Publications from the Environmental Solutions Initiative

Introducing Environmental and Sustainability Content into University Level Introductory Physics Classes

This ESI white paper presents results from integrating environmental and sustainability topics into MIT’s foundational physics classes for first-year students. This endeavor is part of our ongoing project to introduce environmental themes to foundational STEM classes at MIT. Download the white paper.

Changes in the Contribution of Coal to Tax revenues in Greene County, PA, 2010-2019

This ESI white paper was published as a culmination of research conducted under the Here & Real Project, exploring how the decline of coal mining impacts funding for critical public sector services in one affected Pennsylvania county. Download the white paper.

Ecological City-States in an Era of Environmental Disaster: Security, Climate Change and Biodiversity

As urban populations and economies continue to expand relative to the rest of the world, and as city governments stake out greater ambitions on environmental challenges, there is unprecedented room for cities to assume a leading and semi-autonomous role in addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. Fernández, John, and Marcela Angel. Sustainability 12, 2020. doi:10.3390/su12145532

2018 Agenda

The MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative’s 2018 Agenda established ESI’s domains of focus for research funding. Download the agenda.

 

Publications from our grant recipients and research affiliates

Well-to-tank carbon emissions from crude oil maritime transportation. Greene, Suzanne et al. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment Vol. 88, 2020. doi:10.1016/j.trd.2020.102587

Responsible or reckless? A critical review of the environmental and climate assessments of mineral supply chains. Lee, Jordy et al. Environmental Research Letters Vol. 15, No. 10, 2020. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ab9f8c

Widespread subsidence and carbon emissions across Southeast Asian peatlands. Hoyt, Alison et al. Nature Geoscience 13, 2020. doi:10.1038/s41561-020-0575-4

Timelines for mitigating the methane impacts of using natural gas for carbon dioxide abatement. Klemun, Magdalena M. and Jessika E. Trancik. Environmental Research Letters Vol. 14, No. 12, 2019. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ab2577

Present and Future Mercury Concentrations in Chinese Rice: Insights From Modeling. Kwon, S.Y. et al. Global Biogeochemical Cycles Vol. 32 Issue 3, 2018. doi:10.1002/2017GB005824

Patterns in municipal food scrap programming in mid-sized U.S. cities. Pollans, Lily Baum et al. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 125, 2017. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.07.001

How temporal patterns in rainfall determine the geomorphology and carbon fluxes of tropical peatlands. Cobb, Alexander R. et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences June 2017 114. doi:10.1073/pnas.1701090114

Vehicle emissions of short-lived and long-lived climate forcers: trends and tradeoffs. Edwards, Morgan R. et al. Faraday Discussions 200, 2017. doi:10.1039/C7FD00063D

Testing emissions equivalency metrics against climate policy goals. Edwards, Morgan R. et al. Environmental Science and Policy Vol. 166, 2016. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2016.08.013