201049
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LAUNCH Water Sustainability Forum report from Tobias Siegfried
LAUNCH is a new initiative founded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USAID, US State Dept, and NIKE to identify and support innovative work with great potential to contribute to sustainable solutions for many of the current environmental challenges. The organization will coordinate a series of forums which bring together scientists, academics, policy…
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Studying the Impacts of Climate on High-Altitude Ecosystems
Columbia University researchers Laia Andreu Hayles and Daniel Ruiz Carrascal traveled to Colombia last month to investigate the impact of climate on high-altitude ecosystems in the Andes. Supported by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Climate Center, Andreu and Ruiz are exploring the potential of several high-altitude tree species to reveal information about past climate variability and…
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Did Climate Influence Angkor’s Collapse?
Evidence Suggests Changing Environment Can Bring Down a Civilization
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A Rogue Water Project
Even today, many Central Asian nations rely on infrastructure that was clumsily implemented by the Soviet Union in the 1970s, and Tajikistan is no exception. In fact, she is the poorest country in Central Asia and has long been quarrelling with Uzbekistan and even Afghanistan over resources and related policies. One such controversial project involves…
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Scientific Realism and Climate Change: Seminar with Martin Skrydstrup
Martin Skrydstrup is looking at science from a different perspective. By studying the scientific process anthropologically, he hopes to help reduce public confusion and mistrust around Climate Change science.
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Ideas for the Sustainable City: Green Buildings
On March 23, the Environmental Protection Agency released a list of the 40 cities with the highest percentage of energy-efficient buildings. While Los Angeles, Washington and San Francisco made the top three, NYC came in at number ten. When we think about carbon emissions, we often think of cars, trucks, factories, and power plants. We think…
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Looking Back on Winter: Part I
The arrival of spring in temperate climates means more hours of daylight, showers and flowers. Despite the general mood improvement from the dark days of winter, we should not be quick to forget the controversies surrounding this past season. Winter 2010, deemed by media outlets as Snowmaggedon and Snowpocalypse, was the snowiest season on record…
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State of the Planet 2010 – Closing
Well folks, the events here at Columbia are wrapping up. We hope you enjoyed our comments and summaries. Discussions on these issues will continue here at the Earth Institute, online and hopefully in your lives as well. On behalf of myself (Stephanie Ruiz), Jaclyn Carlsen, and Eric Couper, thanks for joining us online today. Wrap…
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Keynote Address by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Update | 3:37 p.m. The break continues as the audience awaits the Secretary-General’s speech with anticipation. Update | 3:58 p.m And we’re back! Sachs introduces Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General, with a clear respect, friendship, and a little humor to boot. Update | 4:02 p.m. Ban Ki-moon takes the stage. He shares that beyond being a…
