Energy powers our homes, our cars, and our lives. But the kinds of energy we use—and the ways we use it—are rapidly changing our climate. We need new and clean ...
Methane is the only greenhouse gas that will change the rate of warming in our lifetimes, according to MIT Professor Desirée Plata. So, why aren’t we talking about it more? Plata explains methane’s role in climate change and shares how she, perhaps counterintuitively, is accelerating the rate at which methane converts to carbon dioxide to help combat climate change.
What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.
Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts
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45:45
Unconventional paths to energy efficiency
Large parts of the world don’t have access to energy. So how do we encourage cleaner sources when for many people that's not the real priority? According to Amos Winter, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, the key is to find solutions that allow people to do what they want but are by default better for the environment. He highlights the importance of understanding people’s lives when developing technologies and how these innovations might even have unforeseen implications for other communities across the world, helping us find new ways to power our lives with less energy required.
What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.
Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts
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44:48
Why do so many renewable projects stall?
Larry Susskind, a professor of urban and environmental planning at MIT, often finds himself in the role of mediator between renewable energy project developers and the communities affected. And he says there is one big thing stopping these projects in their tracks: a lack of representation of local interest. Susskind helps us understand the challenges during this last mile to renewable energy implementation, how bringing communities to the table earlier can speed success, and how universities can help mediate this process.
What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.
Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts
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52:33
Putting a price on carbon
While the carbon tax has received a lot of negative publicity in the United States over the decades, more and more countries have been implementing carbon pricing schemes of their own. It raises the question, could carbon pricing be the cost of decarbonization? Economist Catherine Wolfram delves into economic policy and the many creative economic incentives to reduce carbon emissions, gives us a look at where things currently stand in the United States and abroad, and explores whether American carbon pricing might soon be feasible.
What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.
Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts
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49:09
The next four years of U.S. energy
President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to repeal key climate and energy legislation enacted under the Biden administration. What should we expect over the next four years and what will this mean for climate and energy policy beyond those? As the rest of the world continues to move forward in the energy transition, where does that leave the United States? MIT professor and economist Chris Knittel explains the potential short- and long-term climate and energy impacts of a Trump presidency.
What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.
Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts
Energy powers our homes, our cars, and our lives. But the kinds of energy we use—and the ways we use it—are rapidly changing our climate. We need new and clean energy, now. MIT Energy Initiative hosts Rob Stoner and Kara Miller talk with energy experts about the science, technology, and policies that can transform our energy systems and give us a more sustainable future. Hear from those testing new ideas and working on breakthroughs in labs, industry, and government—the ones who aren’t afraid to ask, “What if it works?”
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