Paving the Way Toward Clean Energy With Mark Jacobson

Mark Jacobson is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at one of the foremost research universities in the world, Stanford University. His vast knowledge in the field has made him a rock star in the science world, with 14,000 Twitter followers and regular speaking engagements. Jacobson joined The Modern Architect radio show and podcast for an engaging discussion about his work as Director of Stanford's Atmosphere and Energy Program, as well as his take on where our world is headed regarding clean energy.  

Listen to the podcast. 

With an education spanning the disciplines of economics, civil engineering, and atmospheric science, Jacobson's main concentration is in solving society's global warming and air pollution epidemics, a subject which he is uniquely knowledgeable of. Through reflective and smart design processes, Jacobson has fostered a wealth of research dedicated to clean building infrastructure, which he instructs to his students at Stanford. 

Among his other endeavors, Jacobson recently partnered with a colleague on an extensive study on the use of fossil fuel energy. Through their research, the team came to the conclusion that it is indeed possible for each state in the United States to replace fossil fuel with clean, renewable energy. To reach this conclusion, Jacobson designed a model that discovered that black carbon--the primary component of soot air pollution particles--might be the second-leading origin of global warming in regard to radiative forcing, second to carbon dioxide. His research indicates that if we attempted to prevent the burning of all types of common wastes, we could promote sustainable, clean energy across the board. Read more about his research on the topic here. 

"It is technically and economically feasible to have clean, renewable energy everywhere."

Mark Jacobson believes that it is plausible for the United States to undergo a transformation that would allow renewable energy to be valuable for every aspect of functionality within companies, homes, and beyond. Implementing solar panels and wind farms is only the beginning. In support of this claim, he also acknowledges that there are barriers which prevent this transformation from occurring. For example, social and political impediments will always be a factor in making this big leap. However, Jacobson argues that if people were more informed about the specific improvements our environment could expect following a change in infrastructure, the possibility for a sustained world is imminent. 

Jacobson is actively working to gain public support from notable figures in a variety of industries to advocate for 100% clean, renewable energy. From inciting actors such as Mark Ruffalo and scientists such as Bill Nye to be proponents for this cause, Jacobson is cultivating hope for the possibility of a better, cleaner world. 

Listen to the podcast and follow Mark Jacobson on Twitter. 

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