Climate change

Explained: Radiative forcingWhen there’s more energy radiating down on the planet than there is radiating back out to space, something’s going to have to heat up

Ecological balancing actPhytoplankton diversity depends on balance between competition and the ocean’s physical dynamics, new research suggests

Ancient hurricanesIntense hurricane activity millions of years ago may have caused and sustained warmer climate conditions, new research suggests

A silver lining to the Copenhagen cloud?Though widely seen as a failure, December’s climate conference may actually have set the world on the right path, panelists suggest

Americans still concerned on climate change, but less supportive of major action, MIT survey finds

Can a game save the world?New game will teach students collaboration skills--and might help fix climate change in the process

Carbon-capturing enzyme: MIT chemists learn from nature

Figuring out where to put the carbonIf we plan to keep using fossil fuels, we need to figure out how to sequester the resulting carbon dioxide. New tools from MIT could help evaluate where to do it — and how to keep it contained.

Creating a game plan for transition to a sustainable economyJeffrey Hollender enumerates the many reasons he’s feeling bleak these days.

Harnessing the world’s collective intelligence to deal with climate changeClimate Collaboratorium lets the public review the impacts of plans now being discussed and debated internationally

Personalized Energy for One (x 6 Billion)Lecture, with professor Daniel Nocera, presented by the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship

MIT goes to CopenhagenDelegation of MIT professors, students and alumni attend historic global warming conference to present research and report on event

3 Questions: Henry Jacoby on CopenhagenThe co-director of MIT’s Global Change program discusses what to expect from the U.N. Climate Change Conference, and the effects of ‘Climategate’

Energy, behavior, and climate: Many answers, no miraclesBP CEO Tony Hayward Discusses the Harsh Realities at MITEI Colloquium

The politics of climate fixesJudith Layzer says there’s no easy way out when it comes to climate change — but that geo-engineering might be a last-ditch solution.

3 Questions: Sergey Paltsev on the costs of climate-change legislationMIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change has pegged the annual cost of the proposed cap-and-trade legislation in Congress at $400 per U.S. household. But estimating the cost of doing nothing is far more difficult.

Renewable fuels may have hidden costs, study saysNew analysis shows that without proper regulation, biofuels programs aimed at curbing greenhouse gases could do just the opposite

How to limit risk of climate catastropheComprehensive analysis of the odds of climate outcomes under different policy scenarios shows significant benefits from early actions.