TILclimate

This is MIT’s climate change podcast, Today I Learned: Climate. If you're looking to get smart quick on climate change – without the jargon and without the politicking – this podcast is for you! In each episode, we work with experts at MIT and beyond to explain climate change science and solutions in fifteen minutes or less.

On October 5, TILclimate is returning for our fifth season! 

We’ll give you the straight answers to things like:

• What are the two biggest hurdles to getting all our energy from wind and solar – and how do we overcome them?
• Why are so many people talking about methane gas these days?
• Can’t we just get all our water from the ocean?
• What makes some greenhouse gases more concerning than others?

And much more. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come.

On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It was the largest of three bills signed over the course of 10 months that together make up the United States’ largest investment in addressing climate change… well, ever. Dr. Liz Reynolds, lecturer in MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning and former Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development at the National Economic Council at the White House, joins the TILclimate podcast to help us see the big picture of what these bills are trying to accomplish.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/americas-big-year-climate-action

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Scriptwriter & Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by 

Aaron Krol

On Wednesday, April 19, TILclimate will host its first live event at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts! Reserve your seat at tilclimate.org to watch a live recording and join the questions as your host Laur Hesse Fisher sits down with MIT lecturer and former Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development Dr. Elisabeth Reynolds about “America’s big year of climate action” and the course set for U.S. climate policy in 2021-22.

We often hear about recycling as a way to make an impact on climate change right in your own home. But how big a difference are we really making when we recycle? For this episode, Anders Damgaard, senior researcher at the Technical University of Denmark, joins the TILclimate podcast to help us understand the climate benefits of recycling—and why they depend on what we’re recycling and how.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-recycling

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Natalie Jones, Script Writer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Winters are warming faster than any other season here in the U.S. So why are some winter storms getting even more intense? Today, we’re going to explore the connections between climate change and extreme winter weather. For this episode, we sat down with atmospheric science expert Dr. Jennifer Francis of the Woodwell Climate Research Center.

Dr. Jennifer Francis is a senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, and her research is focused on the rapidly changing Arctic. This work engages in why change is occurring, how those changes are affecting the Arctic as well as temperate regions across Earth where billions live. Dr. Francis has devoted more time in recent years towards effective science communication acoss media and helping non-scientists and public officials to gain deeper understanding of why the climate is changing and how it will continue to affect each of us.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, as well as educator guides, sources and further reading, visit https://tilclimate.mit.edu. To receive notifications about new episodes, follow us on Twitter @tilclimate.

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Aaron Krol, Associate Producer
• Adam Nacov, Student Production Assistant
• Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist
• Michelle Harris, Fact Checker
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

What if you could pay someone else to cancel out your carbon emissions? As countries, organizations, and even individuals around the world commit to lowering their impact on the climate, many have been doing just that. So today, we’re going to look at how “carbon offsets” work and whether they are an effective tool for slowing climate change. For this episode, we sat down with carbon trading and offsets expert Dr. Barbara Haya from the University of California Berkeley. 

Dr. Barbara Haya is a Research Fellow at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California Berkeley. She leads the Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, which studies the effectiveness of offset programs and carbon trading with the goal of ensuring these programs and policies support effective climate action. Dr. Haya is also helping the University of California to develop its own strategy of using offsets to meet their carbon neutrality goals. Haya received her PhD at UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group, and has previously worked with NGOs to help support international offset program reform. 

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. To receive notifications about new episodes, follow us on Twitter @tilclimate.

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Aaron Krol, Associate Producer
• Adam Nacov, Student Production Assistant
• Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist
• Michelle Harris, Fact Checker
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Roughly ten percent of the world’s CO2 emissions come from passenger vehicles: cars, pickups, motorcycles, buses, and taxis. So today, we’re going to zoom in on how people get around every day and what to consider when thinking about reducing carbon emissions from everyday travel. For this episode, we sat down with our former MIT colleague and transportation expert Dr. Joanna Moody.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-mobility

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Barrett Golding, Script Writer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being touted as a major solution to climate change. But why is that? How do they work and what kinds of changes are needed as more EVs hit the road? To dig into this, we brought in MIT Sloan Prof. David Keith, who studies transportation technology. 

