State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201042

  • Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation Renews Support of Ethiopia Water, Educational Initiatives

    The Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation renewed its commitment to water and educational initiatives in Ethiopia with a $354,050 gift.  The foundation’s continued support will benefit the last phase of the Water Capture System in Koraro, Ethiopia, fellowships in Earth Institute Masters programs and Millennium Villages project interns. Students whose internships were supported by…

  • Seismologists Gather for “Discourse over Materials”

    Every Friday afternoon, for as long as anyone can remember, the seismologists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have gathered for a lively session of discourse over materials. “Discourse over materials” is a phrase coined by scholars who use ethnographic techniques to study the behavior of scientists and science students as though they (we) were a recently-contacted…

  • Earth Institute Partners Support Work of Matt Berg, a 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential Person

    We are thrilled to announce that Matt Berg, ICT Director for the Millennium Villages project and Earth Institute researcher was named to the 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People list.  Through groundbreaking initiatives like the new mobile phone platform ChildCount+, Matt is pioneering the use of mobile technology to revolutionize public health systems and greatly…

  • Environmental Regeneration in Haiti: the Water Problem

    Columbia Water Center research scientist Lior Asaf is working in Haiti to understand the existing environmental conditions, and look for ways to improve people’s lives for the long term. One part of the project focuses on the Port Piment watershed basin on the southwestern end of the island.

  • Through the Looking Glass: A Science Art Exhibit

    Have you ever found yourself squinting into a microscope and thinking about the surprising visual similarity between the curve of a cell wall and the mark left by the stroke of a paintbrush? It is easy to overlook a similarity such as this, but when one takes the time to recognize the beauty and balance…

  • Matt Berg, ICT Director for Millennium Villages Project, Named TIME’s 100 Most Influential

    NEW YORK, April 29–TIME named Matt Berg, ICT director for the Millennium Villages Project and Earth Institute researcher, to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Berg has been instrumental in bringing mobile phone based services, computer access and connectivity to some of the most…

  • Vote for the Earth Institute in the eBay Fundraising Tournament for the Environment

    Do you share our belief that the world has the know-how and resources to solve our environmental challenges in a sustainable manner? Do you support efforts by the scientific community to help understand the effects of climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and advance renewable energy technologies? Then please vote for the Earth Institute in the…

  • The True Cost of Water: NYC Event May 6

    The Green Policy and Environmental Policy Discussion Group of the The New York Academy of Science and the Columbia Water Center are sponsoring a panel discussion on The True Cost of Water on May 6. The focus of this panel discussion is the importance of economic optimization of water usage in the present and in…

  • Gulf Oil Spill

    Last week, in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon, an oil drilling rig for BP, exploded and sank. This has led to what potentially could be one of the worst oil spills in US history. Currently, oil is leaking at 42,000 gallons per day from a well 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana,…

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

  • Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation Renews Support of Ethiopia Water, Educational Initiatives

    The Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation renewed its commitment to water and educational initiatives in Ethiopia with a $354,050 gift.  The foundation’s continued support will benefit the last phase of the Water Capture System in Koraro, Ethiopia, fellowships in Earth Institute Masters programs and Millennium Villages project interns. Students whose internships were supported by…

  • Seismologists Gather for “Discourse over Materials”

    Every Friday afternoon, for as long as anyone can remember, the seismologists at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have gathered for a lively session of discourse over materials. “Discourse over materials” is a phrase coined by scholars who use ethnographic techniques to study the behavior of scientists and science students as though they (we) were a recently-contacted…

  • Earth Institute Partners Support Work of Matt Berg, a 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential Person

    We are thrilled to announce that Matt Berg, ICT Director for the Millennium Villages project and Earth Institute researcher was named to the 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People list.  Through groundbreaking initiatives like the new mobile phone platform ChildCount+, Matt is pioneering the use of mobile technology to revolutionize public health systems and greatly…

  • Environmental Regeneration in Haiti: the Water Problem

    Columbia Water Center research scientist Lior Asaf is working in Haiti to understand the existing environmental conditions, and look for ways to improve people’s lives for the long term. One part of the project focuses on the Port Piment watershed basin on the southwestern end of the island.

  • Through the Looking Glass: A Science Art Exhibit

    Have you ever found yourself squinting into a microscope and thinking about the surprising visual similarity between the curve of a cell wall and the mark left by the stroke of a paintbrush? It is easy to overlook a similarity such as this, but when one takes the time to recognize the beauty and balance…

  • Matt Berg, ICT Director for Millennium Villages Project, Named TIME’s 100 Most Influential

    NEW YORK, April 29–TIME named Matt Berg, ICT director for the Millennium Villages Project and Earth Institute researcher, to the 2010 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Berg has been instrumental in bringing mobile phone based services, computer access and connectivity to some of the most…

  • Vote for the Earth Institute in the eBay Fundraising Tournament for the Environment

    Do you share our belief that the world has the know-how and resources to solve our environmental challenges in a sustainable manner? Do you support efforts by the scientific community to help understand the effects of climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and advance renewable energy technologies? Then please vote for the Earth Institute in the…

  • The True Cost of Water: NYC Event May 6

    The Green Policy and Environmental Policy Discussion Group of the The New York Academy of Science and the Columbia Water Center are sponsoring a panel discussion on The True Cost of Water on May 6. The focus of this panel discussion is the importance of economic optimization of water usage in the present and in…

  • Gulf Oil Spill

    Last week, in the Gulf of Mexico, the Deepwater Horizon, an oil drilling rig for BP, exploded and sank. This has led to what potentially could be one of the worst oil spills in US history. Currently, oil is leaking at 42,000 gallons per day from a well 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana,…