Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change

Growing population will increase global climate challengesMIT report shows China and developing nations will come to dominate emissions that promote climate change

Our complex food future and how to respondToday’s global challenges will significantly affect how we grow our food. But these challenges are so complex and intertwined that response measures require collaboration and a broad, integrated lens.

China’s pollution puts a dent in its economyDespite improvements in air quality, the economic impact of air pollution has increased dramatically, new MIT study shows.

MIT researcher: U.S. taking leadership on mercury in the environmentNoelle Eckley Selin joins the EPA's regional administrator, Curt Spalding, and other public health experts to speak about the EPA's recent Mercury and Air Toxics Standards.

Where the wind blowsHow far can wind power go toward reducing global carbon emissions from electricity production?

What can make a dent?Given the enormous scale of worldwide energy use, there are limited options for achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The power of manureAnaerobic digesters provide a win-win opportunity for agriculture and energy.

Coal-to-liquid fuels poised for a comebackWith rising energy prices, could coal-to-liquid conversion become an economical fuel option?

The price of fresh airHow costly are the health damages from air pollution in China?

Moving climate change regulation forwardU.S. chief climate negotiator, MIT panel examine the science and policy of global warming.

Study: U.S. drought risk to increase with climate changeWhile impacts will vary by region, projections indicate that drought frequency will increase throughout most of the contiguous United States.

What's the price of environmental policies?Joint Program report examines discrepancies in climate-change cost estimates

Food and WaterResearchers model the effects of competition for global water resources on agriculture.

Financial impacts of ‘cap and trade’Analysis shows that, contrary to some claims, proposed legislation to limit carbon emissions would not disadvantage those with lower incomes.

Wind resistanceMIT analysis suggests generating electricity from large-scale wind farms could influence climate — and not necessarily in the desired way.

3 Questions: Henry Jacoby on CopenhagenThe co-director of MIT’s Global Change program discusses what to expect from the U.N. Climate Change Conference, and the effects of ‘Climategate’

3 Questions: Sergey Paltsev on the costs of climate-change legislationMIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change has pegged the annual cost of the proposed cap-and-trade legislation in Congress at $400 per U.S. household. But estimating the cost of doing nothing is far more difficult.