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-electric-cars

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Barrett Golding, Script Writer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Hydrogen gas acts like a fossil fuel, but with no carbon emissions. Is it the silver bullet we’ve been waiting for? Prof. Svetlana Ikonnikova of the Technical University of Munich joins us to bring light to how hydrogen works and its potential in the energy transition.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-hydrogen

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Natalie Jones, Script Writer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

The ocean is a critical piece of the climate change puzzle. It's estimated that the ocean has absorbed about one third of the excess CO2 humans have added to the atmosphere and more than 90% of trapped heat in the atmosphere. So, today, we’re going underwater to talk about the ocean and climate change with renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-the-ocean

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Natalie Jones, Script Writer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Climate Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

The ocean is a critical piece of the climate change puzzle. It's estimated that the ocean has absorbed about one third of the excess CO2 humans have added to the atmosphere and more than 90% of trapped heat in the atmosphere. So, today, we’re going underwater to talk about the ocean and climate change with renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-the-ocean

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Natalie Jones, Script Writer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Climate Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

At MIT, we have a commitment to sharing what we know about climate change. That’s why, this summer, we’ll be back soon with a fourth season of TILclimate, bringing you new episodes that dive into even more climate topics, like the role the ocean plays in our climate, solutions for reducing transportation emissions, the future of hydrogen energy, and a whole lot more. All around 10-15 minutes, with real scientists and experts.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Aaron Krol, Associate Producer
• Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant
• Natalie Jones, Script Writer
• Barrett Golding, Script Writer
• Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist
• Carolyn Shea, Fact checker
• Michelle Harris, Fact checker
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Today’s episode is about the money of climate change. When people talk about how much it costs to stop climate change, what are we paying for? And who’s paying, exactly? And if we don’t pay to stop climate change – how much will that cost us? To answer these questions, we spoke with Dr. Barbara Buchner from the Climate Policy Initiative.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-what-it-costs

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Today we bring climate change to the dining room table. In this episode, we reinvited Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig onto the TILclimate podcast to tell us just a little more about the connections between the food we eat and climate change.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-what-I-eat

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Over the last fifty years, our world has made remarkable progress in reducing hunger around the world. How can we keep our farms and food system resilient in a warming climate? Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, joins host Laur Hesse Fisher on this episode of TILclimate to explain how climate change is already impacting our global food system.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-farming-a-warmer-planet

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

In our last episode, we talked about using technology to suck out extra carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But you might also be thinking—don’t trees do that? Yeah, they do! In fact, some people have proposed that by planting enough trees, we could make a big dent on climate change. In this episode of TILclimate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Charles Harvey helps us answer the question: could we just plant a whole lot of trees to solve our climate problem?

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-planting-trees

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Robin Palmer, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

We’ve had people ask us, if climate change is caused by adding too much CO2 into the atmosphere, can’t we just suck it back out? Won’t that solve our climate change problem? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), Professor Niall Mac Dowell of Imperial College London joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to demystify the process and feasibility of removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-technological-carbon-capture

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu.

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Is climate change really a national security issue, in the same way we think about terrorism or nuclear weapons? And if so, what are our governments doing about it? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), national security expert Alice C. Hill joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to help answer these questions.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-national-security

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Sea level rise is already happening and affecting people right now. We invited Prof. James Renwick back to TILclimate to talk about the near future: what will sea-level rise look like for coastal areas in the next 20 or 30 years, and what can we do about it?

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-sea-level-rise-part-2

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

If you’ve heard only one thing about climate change, it might be that sea levels are rising, and many of the Earth’s islands and coastlines are at risk. But, why? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), Professor James Renwick of Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to break down the science of sea level rise and what’s in store for the future if we do — and don’t — significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-about-sea-level-rise-part-1

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Carolyn Shea, Fact Checker

Sylvia Scharf, Education Specialist

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Surveys show that both left- and right-leaning Americans support policies that slow climate change. So why aren’t we seeing more of these policies pass as legislation? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT alum Parrish Bergquist joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to explain the significance of public opinion and climate change: what people believe, what influences their opinion and how policies are implemented. They also explore what bipartisan policy making could look like, and how to bridge the gap between support and action.

Parrish Bergquist, an MIT alum from the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Science and the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/til-what-americans-think-about-climate-change. 

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Aaron Krol, Associate Producer

Ilana Hirschfeld, Student Production Assistant

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Climate change can be confusing, and there’s so much to know. That’s why we’re back with a third season of TILclimate, bringing you new episodes that explain the basics, like why exactly is sea level rising, how climate change affects our national security, how can soils and trees be part of the solution, and so much more. All with real scientists and experts who can give you the straight story, in about ten minutes, jargon-free.

Is it too late to prevent climate change? Are the scary predictions that we hear about inevitable? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), MIT Prof. Noelle Selin joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to answer these questions. They explore what change is predictable, explain what climate goals like 1.5 C mean, and give insight to what it will take in order to achieve them.

Prof. Noelle Selin is Associate Professor in the Institute for Data, Systems and Society and in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. She also serves as the Director of MIT's Technology and Policy Program. Her research uses modeling and analysis to inform sustainability decision-making, focusing on issues involving air pollution, climate change and hazardous substances such as mercury.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Aaron Krol, Associate Producer
• Sabrina Gaitan, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Technologies like solar panels and batteries help us slow down climate change, but they’re not inherently perfect. In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), Suzanne Greene of the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics and the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative sits down with host Laur Hesse Fisher to help us navigate how to massively scale up clean tech while making a conscious and dedicated effort to ensure people’s rights, health, and safety.

