Energy

Two offshore wind turbines amid turbulent sea waves under a cloudy sky.

Six innovative ways to float skyscraper-sized wind turbines

While most offshore wind farms are firmly rooted in the seabed, engineers are developing new ways to float enormous wind turbines.

Emma C. Edwards

Oil pumpjack operating in the oil fields under a twilight sky.

Disaster Response

Shining a light on oil fields to make them more sustainable

Sensors and analytics give oil well operators real-time alerts when things go wrong, so they can respond before they become disasters.

Zach Winn | MIT News Office

Clean Energy

US will accelerate geothermal exploration on federal land

The Bureau of Land Management is taking steps to make it easier for public lands to be considered for geothermal power systems.

Kristin Houser

Climate Crisis

The robot racing to study Antarctica’s massive ice melt

Icefin, a semi-autonomous research vessel, is on a mission to search for clues about one of the continent’s fastest melting glaciers, the Thwaites Glacier.

Sarah Wells

Climate Crisis

Tree-planting drones restore charred forests

This Seattle startup is bringing new life to charred forests by releasing swarms of smart, tree-planting drones equipped with seeds, mini seedbeds, and cameras.

Teresa Carey

Nature is good for you. What about VR nature?

Nature has the power to reduce stress and enhance our moods. Can VR nature experiences be a substitute for physically spending time in the outdoors?

Teresa Carey

Sustainability

The fight to end illegal logging

Citizen scientists are collecting tree samples to build a genetic database that will help identify the origins of stolen lumber and stop illegal logging.

Teresa Carey

Sustainability

Floating farm takes sustainable agriculture to the next level

3:15

Inspired by the food shortages witnessed in New York City following Hurricane Sandy, this husband and wife team came up with the idea for a sustainable farm that floats on the sea.

Disaster Response

NASA wants YOU to help track landslides

NASA is enlisting citizen scientists to collect important data on recent landslides, in an effort to improve prediction models and assist in disaster prevention.

B. David Zarley

Agriculture

A “death-ray” for weeds could replace chemical weed killers

Dr. Graham Brodie of the University of Melbourne is working on a device for zapping stubborn weeds with microwaves.

B. David Zarley

Urban Living

The dark toll of light pollution

Bird populations are paying the price for our electric lights. These volunteers are working to change that.

Teresa Carey

Climate Crisis

Ship’s logbooks are the first records of climate change data

With the weather and ice data from old ship’s logs, Dr. Kevin Wood realized it was possible to reconstruct the history of sea ice in the Arctic to better understand climate change.

Teresa Carey

Climate Crisis

Sifting through sound: using soundscapes to understand ecosystem health

“Ecoacoustics” is an emerging field of research. Instead of chasing down isolated animal sounds, researchers are using all of the acoustic properties of a location to answer ecological questions.

Teresa Carey

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