MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2018 Activities by Sponsor - Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change



MIT Joint Program 2018 IAP Lectures and Talks

Sika Gazanku, SM Candidate in Technology and Policy

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

The Mit Joint Program talks will start with an overview of climate science and the economics of climate changes. The second day, we will learn about the mechanism of the climate system and how the weather relates to climate change. The policy of climate change will take us to the challenges of designing a global climate policy that is effective in terms of cost and implementation. Here we will learn how political values drive climate policy.

Three of our speakers decided to take on the challenging task of predicting what the weather would be like decades from now by looking at certain processes of the climate.

Our final session will explore the costs and competitiveness of various energy generation technologies in a low-carbon future.

 

Please use the following lik to sign-up
You can sign-up for all the courses or just select the courses that you would like to attend. These are non-credit courses.

SING-UP HERE

Sponsor(s): Joint Program/Science and Policy of Global Change
Contact: Dimonika Bray, E19-411R, 617 324-7375, DBIZI@MIT.EDU


Climate Science 101: Warmer Things

Add to Calendar Jan/16 Tue 05:30PM-06:30PM Bldg E51, Room 325

An overview of climate science: what comprises climate, relevant factors in climate system, how climate has changed in the past versus how it is changing now.

Ellen Lalk, Meghana Ranganathan - Physicist


Climate Change: The Nexus of Economic

Add to Calendar Jan/16 Tue 06:30PM-07:30PM Bldg E51, Room 325

In order to address climate change, policy makers must be able to address the economics of implementation, risk uncertainty, and information assessment. This session will give a brief overview of these tools and their relationship to the foundation of climate policy.

Sika Gazanku - SM Candidate in Technology and Policy, Anthony Fratto Olyler


Climate Science 102

Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 05:30PM-06:30PM Bldg E51, Room 325

Climate feedbacks and tipping points 

Embedded within the climate system are many nonlinear feedback systems and possible tipping points in the climate system, making prediction of future climate difficult. We will discuss such mechanism of the climate system, Earth system models; role of clouds, oceans, land cover, and biology in the climate system, and how extreme weather relates to climate change.

Ali Ramadhan, Warittha Panasawatwong


The Politics of Climate Change

Add to Calendar Jan/17 Wed 06:30PM-07:30PM Bldg E51, Room 325

A global perspective 

Political values and priorities drive climate policy. In this session, we will use examples from the European Union and African countries to highlight the very real challenges of designing effective climate policy.

Sika Gazanku - SM Candidate in Technology and Policy, Anthony Fratto Olyler


Predicting future climate

Add to Calendar Jan/18 Thu 05:30PM-06:30PM Bldg E51, Room 325

When weather forecasting is difficult enough 

The weather in a few days can be difficult to predict, especially with certain processes such as thunderstorms. So how can we trust climate projections over several decades? We'll discuss the similarities and differences between predicting next week's weather and the climate in 2100 and how they allow us to make confident climate projections.

Ali Ramadhan, Warittha Panasawatwong


Climate Policy and Local Initiatives

Add to Calendar Jan/18 Thu 06:30PM-07:30PM Bldg E51, Room 325

The role of energy efficiency 

Local governments are uniquely positioned to curb greenhouse gas emissions. This discussion will review policies and programs in energy efficiency and their important role in mitigating climate change.  

Philip Eash-Gates - Director of Projects for CVAL Innovations


Analyzing a Clean Energy Future

Add to Calendar Jan/19 Fri 05:30PM-06:30PM bldg E51, Room 325

This section will explore the costs and competitiveness of various energy generation technologies (including fossil-fuels, renewables, nuclear, and newer technologies) in a low-carbon future and give participants tools to be able to analyze other technologies.  Included in this discussion will be topics on intermittency, energy storage, and distributed generation. 

Jessica Farrell