Suzanne Greene manages the Sustainable Supply Chains initiative at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics and is the lead on Metals, Minerals, and the Environment program at the Environmental Solutions Initiative. She collaborates with industry and stakeholders to develop new methods to calculate, report and offset carbon emissions, improving our understanding of the climate impact of products we use every day.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu. 

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Aaron Krol, Associate Producer
• Sabrina Gaitan, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Let’s talk about a technology that could change our whole energy system, but so far hasn’t generated a single watt. In the season finale of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), Professor Dennis Whyte sits down with host Laur Hesse Fisher to talk about fusion energy.

Dennis Whyte is the Director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), and a Hitachi America Professor of Engineering. As director of PSFC, Whyte has been a key enabler for the SPARC project, a compact, high-field, net fusion energy experiment. The core of the SPARC project, and many ideas for its development, have been conceived or advanced through Professor Whyte’s courses.

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We're partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

Dive Deeper

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit: tilclimate.mit.edu

For related energy podcasts from the MIT Energy Initiative, visit: http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/

For a MITEI podcast discussing fusion energy, visit: http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/game-changing-fusion/

To learn more Professor Whyte’s SPARC project, a compact, high-field, net fusion energy experiment, visit: https://www.psfc.mit.edu/sparc

Want to learn more about how fusion works in stars? Check out: https://sciencing.com/life-cycle-mediumsized-star-5490048.html

For information on the U.S. Department of Energy Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program, visit: https://science.osti.gov/fes

In the episode, Professor Whyte talks about plasma in fusion reactions. Wondering what exactly plasma is? Check out: https://www.livescience.com/54652-plasma.html

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Jessie Hendricks, Graduate Student Writer

Aaron Krol, Contributing Writer

Skyler Jones, Student Production Assistant

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

This season, we’ve talked about alternative energy sources that don’t emit carbon dioxide -- but what if there was a way to continue using fossil fuels for energy without emitting CO2 into the atmosphere? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), Dr. Howard Herzog and Professor Brad Hager sit down with host Laur Hesse Fisher to talk about capturing, using, and storing carbon emissions, and how it fits into a clean energy future.

Howard Herzog is a Senior Research Engineer in the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), where he has researched combating greenhouse gas emissions for over 30 years. He was also a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC Special Report on Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage and a co-author on the MIT Future of Coal Study.

Brad Hager is the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Earth Sciences in the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (EAPS). He is also the co-director of the MIT Energy Initiative’s Low Carbon Energy Center on Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage.

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We're partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Jessie Hendricks, Graduate Student Writer

Aaron Krol, Contributing Writer

Ruby Wincele, Student Production Assistant

Cecilia Bolon, Student Production Assistant

Skyler Jones, Student Production Assistant

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

We know how to generate tons of electricity without pumping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, using a technology that’s already mature, widespread, and competitive with fossil fuels -- and also, very controversial: nuclear power. In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), Prof. Jacopo Buongiorno, Director of the MIT Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, sits down with host Laur Hesse Fisher to explore how nuclear power works, why even some climate advocates don’t agree on using it, and what role it can play in our clean energy future.

Jacopo Buongiorno is the TEPCO Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Director of Science and Technology of the Nuclear Reactor Laboratory at MIT.  He is also the Director of the Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems (CANES), which is one of eight Low-Carbon-Energy Centers of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI).

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We're partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu

For related energy podcasts from the MIT Energy Initiative, visit:

http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/

For the MITEI podcast episode on the Future of Nuclear Energy, visit:

https://energy.mit.edu/podcast/the-future-of-nuclear-energy/

For the full MITEI report on the Future on Nuclear Energy, visit:

http://energy.mit.edu/research/future-nuclear-energy-carbon-constrained-world/

For a deeper dive into nuclear energy, check out Prof. Buongiorno’s course on edX:

https://www.edx.org/course/nuclear-energy-science-systems-and-society

To get a sense of the USA’s energy mix, visit:

https://www.epa.gov/energy/power-profiler#/

If you want to know more about how nuclear fuel is stored,visit:

https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/safer-storage-spent-nuclear-fuel

For a comparison of the safety of different energy sources: 

https://ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy

For the landmark report on Chernobyl mentioned in the episode, written by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), visit:

https://www.unscear.org/unscear/en/chernobyl.html

For more details on the 2011 Fukushima accident, check out the official Fukushima Prefecture report:

http://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/site/portal-english/en03-01.html

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Jessie Hendricks, Graduate Student Writer
• Aaron Krol, Contributing Writer
• Darya Guettler, Student Production Assistant
• Skyler Jones, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

We hear a lot about technologies that produce carbon-free energy, but what about actually using less energy to begin with? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), Harvey Michaels, lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to explore the three ways that energy efficiency can help us reduce carbon emissions.

