Ask MIT Climate
Ask MIT Climate
MIT Climate Project
Get smart quickly on climate change. This award-winning MIT podcast breaks down the science, technologies, and policies behind climate change, how it’s impacting us, and what our society can do about it. Each quick episode gives you the what, why, and how on climate change — from real scientists — to help us all make informed decisions for our future.
To the ice sheets with a polar scientist
Dr. Sarah Das, a Scientist Emeritus at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, takes us behind the scenes: into the world of glacier science, “boomerang flights,” and ice as far as the eye can see.
Jun 11
14 min
Polar ice in a warming world
The frozen parts of our planet—from sprawling polar ice sheets and floating sea ice to mountain glaciers and frigid soils—face profound risks from climate change. Already, a warmer world has transformed these landscapes, with consequences that span the globe.
May 28
14 min
A hard look at steel
Antoine Allanore, a professor of metallurgy at MIT, explains how CO2 became so entrenched in the chemistry of steelmaking—and the creative ways scientists and engineers are trying to get it out.
May 14
14 min
An economist’s guide to climate change
Solutions to climate change, like building clean energy, come with a price tag. But unchecked warming also brings serious costs. As we make investments to rein in our climate pollution, how should we weigh costs and benefits?
Apr 30
15 min
Re-air and update: Carbon pricing
What exactly is a carbon price, and how does it work? To prepare for a new episode about climate economics, we’re re-airing this season one episode in which MIT professor Christopher Knittel explains economists’ favorite tool for addressing climate change. Professor Knittel also returns for a special update on big developments in the world of carbon pricing, from Canada, China, and the European Union.
Apr 9
15 min
The (micro)grid of the future
As the world strives to make energy cleaner, cheaper, and more accessible, what can local models offer that a big utility can’t—and the other way round?
Mar 26
13 min
The reshuffling of life on Earth
Climate change is putting pressure not only on humans, but also on our fellow species. How can plants, animals, and other living things survive as their habitats are transformed?
Mar 12
15 min
Taking Earth’s temperature
Dr. Samantha Burgess, of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, joins the show to explain how we know the temperature of the Earth, and how a global community of scientists works together to keep tabs on the health of our planet.
Feb 26
14 min
The nuclear price tag
As government support grows to bring more nuclear power to the U.S., Prof. Jacopo Buongiorno of MIT joins us to break down how nuclear got so costly and what we can learn from countries with more active nuclear industries.
Feb 12
13 min
Marshes, mangroves, meadows
The world’s coastal saltwater wetlands provide shelter for wildlife, purify water, and protect seaside infrastructure. And as Dr. Julie Simpson of MIT tells us, they also have a climate superpower: drawing down and locking away extraordinary amounts of planet-warming carbon dioxide.
Jan 29
14 min
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