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Latest Episodes:

TIL about energy efficiency May 07, 2020

Show notes

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.

TIL about wind and solar Apr 02, 2020

Show notes

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.

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.

Is it energy or electricity? Feb 13, 2020

Show notes

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

TIL about fossil fuels Feb 06, 2020

Show notes

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

TIL about the electric grid Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

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.

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

TIL what I can do Oct 03, 2019

Show notes

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 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.

TIL about carbon pricing Apr 24, 2019

Show notes

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.

TIL about climate impacts Apr 17, 2019

Show notes

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.

TIL about uncertainty Apr 10, 2019

Show notes

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:

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