Harvey Michaels, an MIT alumnus now lecturing at the MIT Sloan School of Management, researches energy management and efficiency and smart-grid-related opportunities to mitigate climate change. He is a member of Future of the Grid at the MIT Energy Initiative, Efficiency Forward at the Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Project Faculty for Energy Democracy at the MIT Media Lab. Prior to joining MIT, Harvey Michaels worked at energy efficiency companies Xenergy and Aclara Software.

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We're partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu

For related energy podcasts from the MIT Energy Initiative, visit:

http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/

For a list of U.S. energy efficiency incentives for by state, visit: https://www.dsireusa.org/

Check out this case study on the Bullitt Center in Seattle, which achieved a certification called the Living Building Challenge. The building is so energy efficient, the solar panels on its roof generate more electricity than the building needs:

http://www.bullittcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/living-proof-bullitt-center-case-study.pdf

Want to know how energy efficient your lightbulbs are?  Check out this comparison: 

https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/save-electricity-and-fuel/lighting-choices-save-you-money/how-energy-efficient-light

Here is a resource comparing the cost to fuel an electric car versus a gasoline car:

https://www.energy.gov/articles/egallon-how-much-cheaper-it-drive-electricity

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Jessie Hendricks, Graduate Student Writer
• Aaron Krol, Contributing Writer
• Darya Guettler, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

What will it take to generate the electricity our society needs, without generating carbon emissions? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned Climate), Dr. Magdalena Klemun at the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to begin exploring this question, starting with wind and solar power. What exactly are wind and solar power? What challenges do we currently face when trying to use wind and solar to generate most of our electricity? What’s the role of energy storage, and what could our future zero-carbon energy mix look like? 

Dr. Magdalena Klemun, a postdoctoral associate at the Trancik Lab at the MIT Institute for Data, Systems and Society, works on understanding how the economic and environmental performance of technologies evolve in response to different innovation efforts, with an emphasis on the cost evolution of photovoltaic systems and nuclear power plants, and on the environmental performance evolution of natural gas technologies. She has degrees from MIT, Columbia University, and Vienna University of Technology.

TILclimate is produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative.

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We're partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, visit tilclimate.mit.edu

For related podcasts from the MIT Energy Initiative, visit:

Energy technology evolution: http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/21

Firm low-carbon energy resources: http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/firm-low-carbon-energy-resources/

Batteries & storage: http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/batteries-and-storage/

Game-changing solar: http://energy.mit.edu/podcast/game-changing-solar/

For more information on the world’s current energy breakdown, visit: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics?country=WORLD&fuel=Energy%20supply&indicator=Total%20primary%20energy%20supply%20(TPES)%20by%20source

For the full break-down of where the US gets its energy:

https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/

Check out this selection of Dr. Klemun’s research:

Mitigating Methane Emissions of Natural Gas: 

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab2577/pdf

Intersection between Emissions Reductions and Technological Innovation in Wind and Solar:

http://energy.mit.edu/publication/technology-improvement-and-emissions-reductions-as-mutually-reinforcing-efforts/

For a more in-depth analysis of storage requirements for decarbonization, check out this study:

https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(19)30300-9

For a closer look at potential low-carbon energy mixes for future decarbonization, check out this study: 

https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(18)30386-6

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Jessie Hendricks, Graduate Student Writer
• Darya Guettler, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In this mini-episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), host Laur Hesse Fisher breaks down what we’re actually talking about when we use the word “energy”. In a few minutes, we cover the difference between energy and electricity, and the big picture strategy for how to reduce CO2 for each.

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We’re partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews to take a deeper dive into these topics.

For more episodes of TILclimate, visit: tilclimate.mit.edu

To listen to the MIT Energy Initiative podcast, visit: energy.mit.edu/podcast

For the full break-down of where U.S. gets its energy: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Jessie Hendricks, Graduate Student Writer
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Neil Fisher.

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Fossil fuels -- coal, natural gas, and oil -- provide the large majority of our power in the United States and around the world. In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), John Reilly of the MIT Sloan School of Management joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to demystify fossil fuels: what are the different kinds of fossil fuels, and how do they compare to each other? What is “fracking” and how did impact energy use and CO2 emissions in the United States? What kinds of decisions do we need to make to transition to clean energy, while providing electricity to a growing number of people?

John Reilly is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and Co-Director of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change. An economist, he researches economic models that connect human activity with natural systems like the ocean, atmosphere, and vegetation.

