Make a difference on Earth with MIT

Get started with free resources from MIT, MIT OpenCourseWare, and MITx

Photo by Appolinary Kalashnikova on Unsplash

Updated May 31, 2022

Earth Day and World Environment Day are annual celebrations of nature and its biodiverse ecosystems — our home. They also serve as a reminder that climate action needs to be made continually on big and small scales, not just on one day. Whether you’re on MIT campus or halfway across the world, you can start making a difference today with these free resources from MIT, MIT OpenCourseWare, and MITx.

The MIT Climate Portal is an invaluable tool that shares resources from across the Institute, all of which are Creative Commons licensed (BY-NC-SA), so feel free to remix, reuse, recycle.

• MIT Climate Primer, written by Prof. Kerry Emanuel
• The collection of brief written Explainers on key topics
• MIT’s Fast Forward Climate Plan
• TILclimate podcast, comes with Educator guides for using in the classroom
• Ask MIT Climate, straightforward answers to your questions about climate change.

Dive into these free resources from MIT OpenCourseWare:

• The Environment & Sustainability collection of over 100 courses from across the MIT curriculum
• EarthDNA’s Climate 101, an introductory presentation and resources to help mobilize young people as educators about climate change. Listen to Prof. Dava Newman discuss on the Chalk Radio podcast episode, Visualizing the Future of Spaceship Earth.
• Introduction to Environmental Policy and Planning shares student video presentations covering 14 different scenarios at the heart of how society navigates environmental challenges.
• Land, Water, Food, and Climate explores key scientific questions about the connections between natural resources and food production. Listen to Prof. Dennis McLaughlin discuss on the Chalk Radio podcast episode, When There Isn’t A Simple Answer.
• People and Other Animals explores our relationship with some of those with whom we share the Earth

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Audit these MITx courses for free:

• Energy Economics and Policy shows the economics of real-world energy markets, and how various policies can address the impact of rising global energy demand on the environment and climate.
• Just Money: Banking as if Society Mattered reveals how banks can use capital as a tool to promote social and environmental wellbeing.
• Leveraging Urban Mobility Disruptions to Create Better Cities aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the dynamic on-the-ground reality brought on by technology innovation, academic content, and practice needed to respond systemically and more equitably to global urban challenges through new mobility disruptions.
• Nuclear Energy: Science, Systems and Society teaches how a nuclear reactor works, what the future of nuclear fusion looks like, and the numerous useful applications of nuclear radiation in four easy-to-follow modules, complemented with a chance to explore background radiation in your backyard.
• Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation examines the science and technology innovation system, including case studies on energy, computing, advanced manufacturing and health sectors, with an emphasis on public policy and the federal government’s R&D role in that system
• Sustainable Building Design explores key scientific principles, technologies, and analysis techniques for designing comfortable indoor environments while reducing energy use and associated climate change effects.
• Sustainable Energy teaches how to critically analyze modern energy technologies from engineering and socio-political perspectives, and gain the skills necessary to help the world meet rising energy demand while reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change
• Tools for Academic Engagement in Public Policy provides an introduction to the policymaking process and practical tips for engaging with the policy community.
• Transformative Living Labs in Mobility introduces sustainable and equitable solutions in urban mobility, and to the “living labs” model, a method of co-development among public and private actors, researchers, and civil society to accelerate innovation in climate action and sustainable urban development.