News + Media
MIT News | Dec 21, 2011
As the world’s population continues to expand, our natural resources will become increasingly strained. In an effort to find sustainable solutions for the planet’s growing population while minimizing environmental impacts, MIT’s Environmental Research Council (ERC) has put forward a detailed...
Dec 13, 2011
This talk will describe the tremendous potential benefits of shale gas and the environmental challenges posed by shale gas production. John Deutch will review the work of the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Shale Gas Subcommittee, which he chaired, including the recommendations, the reasons...
MIT News | Dec 05, 2011
MIT report shows that with new policies, U.S. electric grid could handle expected influx of electric cars and wind and solar generation.
Over the next two decades, the U.S. electric grid will face unprecedented technological challenges stemming from the growth of distributed and intermittent...
Nov 30, 2011
Panel discussion on the impact of climate change on agriculture and the food we eat.
Associated Press | Nov 21, 2011
AP, Seth Borenstein
WASHINGTON (AP) — Heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are building up so high, so fast, that some scientists now think the world can no longer limit global warming to the level world leaders have agreed upon as safe.
New figures from the U.N. weather agency Monday...
LA Times | Nov 18, 2011
LA Times, Dean Kuipers
Several readers pointed out an omission in last week's post about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s release of its Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, which...
MIT News | Oct 27, 2011
There are many sources that can make a contribution to our energy supply, but likely not at a major scale in the near future.
Beyond wind and solar power, a variety of carbon-free sources of energy — notably biofuels, geothermal energy and advanced nuclear power — are seen as possible ways of...
MIT News | Oct 25, 2011
How far can wind power go toward reducing global carbon emissions from electricity production?
With the world’s energy needs growing rapidly, can zero-carbon energy options be scaled up enough to make a significant difference? How much of a dent can these alternatives make in the world’s total...
MIT News | Oct 24, 2011
Given the enormous scale of worldwide energy use, there are limited options for achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
At any given moment, the world is consuming about 14 terawatts (trillions of watts) of energy — everything from the fuel for our cars and trucks, to wood...
Oct 10, 2011
With the U.S. backing away from a cap-and-trade system, the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) stands as a solitary, iconic, and often-criticized outpost for market-based approaches for limiting green house gas emissions. A. Denny Ellerman evaluates the performance and prospects of the EU ETS and...