Season two of TILclimate focuses on our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. We’re partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

For more episodes of TILclimate, visit: tilclimate.mit.edu

To listen to the MIT Energy Initiative podcast, visit: energy.mit.edu/podcast

For in-depth analyses on energy technologies, check out the MIT Energy’s “Future of” report series: energy.mit.edu/research-type/future-of/

For the full break-down of where U.S. gets its energy: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/us-energy-facts/

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Rachel Fritts, Graduate Student Writer
• Olivia Burek, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The electric grid are networks that carry electricity from central power plants to our homes. But how exactly is electricity generated and brought to our door? And what needs to change if we’re going to transition to generating “clean” electricity? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), Harvey Michaels, lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to explain the history and perhaps surprising features of the electric grid, and what changes are in store for the future.

This episode launches a new season of TILclimate that will explain our global energy system, its relationship to climate change, and what our options are for keeping the lights on while creating a clean energy future. For this season, TILclimate is partnering with the MIT Energy Initiative, which will air longer interviews with each guest to take a deeper dive into these topics.

Harvey Michaels, an MIT alumnus now lecturing at the MIT Sloan School of Management, researches energy management and efficiency and smart-grid-related opportunities to mitigate climate change. He is a member of Future of the Grid at the MIT Energy Initiative, Efficiency Forward at the Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Project Faculty for Energy Democracy at the MIT Media Lab. Prior to joining MIT, Harvey Michaels worked at energy efficiency companies Xenergy and Aclara Software.

For more episodes of TILclimate, visit: tilclimate.mit.edu

To listen to the MIT Energy Initiative podcast, visit: energy.mit.edu/podcast

For in-depth analyses on energy technologies, check out the MIT Energy’s “Future of” report series: energy.mit.edu/research-type/future-of/

Credits

·     Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer

·     David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

·     Rachel Fritts, Graduate Student Writer

·     Olivia Burek, Student Production Assistant

·     Music by Blue Dot Sessions

·     Artwork by Aaron Krol

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Here at TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), there’s one question we get from our listeners more than any other: “What can I do to make a difference on climate change?” In this special episode of the podcast, three guests who have made acting on climate a big part of their lives join interim host Aaron Krol to share their stories and their advice for those who want to do more. Together, we discuss how to mobilize and inspire others, how small individual actions can lead to large societal ones, and why your contributions to a cooler, more resilient future can have benefits that aren’t just about rising seas or mounting heat waves.

Emily Her is a student at Boise State University, previously at Timberline High School, and a regular volunteer for the Sierra Club. While still in high school, she co-organized a campaign in favor of climate change education in Idaho schools and participated in the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign, petitioning the City of Boise to commit to a 100% clean energy mandate for sourcing its electricity.

Linda Cheung, an alumna of the MIT Sloan School of Business and the Sloan Sustainability Certificate program, is the founder and CEO of Before It’s Too Late, a Miami-based nonprofit that uses art and technology to educate and inspire on climate issues. Her projects at Before It’s Too Late include interactive murals, live games, hackathons, and personal challenges. She previously worked in the finance and renewable energy industries.

The Reverend Mariama White-Hammond is the pastor of New Roots AME Church in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, and serves in leadership positions with a number of environmental and social justice organizations, among them the Green Justice Coalition. Previously the Executive Director of Project HIP-HOP, the Reverend White-Hammond focuses on the intersection of the climate crisis with other social justice issues, especially where climate change will contribute to problems afflicting vulnerable minority communities.

For more short climate change explainers, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Aaron Krol, Interim Host
• Cecelia Bolon, Olivia Burek, and Alyssa Farkas, Student Production Assistants
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Tom Kiley and MIT Open Learning.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

More Info

For more information and inspiration on climate action, check out:

More from Emily Her and Ready for 100:

• The Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign
• I experienced a backlash for using two words—climate change. Still, I speak. (Idaho Statesman)
• The lightbulb is turning on for Boise leaders: Clean, renewable energy is our future (Idaho Statesman)

More from Linda Cheung:

• Before It’s Too Late
• The 7-Day Challenge
• Spotlight: MIT Alum Linda Cheung, Founder, Before It's Too Late (MIT Climate Portal)
• In Miami, how art intersects with technology and climate change (PBS News Hour)
• Grist 50 List, 2019 (Grist)

More from the Reverend Mariama White-Hammond:

• TILclimate’s full interview with the Reverend
• New Roots AME Church
• The Green Justice Coalition
• Climate Change and Community: An Interview with Reverend Mariama White-Hammond (ClimateX)
• One Faith Leader Says Love Is The Key To Climate Action (WGBH)
• Climate Justice: What It Requires of Us All (Beacon Hill Friends House)
• Three Boston Congregations Team Up for Community Solar Project (Barr Foundation)
• Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley & Rev. Mariama White-Hammond: Green New Deal Town Hall (Jamaica Plain Forum)

National climate action organizations:

• Sunrise Movement
• Environmental Voter Project
• Climate Justice Alliance
• Mothers Out Front
• 350.org

