New power sources
Thirty-six million people in the U.S. use an energy system developed by a handful of activists in the 1990s. An MIT scholar examines this unusual story.
First-ever Climate Grand Challenges recognizes 27 finalists
A subset of the finalists will be announced as multiyear flagship projects this spring.
Students dive into research with the MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium
Through MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, students explore research topics relevant to their own interests, the MCSC, and member companies.
Reducing methane emissions at landfills
Loci Controls, founded by two MIT alumni, helps landfill operators capture more of the potent greenhouse gas.
MIT Energy Initiative launches the Future Energy Systems Center
New MITEI consortium focuses on speeding the energy transition, engaging with industrial leaders to deploy clean energy advances at scale.
Pricing carbon, valuing people
New research suggests ways to optimize US climate policy design for a just energy transition.
Overcoming a bottleneck in carbon dioxide conversion
Study reveals why some attempts to convert the greenhouse gas into fuel have failed, and offers possible solutions.
Understanding air pollution from space
Arlene Fiore uses satellite data paired with ground observations to refine our understanding of ozone smog and interactions with meteorology and climate.
New visions for better transportation
The MIT Mobility Forum showcases a breadth of approaches to analyzing and improving society’s transportation systems.
Q&A: Can the world change course on climate?
Political scientist Nazli Choucri discusses challenges and hopes for global coordination on climate issues — and the role of political science in the process.
Tiny machine learning design alleviates a bottleneck in memory usage on internet-of-things devices
New technique applied to small computer chips enables efficient vision and detection algorithms without internet connectivity.
Q&A: More-sustainable concrete with machine learning
MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab researchers aim to design concrete mixtures that use AI to shrink environmental footprint and cost, while recycling byproducts and increasing performance.
An energy-storage solution that flows like soft-serve ice cream
Researchers make the case for a semisolid electrochemical compound as a cost-efficient, grid-scale battery backup for wind and solar power.
Timber or steel? Study helps builders reduce carbon footprint of truss structures
New analysis could help identify optimal materials for the crisscrossing struts that bolster bridges, towers, and buildings.
Design’s new frontier
Mechanical engineers are using cutting-edge computing techniques to re-imagine how the products, systems, and infrastructures we use are designed.