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MIT study concludes that absent climate policy, coal-to-liquids could account for around a third of global liquid fuels by 2050

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A new assessment of the viability of coal-to-liquids (CTL) technology by researchers from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change (JPSPGC) found that without climate policy, CTL has the potential to account for around a third of global liquid fuels by 2050. Credit: Chen et al., 2011 Click to enlarge.

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MIT report finds China’s actions on climate change crucial; argues for global economy-wide greenhouse gas tax

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A new report from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change shows the importance of all major nations taking part in global efforts to reduce emissions—and in particular, finds China’s role to be crucial. Eighty percent of those emissions came from coal, making China the consumer of about half the world’s coal.

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U Chicago, MIT study suggests ongoing use of fossil fuels absent new carbon taxes

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A paper by a team from the University of Chicago and MIT suggests that technology-driven cost reductions in fossil fuels will lead to the continued use of fossil fuels—oil, gas, and coal—unless governments pass new taxes on carbon emissions. for oil, 24% for coal, and 20% for natural gas.

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New analysis finds Asia produces twice as much mercury emissions as previously thought

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New analysis by an international team led by MIT researchers shows that Asia now releases a surprisingly large amount of anthropogenic mercury. Such models estimate mercury emissions for a region by considering factors such as the amount of coal burned in a power plant and the types of equipment in a plant used to control emissions.

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California Air Resources Board Pushes for Restoration of DOE Funding for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles; Tackles the Four Miracles

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DOE’s targets are $45/kW by 2010 and $30/kW by 2015. When produced and distributed in high volume, hydrogen can be made efficiently from a variety of feedstocks including natural gas, biomass, and coal with sequestration at levelized costs of $3-6/kg, which, when adjusted for the efficiency of the FCV, is comparable to $1.50-%3.00/gallon

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Study finds cities can reduce CO2 more easily from residential conservation than transportation

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A new study by a team from the University of Pennsylvania and MIT suggests it will be easier for cities to reduce CO 2 emissions coming from residential energy use rather than from local transportation. This reduction will happen mostly thanks to better building practices, not greater housing density. — Landis et al.