When talking about climate change solutions, we often hear about reducing emissions and adapting to climate impacts, but a third option is starting to get more attention: altering the atmosphere. In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT alumnus Janos Pasztor joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to explain geoengineering: what it is and the different technologies that are being researched. They also dive into the opportunities and challenges presented by geoengineering, and what difficult decisions we might need to make as a society.
Janos Pasztor, an MIT alum, is the Executive Director of the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative (C2G2), which seeks to create effective governance for geoengineering; it aims to expand the conversation from the scientific and research community to global policy-making, and to encourage a society-wide discussion about the risks, potential benefits, ethical and governance challenges. Before his current position, Mr. Pasztor was the UN Assistant Secretary General for Climate Change and the Policy and Science Director of the WWF (2012-2015). From 1993–2006, he worked at the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

For more short climate change explainers, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Links

To learn more, check out:
Mr. Pasztor’s work:

• Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative Website
• Video - Global Ethics Forum: The Ethics and Governance of Geoengineering (Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs)

For more information on geoengineering:

• What is geoengineering? (Oxford Geoengineering Programme)
• Geoengineering overview (Global Challenges)
• Rules for geoengineering the planet (MIT Technology Review)
• Excerpt from “Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration (Holly Jean Buck, published in MIT Technology Review)

More on absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (carbon dioxide removal):

• Nature-based solutions (World Resources Institute)
• Direct air capture (DAC) (Fortune)
  * Biomass Energy Carbon Capture & Storage (BECCS) (Carbon Brief)

More on solar radiation management:

• Stratospheric aerosol injection (CBS)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (Kerry Emanuel)

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Cecelia Bolon, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Tom Kiley and MIT Open Learning.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

What exactly is a carbon price, and how does it work? What would it look like and how would it change everyday life? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT economics professor Christopher Knittel joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to break down the complexities of carbon pricing. Together, they explain different types of programs, give us a sense of how much it would cost, and explore how countries and U.S. states are experimenting with carbon pricing now.
Christopher Knittel is a professor of applied economics at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, director of the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (CEEPR), and co-director of the MIT Electric Power Systems Low Carbon Energy Center. Prof. Knittel’s research focuses on energy and environmental economics, and he works to compare the efficiency and costs of different programs and policies that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more climate explainers, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Links
For more information on carbon pricing, check out:

The work of Prof. Knittel:

• Prof. Knittel’s website

Overviews of carbon pricing:

• About Carbon Pricing (UNFCCC)
• Map - Carbon pricing programs around the world (World Bank)
• Map - U.S. state carbon pricing policies (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)

Examples of carbon pricing policies outside of the U.S.:

• British Columbia’s Carbon Tax (British Columbia)
• Canada’s Carbon Pricing Plan (Government of Canada)
• European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU)
• China will start the world’s largest carbon trading market (Scientific American)

Examples of carbon pricing policies in the U.S.:

• California’s Current Cap and Trade System (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)
• The existing Northeast US Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
• Federal carbon pricing proposals introduced 2017–2018 (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions)
• Citizens of Washington state voted against a carbon tax in 2018 (NBC)

About the US sulfur dioxide (SO2) cap and trade program

• Acid Rain Program (EPA)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (Kerry Emanuel)

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Cecelia Bolon, Student Production Assistant
• Ruby Wincele, Student Researcher
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Tom Kiley and MIT Open Learning.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

With climate change, some parts of the world will get more water, but others will experience droughts. Some will start seeing more mosquitoes, but some fewer. And some regions might actually benefit economically. What’s the deal? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT professor Elfatih Eltahir joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to talk about how climate impacts will differ across the globe. Together, they do a quick world tour, exploring how climate change will affect malaria in Africa, water availability in the Nile, and heat waves in Southern Asia.

Elfatih Eltahir is a professor of Hydrology and Climate in MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and he has taught at MIT since 1994. Prof. Eltahir is interested in understanding how regional land use/land cover change, as well as global climate change, may impact society through changes in the patterns of water availability, extreme weather, and spread of vector-borne diseases. Working with his students, he develops numerical models that are used for predicting these impacts at regional scales.

