State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201115

  • A Former Teacher Learns to Be an Effective Change Agent

    A Former Teacher Learns to Be an Effective Change Agent

    Expected to graduate in May 2012, Cindy Hollenberg, is confident that climatology has been her favorite class to date because it’s dynamic, but she can’t choose just one area of environmental policy and management that interests her most. “I have a difficult time choosing just one for the same reason that I was drawn to…

  • News Roundup: Week of 9/25

    News Roundup: Week of 9/25

    Climate Change and the Exodus of Species, New York Times, Sept 26 A team of scientists from the University of York examined the movement of 2,000 animal and plant species over the past decade. According to their study, published in Science last month, in their exodus from increasing heat, species have moved, on average, 13.3…

  • Humans Continue to Evolve

    Humans Continue to Evolve

    Modern day human evolution is a contentious topic, but an array of recent studies indicate that our species is still evolving.

  • In Dry Texas, Recycled Water Looks Better and Better

    In Dry Texas, Recycled Water Looks Better and Better

    As the drought in Texas continues with no end in sight, some cities are turning to innovative water alternatives in an attempt to maintain quality of life as they know it. The new mindset includes viewing waste water as an asset.

  • Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Urbanization poses both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development and environmental management. Improved data on patterns of human settlement and trends in population can help researchers and policy makers better understand differences between urban and rural areas in terms of their impacts on the environment and vulnerability to environmental variability and change. The newly released…

  • Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Animal keepers at the National Zoo’s conservation center recently sent 26 black-footed ferrets to a critter boot camp to help the endangered species learn the necessary skills to survive in the wild.

  • New Salt Map of Seas Gives Scientists Taste of Discoveries Ahead

    After less than a month in operation, a new NASA satellite has produced the first map showing how saltiness varies across the surface of the world’s oceans. Salt influences how seawater and heat move around the globe and also tells oceanographers how much rain and evaporation is happening at the surface. Until now, salt measurements…

  • “Standing Up for Girls” – and their Right to the Education they Deserve

    “Standing Up for Girls” – and their Right to the Education they Deserve

    For many in the developing world, education isn’t taken for granted. Around 35 million girls are out of school, the World Bank says, almost half of them in sub-Saharan Africa. In support of girls’ education, MCI joined the literacy organization LitWorld and other partners, including Connect To Learn, Asia Initiatives and the Children of Kibera…

  • Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    From an evolutionary perspective, kin are worth assisting in direct relationship to their blood relatedness, or the probability that two individuals share genes. Though it can be difficult at first to think in these mathematically terms, inclusive fitness, parent-offspring conflict and sibling-sibling conflict radically transform our understanding of animal behavior and evolution.

Blue banner with kids and Earth photos. Text: "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am-4pm.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!

  • A Former Teacher Learns to Be an Effective Change Agent

    A Former Teacher Learns to Be an Effective Change Agent

    Expected to graduate in May 2012, Cindy Hollenberg, is confident that climatology has been her favorite class to date because it’s dynamic, but she can’t choose just one area of environmental policy and management that interests her most. “I have a difficult time choosing just one for the same reason that I was drawn to…

  • News Roundup: Week of 9/25

    News Roundup: Week of 9/25

    Climate Change and the Exodus of Species, New York Times, Sept 26 A team of scientists from the University of York examined the movement of 2,000 animal and plant species over the past decade. According to their study, published in Science last month, in their exodus from increasing heat, species have moved, on average, 13.3…

  • Humans Continue to Evolve

    Humans Continue to Evolve

    Modern day human evolution is a contentious topic, but an array of recent studies indicate that our species is still evolving.

  • In Dry Texas, Recycled Water Looks Better and Better

    In Dry Texas, Recycled Water Looks Better and Better

    As the drought in Texas continues with no end in sight, some cities are turning to innovative water alternatives in an attempt to maintain quality of life as they know it. The new mindset includes viewing waste water as an asset.

  • Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Urbanization poses both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development and environmental management. Improved data on patterns of human settlement and trends in population can help researchers and policy makers better understand differences between urban and rural areas in terms of their impacts on the environment and vulnerability to environmental variability and change. The newly released…

  • Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Reintroduction Boot Camp for Endangered Black-Footed Ferrets

    Animal keepers at the National Zoo’s conservation center recently sent 26 black-footed ferrets to a critter boot camp to help the endangered species learn the necessary skills to survive in the wild.

  • New Salt Map of Seas Gives Scientists Taste of Discoveries Ahead

    After less than a month in operation, a new NASA satellite has produced the first map showing how saltiness varies across the surface of the world’s oceans. Salt influences how seawater and heat move around the globe and also tells oceanographers how much rain and evaporation is happening at the surface. Until now, salt measurements…

  • “Standing Up for Girls” – and their Right to the Education they Deserve

    “Standing Up for Girls” – and their Right to the Education they Deserve

    For many in the developing world, education isn’t taken for granted. Around 35 million girls are out of school, the World Bank says, almost half of them in sub-Saharan Africa. In support of girls’ education, MCI joined the literacy organization LitWorld and other partners, including Connect To Learn, Asia Initiatives and the Children of Kibera…

  • Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    Evolution Battles – Parent and Offspring Rivalry

    From an evolutionary perspective, kin are worth assisting in direct relationship to their blood relatedness, or the probability that two individuals share genes. Though it can be difficult at first to think in these mathematically terms, inclusive fitness, parent-offspring conflict and sibling-sibling conflict radically transform our understanding of animal behavior and evolution.