Power lines may not look as high-tech and inspiring as a wind turbine or a solar field. But as MIT’s Joshua Hodge explains, these lines—and the rest of the sprawling “machine” that is the transmission system—are critical for harnessing clean, cheap, reliable power. In this episode of TILclimate, we explore what we stand to gain from a bigger, better transmission system, and how we might make it happen.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/e8-transmission-power-people.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Climate Project, visit tilclimate.mit.edu.

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Senior Editor

Aaron Krol, Writer and Executive Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Madison Goldberg, Associate Producer

Grace Sawin, Student Production Assistant

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

Here at TILclimate, we’re often asked about the health and environmental effects of materials in solar panels and batteries. But what if the greatest costs are the ones we’re already bearing—from the fossil fuels those technologies would replace? In this episode, pulmonologist Dr. Mary Rice explains how air pollution from coal, oil, and gas can make us sick, and why a cleaner energy system benefits both the climate and our health.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/e7-cleaner-air.

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Climate Project, visit tilclimate.mit.edu.

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Senior Editor

Aaron Krol, Writer and Executive Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Madison Goldberg, Associate Producer

Grace Sawin, Student Production Assistant

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol

The world’s demand for batteries to power electric vehicles is growing at incredible speed. What will we do with all these batteries when they die? Dr. Linda Gaines of Argonne National Laboratory joins TILclimate to explain what batteries are made of, how we obtain those materials, and how we can get them back when the batteries reach the end of their lives—along with other options to make this industry less wasteful and more productive.

For a deeper dive and additional resources related to this episode, visit: https://climate.mit.edu/podcasts/e6-dealing-dead-batteries

For more episodes of TILclimate by the MIT Climate Project, visit tilclimate.mit.edu.

Credits

Laur Hesse Fisher, Host and Senior Editor

Aaron Krol, Writer and Executive Producer

David Lishansky, Editor and Producer

Madison Goldberg, Associate Producer

Grace Sawin, Student Production Assistant

Michelle Harris, Fact Checker

Music by Blue Dot Sessions

Artwork by Aaron Krol