For more short climate change explainers, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Links

For more information on regional climate impacts, check out:
The work of Prof. Eltahir:

• Prof. Eltahir’s website
• China could face deadly heat waves due to climate change (MIT News)
• Parts of Asia might be too hot for people by 2100 (National Geographic)
• Nile faces greater variability (MIT News)
• 3Q: Elfatih Eltahir on what Malaria and Dengue can tell us about Zika (MIT News)

The New York Times graphic that Prof. Eltahir mentions at 9:10:

• How Americans Think About Climate Change, in Six Maps (New York Times)

Large-scale climate:

• Climate change and vector-borne diseases (UCAR)
• Sand from Greenland’s Melting Ice Sheet Could Bring in Business (American Geophysical Union)
• Does global warming mean it’s warming everywhere? (NOAA)
• More Floods and More Droughts: Climate Change Delivers Both (New York Times)

Climate impacts in the US:

• National Climate Assessment Overview (U.S. Global Change Research Program)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (Kerry Emanuel)

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• [David Lishansky]((https://twitter.com/DaveResonates), Editor and Producer
• Cecelia Bolon, Student Production Assistant
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Tom Kiley and MIT Open Learning.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

How do we make choices in the face of uncertainty? In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT professor Kerry Emanuel joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to talk about climate risk. Together, they break down why the climate system is so hard to predict, what exactly scientists mean when they talk about “uncertainty”, and how scientists quantify and assess the risks associated with climate change. Although this uncertainty shrinks every day — as researchers refine their work, computing power grows, and models improve — what we do and how quickly we act will ultimately come down to how much risk we are willing to accept.
Kerry Emanuel is an MIT Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and the co-founder and co-director of the MIT Lorenz Center. In 2006, he was included in Time Magazine’s “100 People who Shape Our World”. Through his decades of experience studying the atmosphere and earth’s climate, Prof. Emanuel focuses on trying to quantify the risks of these anthropogenic (human-caused) changes, especially focusing on hurricanes.

For more short climate change explainers, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Links

For more information on climate risk, check out:
The work of Prof. Emanuel:

• Prof. Emanuel’s website
• Video lecture on climate risks

Information about predicted levels of warming and impacts of that warming:

• Summary of the impacts of 1.5 degrees of warming (MIT Climate Portal)
• 2100 warming projections (climateactiontracker.org)
• Climate action ratings by country (climateactiontracker.org)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (Kerry Emanuel)

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Cecelia Bolon, Student Production Assistant
• Ruby Wincele, Student Researcher
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Tom Kiley and Laura Howells.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Scientists predict that hurricanes will hit us harder in the future — but why? And what can we expect to see? In this episode of #TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT professor Kerry Emanuel joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to break down how these “heat engines” work and how a changing climate will increase hurricane intensity, storm surges, and flooding. They also explore how people around the world are adapting to growing hurricane risks.
Prof. Emanuel is the Cecil & Ida Green Professor of Atmospheric Science at the MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences and co-director of the MIT Lorenz Center. He is a prominent meteorologist and climate scientist who studies tropical cyclones. In 2006, he was named by Time Magazine as one of the “100 People Who Shape Our World”.

An educator guide for this episode can be found here: https://climate.mit.edu/educator-guide-til-about-hurricanes

For other climate explanations, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Learn more about:

The work of Prof. Emanuel and other hurricane researchers:

• Prof. Kerry Emanuel’s website
• Kerry Emanuel: This year’s hurricanes are a taste of the future (MIT News)
• Does climate change affect hurricanes? What we do — and don’t — know (CBS News)

Video footage of storm surges (as mentioned by Prof. Emanuel 5:59)

• Hurricane storm surge (NOAA Ocean Today)

Kerry Emanuel’s explanation for natural sea level rise in New York (As mentioned by Prof. Emanuel 6:30):

• “During the peak of the glaciation, the weight of the ice deformed the earth's crust much as a rock deforms a pillow it is placed on. The pillow sinks under the weight of the rock but bulges upward just outside the perimeter of the rock. When the rock is lifted, the depression in the pillow rebounds upward while the bulge around it collapses. New York was near the center of the bulge caused by the ice sheet, and when it melted, the bulge relaxed downward...equivalent to a rise in sea level. That is still happening.”

Examples of how communities are adapting to hurricanes:

• Partnerships to advance climate risk insurance approaches in Grenada, Jamaica, and Saint Lucia (UNFCCC)
• Connected mangroves in Malaysia (UNFCCC)
• National resettlement plan in Uruguay (UNFCCC)
• Public private people partnerships for climate compatible development (4PCCD) in Mozambique (UNFCCC)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (Kerry Emanuel)

Credits

• Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
• David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
• Ruby Wincele, Student Researcher
• Cecelia Bolon, Student Coordinator
• Music by Blue Dot Sessions
• Artwork by Aaron Krol

Special thanks to Tom Kiley and Laura Howells.

Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Humans use around 90 billion metric tons of materials every year, creating about ⅓ of total global greenhouse gas emissions. Which materials produce the most emissions? You might be surprised.

In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT professor Elsa Olivetti joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to talk about materials, or as Prof. Olivetti calls it, “the study of stuff”. Prof. Olivetti explains where these emissions come from and how to reduce emissions and waste in our manufacturing.

