Ask MIT Climate

Latest Episodes:

TIL about hurricanes Apr 03, 2019

Show notes

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:

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.

TIL about materials Mar 27, 2019

Show notes

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.

TIL about clouds Mar 20, 2019

Show notes

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.