Engineering New Seed Coatings to Resist Drought
A new seed-coating process could facilitate agriculture on marginal arid lands by enabling the seeds to retain any available water. As the world continues to…
Sustainability
It’s Electrifying! How Earth Could Be Entirely Powered by Sustainable Energy
Can you imagine a world powered by 100% renewable electricity and fuels? It may seem fantasy, but a collaborative team of scientists has just shown…
2021 Global Change Outlook: Why the Earth Needs a Course Correction Now
2021 Global Change Outlook from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change shows how more aggressive policies can sharply reduce…
Stanford’s New Open-Source Software for Designing Sustainable Cities
New technology could help cities around the world improve people’s lives while saving billions of dollars. The free, open-source software developed by the Stanford Natural Capital Project creates maps…
Visualizing Cement Hydration on a Molecular Level – Could Enable 3-D Printing of Concrete
Imaging technique could enable new pathways for reducing concrete’s hefty carbon footprint, as well as for 3-D printing of concrete. The concrete world that surrounds…
Electrifying Cement With Nanocarbon Black: Cement That Conducts Electricity and Generates Heat
A collaboration between MIT and CNRS has yielded a cement that conducts electricity and generates heat. Since its invention several millennia ago, concrete has become…
What Mario Kart Teaches Us about How to Reduce World Poverty and Improve Sustainability
Boston University environmental expert says the Nintendo racing game has important lessons for social and economic programs that could benefit the world’s developing regions. Many…
Turning Wood Into Recyclable, Biodegradable Plastic
Plastics are one of the world’s largest polluters, taking hundreds of years to degrade in nature. A research team, led by YSE professor Yuan Yao…
Seaweed Supplements Significantly Reduce Livestock Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Beef cattle fed red algae showed reductions in methane emissions of over 50 percent without affecting meat quality. Livestock farming is a major source of…
MIT Engineers Have Developed Self-Cooling Fabrics of the Future That Could Be Made From Recycled Plastic Bags
Engineers have developed self-cooling fabrics from polyethylene, a material commonly used in plastic bags. In considering materials that could become the fabrics of the future,…
Microbiologists Modify Bacteria to Produce Climate-Neutral and Rapidly Degradable Bioplastics
Cyanobacteria Could Revolutionize the Plastic Industry Microbiologists at the University of Tübingen modify bacteria to produce climate-neutral and rapidly degradable bioplastics. Cyanobacteria produce plastic naturally…
Cut Your Kitchen’s Carbon Footprint With Magnetic Induction Cooking
To curb climate change, many experts have called for a massive shift from fossil fuels to electricity. The goal is to electrify processes like heating…
MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium: Influential Industry Leaders Convened in the Fight Against Climate Change
The MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium launches with 13 company members to work with MIT on innovation in climate and sustainability. Launched on January 28,…
Infrastructure Improvements to Get More Electric Cars on the Road
Study measures which kinds of infrastructure improvements could lead to wider adoption of clean vehicles. A new study from researchers at MIT uncovers the kinds…
Humans Face a “Ghastly Future” Unless Extraordinary Action Is Taken Soon on Sustainability
Global team of scientists, including UCLA’s Daniel Blumstein, points to environmental, population and political challenges. Without immediate and drastic intervention, humans face a “ghastly future”…
How Space Can Boost Clean Energy and Contribute to a Sustainable Economy
An all-day digital workshop to explore how space can boost clean energy and contribute to a sustainable economy will be held on September 14, 2020….
Battery-Free Game Boy Runs Forever – Powered by Button Pressing and Solar Energy
A hand-held video game console allowing indefinite gameplay might be a parent’s worst nightmare. But this Game Boy is not just a toy. It’s a…
Natural Pest Control: Biological Control of Insect Pests Is Saving Farmers Billions of Dollars
Biological control of insect pests – where ‘natural enemies’ keep pests at bay – is saving farmers in Asia and the Pacific billions of dollars,…