Spotlights: Global Systems

Innovative buildings: Prudent use of energy and materials

MIT researchers and their collaborators from South Africa and England have demonstrated that it is possible to create elegant, energy-efficient buildings with little energy consumption and essentially no energy-intensive materials. Posted 30 July 2009

New analysis shows climate change odds much worse than thought

The most comprehensive modeling yet carried out on the likelihood of how much hotter the Earth's climate will get in this century shows that without rapid and massive action, the problem will be about twice as severe as previously estimated six years ago—and could be even worse than that. Posted 20 May 2009

New MIT tool could aid safe underground storage of carbon dioxide

One approach to mitigating global warming calls for capturing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide at the source—an electric power plant, for example—and then injecting them underground. Now MIT engineers have come up with a new software tool to determine how much CO2 can be sequestered safely in geological formations. Posted 4 December 2008

MIT proposes near-term approach to make coal plants more climate-friendly

An MIT analysis suggests an approach to carbon capture that could restart the now-stalled construction of new coal-fired power plants in the U.S. while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and furthering the development of the technology. Posted 17 November 2008

Getting wrapped up in solar textiles

Sheila Kennedy, an expert in the integration of solar cell technology in architecture, is creating designs for flexible photovoltaic materials that may change the way buildings receive and distribute energy. Posted 21 August 2008

MIT recommends steps to slash gasoline use by 2035

A new MIT report concludes that over the next 25 years the fuel consumption of new vehicles could be reduced by 30-50 percent and total U.S. fuel use for vehicles could be cut to 2000 levels, with greenhouse gas emissions cut by almost as much. By integrating findings from five years’ research, the comprehensive report identifies steps we need to take to get there—but the challenges involved are enormous on many fronts. Posted 5 August 2008

Carbon emissions trading in Europe: Lessons to be learned

For the past three years, the European Union has been operating the world's largest emissions trading system and the first system to limit and to trade carbon dioxide emissions. An MIT analysis of this initial "trial" phase yields insights, guidance, and encouragement for policy makers now working to design a carbon dioxide trading scheme for the United States. Posted 29 May 2008

Cutting total fuel use by U.S. vehicles: How much can hybrids help?

Slashing fuel use by all vehicles on U.S. roads within a few decades may seem an impossible task. But a new MIT analysis involving vehicle fleet modeling studies shows that there are various ways to do it—all of them challenging and requiring immediate action on several fronts. Posted 10 April 2008

Going bananas over the carbon footprint

MIT researchers are working with Chiquita Brands International Inc. to help gauge the carbon footprint of the supply chain that transports bananas by truck and ship from Central America to the United States. The case study will lead to a Web-based tool that will help other companies calculate and potentially reduce the energy consumption of products moved by land, water, and/or air. Posted 25 February 2008

MIT economist sees U.S. weathering $100 oil

As the price of oil hit the $100 mark for the first time on Jan. 2, it may have looked like 1973 all over again to some observers. But research by an MIT macroeconomist shows that a return to 1970s-style gas lines and stagflation isn't in the cards. Posted 8 January 2008

Energy-related environmental change: consequences for crop yields, global economy

A new MIT study shows that increases in temperature and carbon dioxide may benefit crops, pastures, and forests. However, those benefits may be more than offset by the detrimental effects of increases in ozone, notably on crops. The cost to the global economy could be considerable. Posted 2 November 2007

MIT analysis examines costs, impacts of emissions bills

An MIT analysis of climate-change bills now in Congress shows that adopting any of them would cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions significantly from a business-as-usual trajectory, but the positive impact on global temperature would be overwhelmed by the emissions behavior of the rest of the world. Even the most stringent bill would not substantially dampen economic growth over the next five decades, but the US energy mix would change dramatically. Posted 30 July 2007

Alternative-fuel vehicles

Imagine a vehicle that runs on hydrogen or biofuels and offers the same features, performance and price as today's gasoline vehicle. Will it capture half the market? Not likely, concludes a new MIT analysis. Not even if it's three times more fuel-efficient. Posted 25 June 2007

Climate change tops Americans' environmental concerns, MIT survey finds

According to a recent MIT survey, Americans now rank climate change as the country's most pressing environmental problem — a dramatic shift from three years ago, when they ranked climate change sixth out of 10 environmental concerns. Posted 22 November 2006

Ethanol-boosted engine promises high efficiency at low cost

MIT researchers are developing a half-sized gasoline engine that performs like its full-sized cousin but offers fuel efficiency approaching that of today's hybrid engine system — at a far lower cost. Posted 3 November 2006

Clicking together a small, safe nuclear power plant

Building a nuclear power plant can take decades — unless you follow a plan devised by MIT Professor Andrew Kadak of nuclear engineering. He likens his approach to building with Lego blocks: a small, meltdown-proof power plant would be made by "clicking together" prefabricated modules at building sites, cutting traditional construction time and costs in half. Posted 23 May 2006

Hold the AC

Operating commercial buildings consumes a sixth of all the energy used in the western world. Getting rid of air conditioning could cut that consumption by as much as a third — but people can't work in sweltering heat. Posted 3 May 2006