Prof. Olivetti is the Atlantic Richfield Associate Professor of Energy Studies in the Material Science and Engineering Department at MIT. Prof. Olivetti focuses her research on developing strategies to make materials and manufacturing more efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally-friendly.

For other climate explanations, check out: www.tilclimate.mit.edu.

Read more about:
Prof. Olivetti’s projects:

• Brick made out of industrial waste
• Faculty Highlight: Elsa Olivetti (MIT News)

Solutions developed at MIT & beyond:

• A company founded by MIT alumni recently developed a new way to process steel, that could cut 5% of CO2 emissions
• MIT students found that plastic from disposable water bottles can be used to make concrete that is up to 15% stronger (MIT News)
• An MIT Climate CoLab winner designed concrete made from hemp
• An MIT research group focused on sustainable concrete

Credits
Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
Ruby Wincele, Student Researcher
Cecelia Bolon, Student Coordinator
Music by Blue Dot Sessions
Artwork by Aaron Krol
Special thanks to Tom Kiley and Laura Howells.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Wrap your head around this: humans have changed clouds. In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT professor Dan Cziczo joins host Laur Hesse Fisher to spell out why this is, and what this has to do with climate change. They explore how clouds form in the first place, how human activity has impacted cloud formation and rainfall, and what scientists are still trying to understand. They touch upon the emerging field of geoengineering and how humans could create more clouds to cool the planet — but we’ll have full episode on that coming out soon.
Prof. Cziczo is a professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and has been an MIT faculty member since 2011. Prof. Cziczo is interested in the relationship between particulate matter and cloud formation, and his research focuses on how human activities are changing clouds and particles, and what those changes mean for atmospheric science.

For other short, climate-explainer podcasts, see: www.tilclimate.mit.edu on MIT’s Climate portal.

Read more about:

Prof. Cziczo and his research:

• Cziczo Research Group website
• Can rain clean the atmosphere? Study explains how rain droplets attract aerosols out of the atmosphere. (MIT News)
• Dust in the Clouds (MIT News)

Scientific uncertainty and geoengineering:

• Certainty vs. Uncertainty: Understanding Scientific Terms about Climate Change (Union of Concerned Scientists)
• The Future of Geoengineering is Far from Settled (MIT News)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (MIT’s Kerry Emanuel)

Credits
Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
Ruby Wincele, Student Researcher
Cecelia Bolon, Student Coordinator
Music by Blue Dot Sessions
Artwork by Aaron Krol
Special thanks to Tom Kiley and Laura Howells.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I love to travel. But I hate the fact that something I love to do, creates so much pollution.” In this episode of TILclimate (Today I Learned: Climate), MIT professor Steven Barrett and host Laur Hesse Fisher dig into how — and why — air travel impacts our earth’s climate, and what solutions are on the horizon.
They explore the surprising heating effect of condensation trails (“contrails”), how computer simulations of the earth’s climate system are built, and what scientists and engineers are doing to make flying, well, less bad for the planet.
Prof. Barrett is a professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Director of the Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment. Through this lab, he coordinates the MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative, which aims to assess and develop sustainable electric aircraft technology. To read more about Barrett’s research on contrails, biofuels, fuel efficiency, electric aviation technology, and more, check out the links below.

For other short, climate-explainer podcasts, see: www.tilclimate.mit.edu on MIT’s Climate portal.

Read more about:

Aviation solutions developed at MIT & beyond:

• MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative research (MIT Electric Aircraft Initiative)
• Electric planes that have no moving parts (MIT News)
• Alternative jet fuels that reduce CO2 emissions (Energy Policy Journal)

Prof. Steven Barrett and his work:

• How Air Travel Warms the Planet
• Steven Barrett: Contrails, Carbon & Climate

The earth’s reflectivity based on color (the albedo effect):

• NASA article on measuring the Earth’s albedo (NASA)
• MIT research on how urbanization is changing Earth’s albedo (MIT Concrete Sustainability Hub)

Articles mentioned in the podcast:

• For the Love of Earth, Stop Traveling (Washington Post)
• Empty skies after 9/11 set the stage for an unlikely climate change experiment (Global News)

For advice on personal air travel:

• “I feel guilty about flying… help!” (Yale Climate Conversations - Climate Advice)

An overview of climate change:

• Climate Science and Climate Risk: A Primer (MIT’s Kerry Emanuel)

Credits
Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Producer
David Lishansky, Editor and Producer
Ruby Wincele, Student Researcher
Cecelia Bolon, Student Coordinator
Music by Blue Dot Sessions
Artwork by Aaron Krol
Special thanks to Tom Kiley and Laura Howells.
Produced by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MIT Climate is launching a new show that breaks down climate science and its impact on our society. Here's a teaser. Full episodes will be released on March 20th.

Follow us on Twitter @TILclimate
Check out our website tilclimate.mit.edu
Send a question you have about the climate to [email protected]