工作機會，付出可負擔住宅費的政策。

            華人前進會指千禧塔（Millennium Towers）項目，也未達到聘用波士頓居民工作政策的目標數額。

            華人前進會共同主席湯建華表示，千禧年夥伴公司已獲得二千六百萬元的抵稅優惠，在華埠有兩，三個家庭同住一戶公寓，其他社區有人被迫流離失所之際，千禧年夥伴公司卻獲得一千五百萬元的可負擔住宅費減免。這些錢實在可用來為那些家庭提供居所。

          華人前進會指千禧年夥伴公司在波士頓，洛杉磯，邁阿密，紐約，華府等地建造豪華公寓，五星級酒店，體育俱樂部，零售商店。該公司擁有，經營的投資組合超過四十億元，在2010年時管理的資產高達一百三十億元。該公司也是表現最佳的對沖基金之一，平均盈利一年17%。

            波市住宅委員會主席Frank Baker，人權及民權委員會主席Josh Zakim在廿八日這天就可負擔住宅一事，舉行了公聽會。和吳弭一樣，年紀都還未滿三十的波市新科市議員Josh Zakim表示，根據大波士頓地產商協會資料，波士頓是目前的房屋銷售中位價格為465,000元，年收入至少十二萬元的人才負擔得起。

            根據一月份的市場待租售房屋總表，目前波士頓市一睡房單位的平均租金為2400元，換言之，要年收入達96,000元的人，才負擔得起。但波士頓市的中位收入為65,850元。布魯金斯研究院（Brookings Institute）最近發表的一份分析顯示，以收入不均的差距之大而論，波士頓市在全美排名第四。

            波士頓前任市長萬寧路（Tom Menino）為此在2000年二月廿九日，藉行政命令，提出包容性發展方案（IDP）。該方案其後在2005年二月三日，2006年五月十六日，2007年九月廿七日分別做過修訂。

            這IDP包容性發展方案規定任何住宅發展項目，新建十個以上單位時，就必須獲得波士頓區域規劃法的豁免，至少15%的單位，必須為賺取波士頓市地區中位收入數額以下者，可負擔得起的單位。

            波士頓市議會因此決定進一步研究，這一行政命令，是否應修訂為法令。

圖片說明：

            華埠民眾遊行。（圖由波士頓華埠居民會提供，Tieyi Huang攝）

            華埠民眾到波市府出席公聽會。（圖由波士頓華埠居民會提供，Changling Zhang攝）

Patrick Administration Awards Nearly $1M for Municipal Energy Managers

Patrick Administration Awards Nearly $1M for Municipal Energy Managers

BOSTON – Thursday, May 1, 2014 – The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) today announced nearly $1 million in grants that will allow 36 Massachusetts cities and towns to employ energy managers who assist local efforts to reduce municipal energy use and costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

“On-site, municipal energy managers can deliver tremendous benefits to cities and towns across the Commonwealth. We’ve seen it happen,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “These grants will bolster efforts in three dozen communities in support of the Patrick Administration’s statewide clean energy goals.”

The grants, offered through DOER’s Green Communities Division, will provide support for local energy managers for two years. They provide up to $50,000 for a full-time energy manager or up to $25,000 for a part-time position during the first year of the program. Based on first-year achievements, grantees may be awarded up to $35,000 in the second year for a full-time position and $17,500 for part-time.

These grants represent the first round of funding from the program announced in December 2013. They are funded with proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) auctions, which DOER also directs to fund a portion of the Mass Save® energy efficiency programs and the Green Communities Designation and Grant program.

DOER awarded funding for part- or full-time energy managers to the following municipalities:

Amesbury	$ 25,000	Part-time
Ashfield	$ 8,455	Part-time
Ashland	$ 24,055	Part-time
Auburn	$ 18,000	Part-time
Boston	$ 50,000	Full-time
Bourne	$ 21,870	Part-time
Chelmsford	$ 50,000	Full-time
Concord/Carlisle	$ 50,000	Full-time
Dartmouth	$ 25,000	Part-time
Falmouth	$ 25,000	Part-time
Hamilton/Wenham	$ 24,960	Part-time
Haverhill/Methuen	$ 50,000	Full-time
Leominster	$ 25,000	Part-time
Lowell	$ 50,000	Full-time
Marshfield	$ 25,000	Part-time
Medfield	$ 50,000	Full-time
Medway/Millis	$ 50,000	Full-time
Millbury/Sutton	$ 24,220	Part-time
Nantucket	$ 50,000	Full-time
New Bedford	$ 40,649	Full-time
Norfolk	$ 25,000	Part-time
Provincetown	$ 50,000	Full-time
Tisbury/Edgartown/Oak Bluffs	$ 50,000	Full-time
Watertown	$ 50,000	Full-time
West Springfield	$ 25,000	Part-time
Westwood	$ 25,000	Part-time
Winthrop/Chelsea	$ 50,000	Full-time
Woburn	$ 25,000	Part-time

