There is no longer debate that the rise in atmospheric CO2 is warming the planet, nor that climate will continue to change over the next century. What remains uncertain is exactly how much the climate will change, what the impacts will be, how much they will cost, how these impacts might be avoided, and how much it will cost to avoid them. The Future of Energy at Harvard supports research combining a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives to understand how human societies make energy choices and how those choices affect societies and ecosystems.

Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate

The catastrophic consequences of climate change remain highly uncertain with our current state of knowledge. Areas of study include glaciology, hydrology, meteorology, and climate modeling.

Climate and Ecosystems

Models of climate change make diverse predictions regarding the impact of future warming on natural ecosystems. Particular emphasis is placed on the costs for tropical forests and biodiversity, and agriculture.

Energy, Climate, and Health

Current global energy systems have large environmental impacts in their extraction, use, and final disposition. This area primarily focuses on the effects on human health from urban air pollution, combustion-derived aerosols, and the long-range transport and deposition of both polychlorinated organic and other types of pollutants.