Ask MIT Climate

Climate scientist Mathew Barlow explains why warming can intensify both drought and extreme rainfall. The episode follows water through a warmer atmosphere, connecting increased moisture capacity and evaporation with dry soils and stronger downpours. It distinguishes changes in average conditions from the most damaging extremes and discusses why infrastructure faces growing flood risks.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Polar scientist Sarah Das describes fieldwork on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, from expedition logistics and ice-core drilling to transporting frozen samples to the laboratory. The conversation explains how ice cores preserve climate records and how repeated visits reveal retreating glacier margins and earlier melt seasons. It connects the practical work of glaciology with measured changes in polar landscapes.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Sarah Das explains how polar ice sheets, sea ice and mountain glaciers respond to climate warming. Drawing on decades of research in Antarctica and Greenland, the episode examines ice-sheet mass balance, glacier flow, satellite measurements and the consequences of ice loss for sea level and communities. It connects observations of rapidly changing frozen landscapes with their global effects.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Antoine Allanore explains why carbon dioxide emissions are so closely tied to the chemistry of conventional steel production. The episode connects steel’s widespread use in transport, infrastructure and buildings with its industrial climate footprint, and examines scientific and engineering approaches intended to reduce emissions from making the metal.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

David Hsu examines community electricity systems built around solar generation, batteries and microgrids. The conversation considers the policies and technologies challenging centralised utilities, including in places with unreliable electricity access. It compares what local and large-scale systems can offer as communities seek cleaner, affordable and dependable energy.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Toni Lyn Morelli and Alexej Sirén discuss how climate change alters the geographical distribution of species. As habitats change, movement can offer plants and animals a route to persistence, but it also reshapes ecological relationships. The episode examines these shifts and their implications for conservation and the communities that share affected environments.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Samantha Burgess explains how researchers estimate the Earth’s temperature and monitor a changing climate. The episode examines the observations and international scientific collaboration behind global temperature records, and the work involved in assessing the planet’s changing conditions rather than treating a single local measurement as a global answer.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Jacopo Buongiorno examines why construction of nuclear power plants has become expensive in the United States despite the technology’s ability to supply low-carbon electricity continuously. The discussion compares countries with different recent building experience and asks what their industries can teach about controlling costs and delivering projects on schedule.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg

Julie Simpson explores the climate role of coastal saltwater wetlands, including marshes, mangroves and seagrass meadows. Alongside habitat, water purification and coastal protection, these ecosystems remove and retain substantial amounts of carbon dioxide. The episode examines how their ecological processes connect conservation with climate mitigation.

Hosted by Madison Goldberg