The Patrick Administration’s aggressive clean energy initiatives have made Massachusetts a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and emissions reductions. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) has named Massachusetts number one for three years running. Governor Patrick set a new solar goal after reaching the previous goal of 250 megawatts four years early. The Commonwealth now aims to install 1,600 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020. The clean energy revolution is yielding economic benefits as well, with 11.8 percent job growth in the last year and 24 percent growth in the last two years; nearly 80,000 people are employed in the clean tech industry in Massachusetts.

Patrick Administration Announces $6M in Funding for UMass Amherst to Form New Energy Extension Initiative

Patrick Administration Announces $6M in Funding for UMass Amherst to Form New Energy Extension Initiative

AMHERST – Thursday, May 1, 2014 – Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan today announced a four-year, $6 million grant to form a new University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) Energy Extension Initiative. It will serve as a resource on renewable and clean energy options for cities and towns, industry, hospitals, colleges and universities, nonprofits and other organizations across the Commonwealth.  

“This investment shows the Patrick Administration is committed to keeping Massachusetts a national clean energy leader,” said Secretary Sullivan. “The initiative will help municipalities as well as organizations across the Commonwealth cut their energy use, create jobs and protect the environment.”

Secretary Sullivan made the announcement during a day-long workshop for cities and towns, businesses and planners entitled, “Helping Communities with Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.”

The UMass Amherst Energy Extension Initiative will promote adoption of renewable energy technology and energy efficiency activities across the state. It represents a significant, statewide practical step toward reaching goals set out in the Commonwealth’s Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008, as well as for advancing the Patrick Administration’s overall clean energy goals.

Approximately $2 million of the grant, funded by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), will go to expand services at the U.S. Department of Energy Northeast Clean Energy Application Center, while $4 million will go to develop an energy outreach and extension-type program that draws on the expertise of UMass Amherst. The campus’s existing Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (CEERE) will administratively host the new initiative.

“This is a great vote of confidence by the state and recognition of UMass Amherst’s leadership in sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. “We are honored by the trust placed in us by the governor and enthusiastically accept the challenge to be the go-to place for town and city energy managers across Massachusetts, as the clearinghouse for renewable energy and energy efficiency.”

“This initiative is another example of how the Patrick Administration has put into place strong policies and made strategic investments to help expand the adoption of clean energy across the Commonwealth,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia.

“There are hundreds of energy decision makers in the state who can benefit from this new initiative,” said UMass Amherst energy economist David Damery. “The idea is to support greater adoption of combined heat and power systems, energy efficiency, renewable thermal energy and other renewable energy by sponsoring research, marketing studies, business plans, outreach, economic analysis, technology transfer, pilot projects, technical assistance and whatever else it takes.”

After four years of support, the initiative is expected to be self-sustaining through user fees, partnering on patentable intellectual property opportunities and other avenues. UMass Amherst is expected to hire two new extension professors and some additional engineering support staff for the program.

Specifically, the new initiative will mobilize information on the latest technologies, provide demonstration and community-scale testbed projects to identify and lower the financial, social, technical and political barriers to wider deployment and use of renewable energy, energy efficiency, renewable thermal energy, and combined heat and power practices in Massachusetts.

The Patrick Administration’s aggressive clean energy initiatives have made Massachusetts a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and emissions reductions. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has named Massachusetts number one for three years running. Governor Patrick has set a new solar goal after reaching the previous goal of 250 megawatts four years early. The Commonwealth now aims to install 1,600 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020. The clean energy revolution is yielding economic benefits as well, with 11.8 percent job growth in the last year; nearly 80,000 people are employed in the cleantech industry in Massachusetts.