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ESD is working to better frame the problem of sustainability,
to identify existing approaches that can be used to address issues,
and to expand the set of relevant analytical methods and tools.
For example, ESD researchers are making life-cycle assessments
of alternative materials and manufacturing processes, examining
techniques and strategies to mitigate resources scarcity and increase
the use of secondary materials, and analyzing the prospects for
different energy sources over the next half-century. ESD researchers
are also assessing alternative transportation technologies and
modeling the energy and environmental characteristics of electricity
generation and transmission under alternative policy designs,
carbon mitigation strategies, and electrical network architectures.
Wind-generated Energy
Acciona Energy, the world’s largest developer of wind parks,
is collaborating with ESD researchers at the Zaragoza Logistics
Center to use systems modeling and analysis to guide large-scale
energy infrastructure development in Spain. Read
more.
Capturing the Energy in Ocean Waves
MIT researchers are working with colleagues in Portugal to design
a pilot-scale device that will capture the energy in ocean waves
and use it to power an electricity-generating turbine. The MIT
team’s simulations of the project have shown ways to tailor
the device to catch significantly more of the energy in the waves.
Read more.
Carbon-Efficient Supply Chains
There is increased interest in the business community to reduce
carbon based energy consumption as well as the greenhouse gas
emissions associated with the products and services they provide.
Research at MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics will address
three main challenges in developing carbon-efficient strategies
for supply chains, including finding ways to calculate and measure
the carbon footprint of a supply chain, determining the best strategies
to reduce the energy and carbon emissions through out the supply
chain, and effectively communicating the carbon footprint to consumers
and stakeholders. Read
more.
CO2 Geological Storage Options
A multi-disciplinary team looked at the challenge of regulating
carbon dioxide capture and storage. The research combined legal
analysis of potential tort liability from seismicity that might
be induced by carbon injection into geological formations and
from contractual liability from carbon dioxide leakage from structures,
with a technical review and assessment of sequestration
options. Read more.
Uncertainty in Impacts of Global Climate
Change
This effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is complicated
by the wide range of uncertainty in future projections of climate.
A primary focus of the climate change research at MIT is to characterize
the uncertainty in future climate impacts. Using MIT’s Integrated
Global System Model, ESD researchers have performed a rigorous
assessment of the most critical uncertain assumptions in the model.
Read more.
Strategic Materials Decisions: Systems Insights
to Improve Recyclabilty
Materials choices affect every aspect of the life cycle of every
product, from materials production to manufacture to use, end-of-life,
and materials recovery. Product and materials recycling can limit
the environmental impacts of manufacturing processes, but its
implementation has been largely opportunistic, rather than grounded
in an appreciation of the interactions among materials science,
production technology, materials markets, and product life cycles.
Using simulation and stochastic optimization methods, the ESD
research team has developed recycling strategies that include
redesign of materials, products, recycler processes, recovery
infrastructure, and policy. Read
more.
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Ernest Moniz quoted in articles about carbon capture
project (The
Los Angeles Times - August 12, 2009 and The
Washington Post - August 11, 2009)
ESD
PhD student Dan Livengood wins poster award at MIT Portugal conference
Continuing
coverage on climate change and energy policy, mentioning MIT research
(The New York Times - June 26, 2009)
Mort Webster interviewed on “Worldview”
(Chicago Public Radio – May 21, 2009)
“Will
the Nuclear Power "Renaissance" Ever Reach Critical
Mass?” (Scientific American – May 21, 2009) View
the updated report here.
“High
Odds of Hot Times” (New York Times Dot Earth blog –
May 20, 2009)
“Global
warming may be twice as bad as previously expected”
(USA Today – May 20, 2009)
“Climate
Changes: MIT Study Say Temperatures Could Rise by Twice as Much”
(The Wall Street Journal Environmental Capital blog – May
19, 2009)
Prof.
Moniz quoted in article on climate change bill (The Boston
Globe - May 15, 2009)
“En
route to a greener life? You’ll need a map” (The
Boston Globe – March 19, 2009)
“M.I.T.
Energy: From Algae to Wind Turbines” (Scientific American,
March 12, 2009)
“Portugal’s
Mission to Harness Energy” (Financial Times, February
27, 2009)
“Azorean
Leaders show support for MIT Portugal’s Green Islands Initiative”
(January 29, 2009)
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“From IT to Cleantech: New Sources
of Innovation”
Brunel Lecture on Complex Systems (2008)
Shai Agassi, Founder and CEO of Better Place, discusses his the
entrepreneurial and engineering systems approaches to building
an innovative, sustainable model for transportation in which consumers
subscribe to transportation as a service, much like they do with
mobile phones.
View
on MIT World.
"A Framework for Nuclear Fuel Cycle
Architecture Decisions"
ESD PhD student Lara Pierpoint shares her research on decision
making within the nuclear fuel cycle.
View
on TechTV.
"Spreading Power but not Bombs: Introducing
Maths to Nuclear"
ESD PhD student Blandine Antoine shares her research on quantitative
assessment of proliferation risks.
View
on TechTV.
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Climate
Change and Energy Pathways for the Mediterranean
Ernest J. Moniz, editor
Future
Cities: Dynamics and Sustainability
Frank Moavenzadeh, Keisuke Hanaki, Peter Baccini, editors
Monograph Chapter: "Sustainability
as an Organizing Design Principle for Large-Scale Engineering
Systems"
Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Frank Field, Ralph Hall, Randy Kirchain,
David Marks, Ken Oye, Joseph Sussman
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