In Boston and Massachusetts, researchers are tackling what more and more Americans are recognizing to be the pressing issues of the day.

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Energy and climate change have been hot topics in recent months. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report earlier this month saying that global warming is almost certainly being caused by human activity, namely the burning of fossil fuels. President George Bush, in his State of the Union speech in January, called for the development of alternative energy sources. And in Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick announced in January a new initiative to sell greenhouse gas emissions allowances to power plants and use the money for renewable energy projects.

So in this package of articles, we’re highlighting researchers and companies in Boston and across the state who are tackling these issues in a variety of ways.

At MIT, biologists, normally focused on biomedical applications, have turned their attention to developing alternative fuels.

At Boston University, a conservation biology professor is recruiting ordinary citizens to help him document the effects of climate change.

We spoke with an MIT atmospheric chemist about his experience as a lead author of the landmark IPCC report.

And finally, we profile three innovative alternative energy projects operating or being tested in Massachusetts.