Environment

Dispatches from the Paris climate talks

MIT attendees of COP21 share experiences, perspectives on outcomes

February 2, 2016

"Even when you have great technology, you need some incentive for people to reduce pollution. We need to find ways to make the benefit of reducing pollution felt by the ones who are paying the cost of reducing pollution." —Ariel Zucker, MIT doctoral student in economics

Incentives matter

Working with the Tata Center, two MIT economics students are testing projects to reduce industrial pollution in India.

January 29, 2016

Marcia McNutt, editor-in-chief of the journal Science

Symposium calls for science-based climate action

Experts examine how MIT can be most effective in addressing climate-change issues.

January 29, 2016

MIT on Climate = Science + Action

MIT will host a daylong symposium to address the nexus of science and action on climate change.

January 22, 2016

Aerosols can lower surface temperatures either directly, by reflecting sunlight skyward, or indirectly, by increasing the reflectivity of clouds.

How aerosols drive the rain

Study finds human-made aerosols exert strong influence on the geography of precipitation.

January 21, 2016

Governments usually provide subsidies based on overall adoption targets, such as the number of cars or solar panels they would like to see purchased over a period of time. But green technologies are often new products, and no one really knows how many consumers are waiting to buy them.

Sensible subsidies

Study: How should backing for clean technology be designed?

January 21, 2016

MIT releases institutional greenhouse gas inventory

Data set a baseline for campus climate action.

January 13, 2016

Manu National Park, a large (15,328-square-kilometer) protected area in southeastern Peru, includes several ecological zones and spans an elevation range of 150-4,200 meters above sea level. Manu’s vast tracks of Amazonian rainforest are part of the global tropical forest carbon sink that is slowing the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, a primary driver of climate change.

Assessing nature's carbon sinks

Study estimates the annual carbon sequestration rate in protected areas such as rainforests will decline by about 40 percent between now and 2100.

January 5, 2016

In a new study published this week, MIT researchers report that global action on reducing mercury emissions will lead to twice the economic benefits for the U.S., compared to domestic action, by 2050.

Global reductions in mercury emissions should lead to billions in economic benefits for U.S.

Benefits from international regulations may double those of domestic policy.

December 28, 2015

Turnout was strong for the MIT Infrastructure Innovation in a Changing Environment Conference on Nov. 20.

Pushing engineering boundaries to spur infrastructure innovation

MIT hosts Infrastructure Innovation in a Changing Environment Conference.

December 22, 2015

Moderator Susan Solomon and panelists Noelle Selin, Jessika Trancik, and Henry Jacoby explored the implications of the global climate agreement in Paris.

History in the making: The outcome of the Paris climate change negotiations

Panel of MIT experts explores the promise and perils of a global agreement.

December 18, 2015

In a two-year study with New York City garbage trucks, the startup’s sensors cut the frequency and duration of filter regeneration in half, which produced a 1 to 2 percent fuel savings. This can be significant for fleets of trucks, such as those in the study, which use roughly 5,000 to 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually.

Wireless sensors could make diesel engines greener

Startup’s sensors measure soot and ash buildup in filters to help engines burn more efficiently.

December 15, 2015

At the 2015 Paris climate talks, MIT faculty, students, staff, and alumni have been observing negotiations and participating in side events. A few of those participating: (l-r) MIT researcher and Climate Interactive director Travis Franck; PhD student Michael Davidson; MIT Center for Collective Intelligence/Climate CoLab Director Thomas Malone; MIT Climate CoLab project manager Laur Fisher; alumna...

Sharing climate research and strategies in Paris

MIT events throughout climate talks underscore Institute’s global perspectives and partnerships.

December 11, 2015

To prevent genetically modified bacteria from escaping into the wider environment, researchers have developed safeguards in the form of two so-called “kill switches,” which they call “Deadman” and “Passcode.” These kill switches can cause synthetic bacteria to die without the presence of certain chemicals.

“Kill switches” shut down engineered bacteria

Synthetic biology technique could make it safer to put engineered microbes to work outside the lab.

December 11, 2015

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, where massive deforestation has taken place

Climate policy in developing countries: Does one size fit all?

Study shows significant differences in costs associated with curbing greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil and Mexico.

December 10, 2015

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