State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201035

  • Same Road, Different Obstacle

    Last year I was collecting a sample of sediment from a riverbed and spent the day walking up the Neto River to find a good location. When I finished, I noticed a road high on one side of the valley. I climbed to the road and found a tunnel with no lights inside. I looked…

  • Gulf Oil Spill Resources

    Earth Institute researchers in many disciplines are studying the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and are available to provide information and perspective to press. These include experts in regional seafloor geology; technology of deepwater drilling and spill control; measurement of spill flow; potential movements via underwater or surface currents; possible biological effects; potential effects of…

  • The Problem of Lawns

    In the United States, lawns are so ubiquitous that they seem to be almost a basic human right. That’s a serious problem, given the enormous resources that our North American lawn-fetish consumes.

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 5/31

    United States Climate Report to UN Projects 4% Emissions Rise by 2012, Associated Press (via Metronews Halifax) On Tuesday, the U.S. delivered its first emissions report to the United Nations since 2006.  The projections indicate about a 4% increase in emissions between now and 2020, which includes a 1.5% rise in CO2 emissions.  The emphasis…

  • Losing your glaciers? Build your own.

    Scientific American has an interesting photo piece by Gaia Vince about a place in the Himalayas that is adapting to climate change by creating its own glaciers.

  • Changing Lives One Surgery at a Time: A Team of Urologists Makes an Impact in Kisumu, Kenya

    Imagine living out in Western Kenya, suffering from a urological disorder, without access to an affordable specialist. That may be difficult for many of us to picture; unfortunately, that is the reality for hundreds of people living in Kisumu, Kenya, and the surrounding province. With only one urologist in the entire catchment area of five…

  • Micro-focus in Development: Adding Results One-by-one

    By Ana Maria Poveda Garces During three days while driving around Mbola in Tanzania, Columbia University MDP students measure in many ways the return on investments of specifically targeted social interventions.

  • An Active Hurricane Season Predicted

    The IRI’s latest forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, points to significantly increased hurricane activity this year. In fact, the likelihood of having an above-normal year is more than three times that of having a below-normal year. This could spell trouble for highly vulnerable Caribbean nations such as Haiti – still…

  • Peak Water?

    Today, a growing number of scientists argue that global peak oil may be upon us—an argument that would seem to be supported by the increasingly heroic measures oil companies are taking (such as the ultra-deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico) to keep up with global oil demand. Many underground aquifers and even some surface…

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • Same Road, Different Obstacle

    Last year I was collecting a sample of sediment from a riverbed and spent the day walking up the Neto River to find a good location. When I finished, I noticed a road high on one side of the valley. I climbed to the road and found a tunnel with no lights inside. I looked…

  • Gulf Oil Spill Resources

    Earth Institute researchers in many disciplines are studying the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and are available to provide information and perspective to press. These include experts in regional seafloor geology; technology of deepwater drilling and spill control; measurement of spill flow; potential movements via underwater or surface currents; possible biological effects; potential effects of…

  • The Problem of Lawns

    In the United States, lawns are so ubiquitous that they seem to be almost a basic human right. That’s a serious problem, given the enormous resources that our North American lawn-fetish consumes.

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 5/31

    United States Climate Report to UN Projects 4% Emissions Rise by 2012, Associated Press (via Metronews Halifax) On Tuesday, the U.S. delivered its first emissions report to the United Nations since 2006.  The projections indicate about a 4% increase in emissions between now and 2020, which includes a 1.5% rise in CO2 emissions.  The emphasis…

  • Losing your glaciers? Build your own.

    Scientific American has an interesting photo piece by Gaia Vince about a place in the Himalayas that is adapting to climate change by creating its own glaciers.

  • Changing Lives One Surgery at a Time: A Team of Urologists Makes an Impact in Kisumu, Kenya

    Imagine living out in Western Kenya, suffering from a urological disorder, without access to an affordable specialist. That may be difficult for many of us to picture; unfortunately, that is the reality for hundreds of people living in Kisumu, Kenya, and the surrounding province. With only one urologist in the entire catchment area of five…

  • Micro-focus in Development: Adding Results One-by-one

    By Ana Maria Poveda Garces During three days while driving around Mbola in Tanzania, Columbia University MDP students measure in many ways the return on investments of specifically targeted social interventions.

  • An Active Hurricane Season Predicted

    The IRI’s latest forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, points to significantly increased hurricane activity this year. In fact, the likelihood of having an above-normal year is more than three times that of having a below-normal year. This could spell trouble for highly vulnerable Caribbean nations such as Haiti – still…

  • Peak Water?

    Today, a growing number of scientists argue that global peak oil may be upon us—an argument that would seem to be supported by the increasingly heroic measures oil companies are taking (such as the ultra-deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico) to keep up with global oil demand. Many underground aquifers and even some surface…