Environment

XiaoYu Wu pictured with the reactor his team used for the research. MIT researchers have developed a new system that could potentially be used for converting power plant emissions of carbon dioxide into useful fuels. The method may not only cut greenhouse emissions; it could also produce another potential revenue stream to help defray its costs.

Turning emissions into fuel

MIT-developed method converts carbon dioxide into useful compounds.

November 28, 2017

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse was the guest speaker at an MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative People and the Planet lecture.

Addressing America’s climate future

At an Environmental Solutions Initiative event, U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse speaks about defending science and moving forward on climate action.

November 22, 2017

MIT is on the path to achieve at least a 32 percent reduction in campus emissions of greenhouse gases by the year 2030.

Institute on track to meet campus climate action goals

Plans are in place to meet or exceed greenhouse gas reduction targets.

November 21, 2017

Helping Mexico design an effective climate policy

MIT researchers are working with the Mexican government on carbon pricing options to meet the country’s climate goals under the Paris Agreement.

November 17, 2017

“You’re rolling the dice every year,” says professor Kerry Emanuel. “And we believe the odds of a flood like Harvey are changing.” Pictured is an aerial view of Houston during the Hurricane Harvey flooding.

Texas’ odds of Harvey-scale rainfall to increase by end of century

Study finds state’s annual risk of extreme rainfall will rise from 1 to 18 percent.

November 13, 2017

A team of researchers at MIT, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and the University of California at Berkeley hope to close the materials-science automation gap, with a new artificial-intelligence system that would pore through research papers to deduce “recipes” for producing particular materials.

Artificial intelligence aids materials fabrication

System could pore through millions of research papers to extract “recipes” for producing materials.

November 5, 2017

Researchers looked at 11 metro areas — including Atlanta, Georgia, pictured — to examine how much local emissions-reductions programs can help combat climate change. They found that there is likely to be greater impact in the area of residential energy rather than transportation, especially given local hurdles against more compact development.

How cities can fight climate change most effectively

Energy-efficient construction is key to lowering urban emissions, study finds.

October 26, 2017

“Our technology takes plastic out of the landfill, locks it up in concrete, and also uses less cement to make the concrete, which makes fewer carbon dioxide emissions,” says assistant professor Michael Short.

MIT students fortify concrete by adding recycled plastic

Adding bits of irradiated plastic water bottles could cut cement industry’s carbon emissions.

October 25, 2017

“I remain optimistic about the ability of international agreements to address environmental problems, primarily because that’s the only solution we have at this point,” associate professor Noelle Selin says.

Noelle Selin: Tracing toxins around the world

Atmospheric chemist takes on pollutants and the global treaties written to control them.

October 22, 2017

A new way to harness wasted methane

Approach developed at MIT could help curb needless “flaring” of potent greenhouse gas.

October 17, 2017

One of the newly launched research projects from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and funded by the CEE Seed Fund awards, seeks to examine the impact of resource allocation and community ecology on crop productivity and resilience in Hawaii.

Establishing interdisciplinary approaches to agriculture and fundamental biological processes

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering awards cross-disciplinary seed funds.

October 11, 2017

David Des Marais recently joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty, and will work in the department’s Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory for Environmental Science and Engineering.

Finding the root cause of plant resilience

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering welcomes plant ecologist Dave Des Marais to the MIT faculty.

October 10, 2017

MIT to host summit on climate leadership in northeast U.S., eastern Canada

Michael Bloomberg will deliver keynote address.

September 29, 2017

A new MIT study finds cement’s microscopic properties are key to stronger, more sustainable buildings and bridges.

A concrete solution

Insight into cement’s microscopic properties may lead to stronger, more sustainable concrete.

September 29, 2017

Johan Rockstrom speaks at the Environmental Solutions Initiative's first People and the Planet lecture of 2017.

Johan Rockström: Presenting a framework for preserving Earth’s resilience

Stockholm Resilience Center executive director and Stockholm University professor speaks at the Environmental Solutions Initiative’s People and the Planet lecture series.

September 26, 2017

MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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