State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201148

  • A Medical Mission to a Millennium City

    A Medical Mission to a Millennium City

    The following is a guest blog, authored by Dr. Medhat Allam, Chairman of International Surgical Mission Support, one of MCI’s partners. In Kenya, like with many developing counties, residents often lack access to specialized medical care. International Surgical Mission Support (ISMS), which strives to train medical professionals and provide free care to those in need,…

  • Improving Climate Prediction in Africa

    Improving Climate Prediction in Africa

    Africa lags the developed world in weather stations but still produces a surprising amount of data. Too bad few people are using it. Scientists at Columbia University and a growing number of others—among them Bill Gates and the charity arm of Google—are pushing to open Africa’s climate archive to the world by making it free.…

  • Celebrating World TB Day: Private Donations Pave Way for Progress on Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Mali

    Celebrating World TB Day: Private Donations Pave Way for Progress on Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Mali

    To celebrate World Tuberculosis Day, the Earth Institute has linked with Becton Dickinson to improve the diagnosis of the disease in regions where it is needed most.

  • Cats and Wind Turbines – A Bird’s Two Greatest Fears

    Cats and Wind Turbines – A Bird’s Two Greatest Fears

    Studies find that cats and wind turbines are responsible for the death of many birds.

  • Signals of Past Say Big Droughts Can Hit U.S. East

    Tree Rings Show Dry Periods Worse Than Any Historical Record

  • Climate Change to Exacerbate Rising Food Prices

    Climate Change to Exacerbate Rising Food Prices

    Despite all human provisions to maintain a steady and even increasing food supply, post-Green-Revolution agriculture remains heavily dependent on seasonal weather. Just in the past few years, weather extremes caused significant jumps in food prices, causing social, economic, and political disturbances in both developing and developed countries. Between 2006 and 2008, world average prices rose…

  • White Paper Release: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

    White Paper Release: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

    In honor of World Water Day, Columbia Water Center is releasing a new White Paper: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India. The paper presents the results of Columbia Water Center’s study of the severe groundwater crisis in the Mehsana region of Northern Gujarat, India. The study concludes that the current pattern of groundwater exploitation…

  • The State of Water in America

    The State of Water in America

    Guest Post By Colin Sabol, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for ITT’s Fluid and Motion Control division Today, World Water Day, is a day designed to draw attention to the state of one of the world’s most precious resources. This is a global issue with many regional and local implications. Here in America,…

  • Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

    Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

    Ninety-five percent of ethanol in the U.S. comes from corn, but corn-based ethanol is controversial because of the amount of land required to grow the crops, and because of its effect on food prices and water resources.

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

  • A Medical Mission to a Millennium City

    A Medical Mission to a Millennium City

    The following is a guest blog, authored by Dr. Medhat Allam, Chairman of International Surgical Mission Support, one of MCI’s partners. In Kenya, like with many developing counties, residents often lack access to specialized medical care. International Surgical Mission Support (ISMS), which strives to train medical professionals and provide free care to those in need,…

  • Improving Climate Prediction in Africa

    Improving Climate Prediction in Africa

    Africa lags the developed world in weather stations but still produces a surprising amount of data. Too bad few people are using it. Scientists at Columbia University and a growing number of others—among them Bill Gates and the charity arm of Google—are pushing to open Africa’s climate archive to the world by making it free.…

  • Celebrating World TB Day: Private Donations Pave Way for Progress on Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Mali

    Celebrating World TB Day: Private Donations Pave Way for Progress on Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis in Mali

    To celebrate World Tuberculosis Day, the Earth Institute has linked with Becton Dickinson to improve the diagnosis of the disease in regions where it is needed most.

  • Cats and Wind Turbines – A Bird’s Two Greatest Fears

    Cats and Wind Turbines – A Bird’s Two Greatest Fears

    Studies find that cats and wind turbines are responsible for the death of many birds.

  • Signals of Past Say Big Droughts Can Hit U.S. East

    Tree Rings Show Dry Periods Worse Than Any Historical Record

  • Climate Change to Exacerbate Rising Food Prices

    Climate Change to Exacerbate Rising Food Prices

    Despite all human provisions to maintain a steady and even increasing food supply, post-Green-Revolution agriculture remains heavily dependent on seasonal weather. Just in the past few years, weather extremes caused significant jumps in food prices, causing social, economic, and political disturbances in both developing and developed countries. Between 2006 and 2008, world average prices rose…

  • White Paper Release: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

    White Paper Release: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India

    In honor of World Water Day, Columbia Water Center is releasing a new White Paper: Addressing the Water Crisis in Gujarat, India. The paper presents the results of Columbia Water Center’s study of the severe groundwater crisis in the Mehsana region of Northern Gujarat, India. The study concludes that the current pattern of groundwater exploitation…

  • The State of Water in America

    The State of Water in America

    Guest Post By Colin Sabol, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for ITT’s Fluid and Motion Control division Today, World Water Day, is a day designed to draw attention to the state of one of the world’s most precious resources. This is a global issue with many regional and local implications. Here in America,…

  • Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

    Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

    Ninety-five percent of ethanol in the U.S. comes from corn, but corn-based ethanol is controversial because of the amount of land required to grow the crops, and because of its effect on food prices and water resources.