In their round up of the top science stories of 2016, Science News highlighted several MIT research breakthroughs. The top story of the year was the successful detection of gravitational waves by researchers from MIT, Caltech and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration. Another highlight was the discovery by Prof. Susan Solomon that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is shrinking.
A study co-authored by Prof. Christopher Knittel finds that technological advances are needed to reduce the use of oil in the car industry, according to The Economist. The researchers found that “the price of batteries to power EVs would need to fall by a factor of three, and they would need to charge much faster.”
Writing for The Washington Post, Prof. Jessika Trancik examines how federal policy could impact global progress on responding to climate change. “We estimate that the U.S. can achieve the majority share of its original 2025 emissions reduction target even with federal policy changes,” Trancik explains.
MIT, Boston Medical Center and Post Office Square Redevelopment Corp. are joining forces to purchase solar power from a new solar farm being constructed in North Carolina, writes Jessica Bartlett for the Boston Business Journal. Bartlett writes that the project is “the largest renewable-energy project ever to be constructed in the U.S. through an alliance of different buyers.”
BostInno reporter Olivia Vanni writes that MIT, Boston Medical Center and Post Office Square Redevelopment Corp. have formed an alliance to purchase energy from a new solar power installation. “The amount of yearly clean energy generated from the project is 146 gigawatt-hours, which could lead to a reduction of 119,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions,” writes Vanni.
Writing on carbon pricing for The Wall Street Journal, Mark Muro cites MIT research by Professor Valerie Karplus and graduate student Jesse Jenkins. Their research finds that the “‘binding constraints’ of politics keep jurisdictions’ legislated carbon prices low.”
A team of MIT researchers has received an EPA grant to install a network of air quality sensors to study Hawaii’s volcanic smog, reports Greenwire’s Sean Reilly. The sensors will provide residents with real-time information as well as “a data set that can be used to explore pollutant variability and other topics,” explains Reilly.
Prof. Elfatih Eltahir speaks with the BBC’s Ed Butler about whether desalination could be an effective remedy for water shortages in the Middle East. Eltahir notes that current desalination methods use “a lot of energy to basically distill water…and could have very high costs and could contribute to the potential for global warming.”
The EPA has awarded a team of MIT researchers a grant to create a network of low-cost, air pollution sensors, according to the Associated Press. The network will test and track emissions from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, which emits high levels of sulfur dioxide, reducing air quality and negatively impacting human health and crops.
A study conducted by researchers with the Singaore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology examines how coal use could cause water strain in parts of Asia, writes Audrey Tan for The Straits Times. The study’s findings suggest that higher coal use “could suppress rainfall in China, India and across South-east Asia,” explains Tan.
A new study co-authored by Prof. Susan Solomon provides evidence that the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is starting to heal, reports Pilita Clark for the Financial Times. Clark explains that the findings suggest that “more than half the shrinkage in the ozone hole is due to the reduction in atmospheric chlorine coming from CFCs.”
A recent study shows that the ozone hole has shrunk by more than 4 million square kilometers since the Montreal Protocol banned the use of CFCs, writes David Abel for The Boston Globe. “This shows that international cooperation on environmental problems can work and be effective,” says lead author Prof. Susan Solomon.
Eric Hand writes for Science that a recent study led by Prof. Susan Solomon shows the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol, which banned the production of CFCs. The study also explains that the record-sized ozone hole in October 2015 was caused by a volcano eruption in Chile, writes Hand.
Research by MIT scientists shows that 30 years after banning CFCs the ozone hole is shrinking, writes Aaron Sidder for National Geographic. “These findings suggest that ozone healing is right on pace with the expected timeline,” explains Sidder.
Scientists have found that the Antarctica ozone hole is showing signs of healing and is forming at a slower rate, writes Megan Daley for The Los Angeles Times. Prof. Susan Solomon explains that the findings show that the Montreal Protocol, which banned the use of ozone-destroying chloroflourocarbons, “produced the positive result that we hoped for.”