To inform and empower the public on the complex issue of climate change, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has created a Climate Portal, an online home for timely, science-based information about the causes and consequences of climate change—and what can be done to address it. Whether you are new to climate change or ready for a deeper exploration, the MIT Climate Portal offers a virtual place to ground your knowledge and ask your questions of experts. It also highlights MIT’s latest climate change research and initiatives for action.
The MIT Climate Portal is managed by the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative, with support from the MIT Office of the Vice President for Research.

There are two types of energy sources. One is renewable and the other is non-renewable. In renewable source, the substance which is used for production of energy is not consumed, but remains the same as it was before the production of energy, while in non-renewable source of energy the fuel substance is consumed and its chemical compostion is changed. Examples of non-renewable anergy are fissile material, coal, oil, gas, and wood, while examples of renewable energy sources are wind, flowing water, geothermal energy etc. The primitive means of energy are wood, and fissil fuel energy. Primitive sources of energy caused excessive green house gases, which are harmful for atmosphereand. Due to the excessive use of the fossil fuel energy, it caused harms to the environment. The world is trying to reduce its dependence on fossil fuel/ non-renewable sources. Growing dependence on Solar, Wind, Hydropower, geothermal energy (renewable) is a hope to achieve a clean and healthy environment. https://geostudies.org/energy-resouces/

Students learn about the difference between temperature and thermal energy. They build a thermometer using simple materials and develop their own scale for measuring temperature. They compare their thermometer to a commercial thermometer, and get a sense for why engineers need to understand the properties of thermal energy.

This video from KET traces the energy transformations that occur when coal is burned to produce electricity. Some of the mechanical processes are also described.

In this activity the temperature of a reaction is monitored for different concentrations of reactants.

In this lesson plan, students will construct marble roller coasters using materials like foam tubes, tape, and marbles to explore the principles of motion and physics. They will design and build tracks with loops, jumps, and turns, observing how gravity, friction, and momentum affect the marble's movement. Through hands-on experimentation, students will test their designs, make adjustments, and learn about concepts such as kinetic and potential energy. This engaging activity promotes problem-solving, creativity, and a practical understanding of motion and energy.

As a weighted plastic egg is dropped into a tub of flour, students see the effect that different heights and masses of the same object have on the overall energy of that object while observing a classic example of potential (stored) energy transferred to kinetic energy (motion). The plastic egg's mass is altered by adding pennies inside it. Because the egg's shape remains constant, and only the mass and height are varied, students can directly visualize how these factors influence the amounts of energy that the eggs carry for each experiment, verified by measurement of the resulting impact craters. Students learn the equations for kinetic and potential energy and then make predictions about the depths of the resulting craters for drops of different masses and heights. They collect and graph their data, comparing it to their predictions, and verifying the relationships described by the equations. This classroom demonstration is also suitable as a small group activity.

This course aims to get students thinking about politics and policy as a part of their everyday life. We treat politics as a struggle among competing advocates trying to persuade others to see the world as they do, working within a context that is structured primarily by institutions and cultural ideas. We’ll begin by developing a policymaking framework, understanding ideology, and taking a whirlwind tour of the American political system. Then, we’ll examine six policy issues in depth: health care, gun control, the federal budget, immigration reform, same-sex marriage, and energy and climate change.

In this solar oven lesson plan, students will learn about renewable energy by constructing their own solar ovens using simple materials like cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, and plastic wrap. They will explore the science behind solar energy, including how sunlight can be converted into heat energy to cook food. The activity will involve assembling the ovens, placing food items like s'mores inside, and observing the cooking process under direct sunlight. Through hands-on experimentation, students will gain an understanding of the environmental benefits of solar energy and its practical applications.

This activity from the Department of Energy provides background information about solar ovens and instructions on building a simple model solar cooker.

The Malaysia Sustainable Cities Practicum is an intensive field-based course that brings 15 graduate students to Malaysia to learn about and analyze sustainable city development in five cities in Malaysia. The students in the Practicum will help determine the extent to which these efforts have been successful. They will identify specific projects or policy-making efforts that the following year’s cohort of International Visiting Scholars can examine more closely. 
Lead Faculty
Professor Larry Susskind
Teaching Assistants
Jessica Gordon
Yasmin Zaerpoor
Administrative Staff
Takeo Kuwabara
Selmah Goldberg

The Malaysia Sustainable Cities Practicum is an intensive field-based course that brings 15 graduate students to Malaysia to learn about and analyze sustainable city development in five cities in Malaysia. The students in the Practicum will help determine the extent to which these efforts have been successful. They will identify specific projects or policy-making efforts that the following year’s cohort of International Visiting Scholars can examine more closely. 
Lead Faculty
Professor Larry Susskind
Teaching Assistants
Jessica Gordon
Yasmin Zaerpoor
Administrative Staff
Takeo Kuwabara
Selmah Goldberg

Market to Market is a part of the Iowa Public Television. The website includes videos of feature stories and market analysis by analyst Ted Seifried. In addition, there is Market to Market in the classroom where there are videos on business, technology and science of agriculture.

This video examines the global perspective of materials. It looks that the difference between reserves and resources and considers the question of "running out" of materials.This video part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

This video explains what is meant by a materials life cycle framework. It describes what happens at each step in the life cycle and why designers should consider the life cycle in the design process. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

This video examines the use of life cycle assessment methods as an aid to the design process. It introduces three methods: full life cycle assessment, streamlined life cycle assessment, and economic input-output life cycle assessment. The advantages and limits of each stated. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

What can we learn from nature's designs for sustainability? This video compares nature's methods with the industrial era methods of design. It recommends a design strategy based on the connection or relationship between things as a means to achieve transformative innovation for sustainability. This video is part of the Sustainability Learning Suites, made possible in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation. See 'Learn more about this resource' for Learning Objectives and Activities.

Students play the role of engineers as they test, design and build Mentos(TM) fountains a dramatic example of how potential energy (stored energy) can be converted to kinetic energy (motion). They are challenged to work together as a class to optimize the design of the basic soda/candy geyser made by the teacher. To do this, three research teams each investigate how a different variable nozzle shape, soda temperature, number of candies affects fountain height. They devise and run experimental tests to determine the best variable values. Then they combine their results to design the highest fountain to compete head-to-head with the teacher's geyser design.

Students learn how to find the maximum power point (MPP) of a photovoltaic (PV) panel in order to optimize its efficiency at creating solar power. They also learn about real-world applications and technologies that use this technique, as well as Ohm's law and the power equation, which govern a PV panel's ability to produce power.

This lesson explores the drag force on airplanes. The students will be introduced to the concept of conservation of energy and how it relates to drag. Students will explore the relationship between drag and the shape, speed and size of an object.