In the Media

Radio segment: MIT is creating a digital twin earth to help model climate change

WBUR    ·    June 6, 2022

One of the five MIT Climate Grand Challenges flagship research teams is developing a digital twin model of earth to help predict how climate change will affect us.

These are the batteries we need to ease the power crunch

The Washington Post    ·    June 3, 2022

In a Washington Post article on the importance of energy storage in decarbonizing energy systems, reporter Anjani Trivedi highlights findings from MITEI's Future of Energy Storage report, including that a focus on short-term policy goals has limited research and development of newer technologies.

MIT research explores whether plant DNA can solve our plastic problem

WBUR    ·    May 31, 2022

Kristala Prather (Chemical Engineering) discusses her work using synthetic biology to develop new materials that function like plastic, but don't rely on fossil fuels and biodegrade when no longer in use.

Optimize rising renewables levels by increasing deployment of different types of energy storage: MIT

Utility Dive    ·    May 27, 2022

MITEI’s Future of Energy Storage report “provides a blueprint for supporting and using grid storage technologies—existing and emerging—to affordably slash emissions,” reports Utility Dive.

Can this MIT metallurgist clean up copper production?

Popular Science    ·    May 24, 2022

Copper is an essential component in the clean energy transition, but purifying it is an incredibly carbon-intensive process. Antoine Allanore (Materials Science and Engineering) has devised a new, fossil fuel-free method that employs electrolysis to separate copper from ore.

Can electric vehicles decarbonize transportation?

United Nations climate blog    ·    May 23, 2022

In the United Nations climate blog “Electric Future,” Sergey Paltsev (MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, MITEI) highlights challenges in making EVs truly emissions free.

Energy storage makes ‘deep decarbonization affordable,’ finds three-year MIT study

Energy Storage News    ·    May 18, 2022

The Future of Energy Storage, a new report from MITEI, is the culmination of a three-year study exploring the role energy storage can play in charting a path to a reliable, affordable, and equitable decarbonized electricity system.

Reused power plants could be part of the green energy future, MIT report finds

NBC10 Boston    ·    May 16, 2022

"The report focuses on a persistent problem facing renewable energy: how to store it. Storing fossil fuels like coal or oil until it's time to use them isn't a problem, but storage systems for solar and wind energy are still being developed that would let them be used long after the sun stops shining or the wind stops blowing," says Asher Klein for NBC10 Boston on MITEI's "Future of Energy Storage" report.

MIT report says energy storage is crucial to stall climate change

WBUR    ·    May 16, 2022

"A major report from the MIT Energy Initiative finds the development and deployment of new ways to store renewable energy will be crucial to transitioning to clean energy and averting the worst effects of climate change" reports Bruce Gellerman for WBUR.

Cat litter could be antidote for climate change, researchers say

The Wall Street Journal    ·    May 14, 2022

Zeolite, a common type of clay found in cat litter, has been found to absorb methane from the air when treated with a small amount of copper. The new technique, developed by researchers at MIT, has the potential to greatly reduce the amount of methane in the atmosphere and slow warming temperatures on the planet.

MIT’s ‘sun-in-a-box’ uses light as an efficient form of energy

Gizmodo    ·    May 12, 2022

Researchers at MIT have built a highly efficient thermophotovoltaic cell that converts incoming photons to electricity.

MIT engineers build load-bearing structures using tree forks instead of steel joints

dezeen    ·    May 5, 2022

Caitlin Mueller (Architecture) and her Digital Structures research team have developed an approach to replace load-bearing joints in construction with discarded tree forks.

‘Cash for Clunkers’ can cut gas prices, climate change—and Putin’s income

The Hill    ·    May 5, 2022

John Sterman and David Keith (MIT Sloan) propose “Cash for Clunkers” program in which new car buyers are paid to scrap their combustion vehicles. Incentivizing decommissioning vs. reselling old combustion vehicles would speed vehicle retirement, cut U.S. oil consumption, accelerate the transformation of the transportation sector, increase consumer choice, and help achieve climate goals.

These batteries work from home

Vox    ·    May 5, 2022

MITEI Research Scientist Dharik Mallapragada comments on the role that home batteries could have in complementing the electric grid.

Ride-hailing apps should work with taxis to reduce the price of anarchy

Financial Times    ·    April 25, 2022

Carlo Ratti (Urban Studies and Planning) explores how coordination among ride-hailing services can benefit cities by reducing traffic and carbon emissions.

Verdox wins $1M XPRIZE carbon removal award along with partner Carbfix

BusinessWire    ·    April 22, 2022

Verdox, an electric carbon capture and removal startup spun out of MIT, was announced as a winner of the $1M XPRIZE Carbon Removal Milestone award. This XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition is the largest incentive prize in history and the XPRIZE Carbon Removal teams represent the largest collection of innovators working on carbon removal. Phase two of the competition will see an additional $80M distributed among three winners in 2025.

MIT brings together energy giants for new research initiative

Boston Business Journal    ·    April 22, 2022

MITEI's new Future Energy Systems Center aims to find technology-based solutions to climate change, such as systems to capture carbon dioxide emissions, infrastructure for fast-charging electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, and power-grid options including zero-emission neighborhoods.

Batteries, solar, wind, and hydropower: Why renewable energy is essential to curbing climate change

ABC News    ·    April 20, 2022

Jessika Trancik (Institute of Data, Systems, and Society) discusses the urgent need to transition to renewable energy sources, and how we can build a future powered by alternative energy.

‘Thermal batteries’ could efficiently store wind and solar power in a renewable grid

Science    ·    April 13, 2022

Researchers from MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory successfully achieved a nearly 30% efficiency increase in a thermophotovoltaic cell—a semiconductor structure that converts photons from heat into electricity, similar to the way a solar cell changes sunlight into power.

Podcast: What are the right (and wrong) ways to do carbon capture and storage?

The Economy, Land and Climate Podcast    ·    April 8, 2022

MITEI Senior Research Engineer Howard Herzog discusses the role that carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) can have in combatting climate change, the different forms of CCUS, and the challenges the technology has to overcome.