From a computer-lined office in the Green Building on MIT’s campus, climate scientist Abigail Bodner monitors the world’s oceans, bringing a mathematician’s eye to gauging interactions between wind and wave. “I am fascinated by the way mathematics can …
Many organizations are taking actions to shrink their carbon footprint, such as purchasing electricity from renewable sources or reducing air travel. Both actions would cut greenhouse gas emissions, but which offers greater societal benefits? In a first …
Growing energy demand means the U.S. will almost certainly have to expand its electricity grid in coming years. What’s the best way to do this? A new study by MIT researchers examines legislation introduced in Congress and identifies relative tradeoffs …
Nancy W. Stauffer A new computer modeling tool developed by an MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) research team will help infrastructure planners working in the electricity and other energy-intensive sectors better predict and prepare for future needs and …
Researchers at MIT have demonstrated that wedge-shaped vortex generators attached to a ship’s hull can reduce drag by up to 7.5 percent, which reduces overall ship emissions and fuel expenses. The paper, “Net Drag Reduction in High Block Coefficient Ships …
Advancements in battery innovation are transforming both mobility and energy systems alike, according to Kurt Kelty, vice president of battery, propulsion, and sustainability at General Motors (GM). At the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) Fall Colloquium, …
In our 5th episode, we look at the health impacts of the climate crisis, both direct and indirect. Noelle Eckley Selin, Director of MIT’s Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy, and Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry, and Dr. Philip Landrigan, …
At a high level, ammonia seems like a dream fuel: It’s carbon-free, energy-dense, and easier to move and store than hydrogen. Ammonia is also already manufactured and transported at scale, meaning it could transform energy systems using existing …
MIT and GE Vernova launched the MIT-GE Vernova Energy and Climate Alliance on Sept. 15, a collaboration to advance research and education focused on accelerating the global energy transition. Through the alliance — an industry-academia initiative conceived …
“We’re here to talk about really substantive changes, and we want you to be a participant in that,” said Desirée Plata, the School of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Climate and Energy in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, at …
If there was one thing Cameron Halliday SM ’19, MBA ’22, PhD ’22 was exceptional at during the early days of his PhD at MIT, it was producing the same graph over and over again. Unfortunately for Halliday, the graph measured various materials’ ability to …
Feeling thirsty? Why not tap into the air? Even in desert conditions, there exists some level of humidity that, with the right material, can be soaked up and squeezed out to produce clean drinking water. In recent years, scientists have developed a host of …
by Jason Sparapani | Department of Materials Science and Engineering Sometimes the answers to seemingly intractable environmental problems are found in nature itself. Take the growing challenge of plastic waste. Jacqueline Prawira, an MIT senior in the …
In this episode, we talk with Frances Moore Lappé, co-founder of the Small Planet Institute, researcher, and author or co-author of 21 books, including Diet for a Small Planet, and Angelo Gurgel, a principal research scientist at the Center for …
WBZ Chief Meteorologist Eric Fisher and MIT CS3 Deputy Director C. Adam Schlosser discuss how we know the climate is changing, why it's so difficult to talk about in this current moment, and how to stay positive and optimistic when dealing with such a …
MIT CS3 Deputy Director Sergey Paltsev shares his expertise in a conversation about the energy needs of the world and the best big-picture approach to meet those needs moving forward. Each episode of Climate Reveal takes a deep dive into a specific aspect …
“MIT.nano is essential to making progress in high-priority areas where I believe that MIT has a responsibility to lead,” opened MIT president Sally Kornbluth at the 2025 Nano Summit. “If we harness our collective efforts, we can make a serious positive …
China dominates the global supply of lithium. The country processes about 65 percent of the battery material and has begun on-again, off-again export restrictions of lithium-based products critical to the economy. Fortunately, the U.S. has significant …
MIT researchers have developed a lightweight polymer film that is nearly impenetrable to gas molecules, raising the possibility that it could be used as a protective coating to prevent solar cells and other infrastructure from corrosion, and to slow the …
This course provides an overview of how geothermal networks can lead the transformation of our thermal system towards a clean renewable energy. A collaboration between HEET (Home Energy Efficiency Team) and MIT, it was offered during the Independent …
