News + Media
![This PNAS Special Feature shows the potential of recent modeling advances to improve decision-making in pursuit of a more sustainable world. (Source: PNAS) PNAS Special Feature](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/news/PNAS-final%20cover_WEB.jpg?itok=aQcpRp3s)
Zero hunger. Affordable and clean energy. Reduced inequalities. These are among the sustainable development goals that the United Nations has established in pursuit of the long-term well-being of the Earth and its inhabitants. But achieving goals like these—whether by the UN’s 2030 deadline or...
![Industrial pollution in China (Source: Flickr/Andy Enero) Industrial pollution in China](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/Prinn_Guardian.jpg?itok=JZYgTJ7Q)
Figure represents 64-66% of global output of tetrafluoromethane and hexafluoroethane, MIT study finds (The Guardian)
Emissions of two of the most potent greenhouse gases have substantially increased in China over the last decade, a study has found.
![Photo: Aluminum production in western China is a major source of PFC-14 and PFC-116 emissions, which contribute to global warming. (Source: Unsplash/@rozetsky) Aluminum production in western China is a major source of PFC-14 and PFC-116 emissions, which contribute to global warming](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/news/Prinn_ES%26T.jpg?itok=iIy7o3bE)
When it comes to heating up the planet, not all greenhouse gases are created equal. They vary widely in their global warming potential (GWP), a measure of how much infrared thermal radiation a greenhouse gas would absorb over a given time frame once it enters the atmosphere.
!["Students today have grown up in a very contentious and difficult era in which they feel like nothing ever gets done. But stuff does get done, even now," says Professor Susan Solomon. "Looking at how we did things so far really helps you to see how we can do things in the future." Photo of Susan Solomon by Justin Knight. In a new book, Professor Susan Solomon uses previous environmental successes as a source of hope and guidance for mitigating climate change](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/mit-susan-solomon-solvable-00_0.jpg?itok=CwA6b3kU)
In a new book, Professor Susan Solomon uses previous environmental successes as a source of hope and guidance for mitigating climate change (MIT EAPS)
Susan Solomon, MIT professor of Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences (EAPS) and of chemistry, played a critical role in understanding how a class of chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons were creating a hole in the ozone layer. Her research was foundational to the creation of the Montreal...
![A new study led by MIT scientists reveals that burning ammonia in ship engines could still contribute to ozone pollution while causing serious impacts on air quality. Image: iStock New MIT study shows adverse impacts of burning ammonia in ship engines](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/MIT-Ammonia-Fuel-01_0.jpg?itok=MumuQ9Js)
Ammonia could be a nearly carbon-free maritime fuel, but without new emissions regulations, its impact on air quality could significantly impact human health (MIT News)
As container ships the size of city blocks cross the oceans to deliver cargo, their huge diesel engines emit large quantities of air pollutants that drive climate change and have human health impacts. It has been estimated that maritime shipping accounts for almost 3 percent of global carbon...
![The 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold is seen as a line of defense against climate change’s most severe and irreversible effects. Image: Jose-Luis Olivares/MIT The 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold is seen as a line of defense against climate change’s most severe and irreversible effects](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/MIT-explainer-15c-01-press_0_0.jpg?itok=cv7ObsvK)
New data shows global temperatures breached the crucial 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold for 12 months in a row. What does this sustained heat mean for tackling climate change? (DW)
Holly Young
07/08/2024July 8, 2024
New data shows global temperatures breached the crucial 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold for 12 months in a row. What does this sustained heat mean for tackling climate change?
...![An upcoming MIT Joint Program study will identify challenges and opportunities for decarbonizing aviation in Latin America (Source: LatinAmerican Post) An upcoming MIT Joint Program study will identify challenges and opportunities for decarbonizing aviation in Latin America](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/20240703_Innovative-Approaches-to-Decarbonize-Aviation-in-Latin-America-780x470_WEB.jpg?itok=kj_g1XNv)
Upcoming MIT Joint Program study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of sustainable aviation fuel deployment scenarios up to 2050 (LatinAmerican Post)
According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study, decarbonizing aviation in Latin America requires new fuels, redesigned aircraft, and more government action.
Decarbonizing aviation has become a critical goal for the future sustainability of air travel, particularly in...
![Global Changes - Spring 2024 Newsletter Global Changes - Spring 2024 Newsletter](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/news/Spring_2024_Cover.png?itok=C22HSJPz)
![A new downscaling method used in climate models leverages machine learning to improve resolution at finer scales. By making these simulations more relevant to local areas, policy makers have better access to information informing climate action. (Source: MIT EAPS) A new downscaling method used in climate models leverages machine learning to improve resolution at finer scales.](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/climate-downscaling-01.jpg?itok=0mPQIXTs)
A new downscaling method leverages machine learning to speed up climate model simulations at finer resolutions, making them usable on local levels (MIT EAPS)
Climate models are a key technology in predicting the impacts of climate change. By running simulations of the Earth’s climate, scientists and policymakers can estimate conditions like sea level rise, flooding, and rising temperatures, and make decisions about how to appropriately respond. But...
![Global surface temperature above pre-industrial (Source: ERA5) Global surface temperature above pre-industrial](https://globalchange.mit.edu/sites/default/files/styles/490x340_manual/public/in-the-news/Paltsev_IE_WEB.jpg?itok=3xRnP1TQ)
There is an 80% chance that the world will temporarily cross the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold in the next five years. A long-term breach would accelerate and intensify the catastrophic impacts of climate change. (The Indian Express)
This May was the warmest May ever. In fact, each of the last 12 months have set a new warming record for that particular month, Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said last week.
The average global temperature last month was 1.5 degree Celsius above the estimated May average...