State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201225

  • MS Student Presents Sustainable Solutions for NYC Public High School

    MS Student Presents Sustainable Solutions for NYC Public High School

    Prior to completing the MS in Sustainability Management program in December 2011, Sarah Bacon conducted a sustainability assessment of a public school in New York City for her independent capstone thesis. Bacon used the CO2 conversion factors of PlaNYC, the agenda created by Mayor Bloomberg to create a greener New York City and in doing…

  • MPA Students Apply Classroom Knowledge at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

    MPA Students Apply Classroom Knowledge at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

    On Monday, June 25, the students in the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program took a field trip to Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, NY. The trip was organized and led by Lamont Associate Research Professors Jason Smerdon and Juerg Matter, who teach Climatology and Environmental Chemistry respectively during…

  • Mapping Water Circulation Within Cascadia Basin

    Heading west from coastal Oregon we are able to make our initial seismic images beneath the seafloor continuously as we go. Where once our data would have been recorded on magnetic tapes only to be analyzed long after the expedition was over, thanks to the wonders of modern signal processing, we can now make images…

  • Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    UNESCO Director General Irena Bokova said sustainable development cannot be achieved by political agreements, financial incentives or technological solutions alone. There must be a fundamental change in the ways individuals think and act.

  • Mexico’s Climate Change Law

    By Juan Carlos de Obeso Tuesday June 5th of 2012 will be remembered as a key date in the annals of climate change legislation. On this day Mr. Felipe Calderon, President of Mexico, signed a decree that enacted the General Climate Change Law, which had been previously approved by the Senate and the Deputy chamber.…

  • A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    Population growth is a key contributor to the pressures pushing at our planetary boundaries. In Rio+20 discussions, implications of population growth have become shrouded in platitudes. It is important that discussions on planetary limits clearly lay out possible strategies that can alleviate these pressures.

  • X-Ray Vision Beneath the Seafloor

    X-Ray Vision Beneath the Seafloor

    Yesterday we deployed one of the Langseth’s long cables equipped with listening devices and began the second phase of our survey which we have been awaiting with much anticipation.

  • Starting This Fall: Learn to Measure Sustainability

    Starting This Fall: Learn to Measure Sustainability

    Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the School of Continuing Education are proud to announce the launch of the Professional Certification in Sustainability Analytics program–designed to formally train managers in specific quantitative and technical skills central to practicing sustainability.

  • Water Shortages in Jordan

    Water Shortages in Jordan

    By Melissa von Mayrhauser Jordan is the third most water scarce country in the world, while its population is rising at approximately 3% annually. Columbia’s SEE-U Jordan program is investigating the reasons behind the country’s lack of water security while also considering possible solutions. We dove into our studies by swimming in the Red and…

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

  • MS Student Presents Sustainable Solutions for NYC Public High School

    MS Student Presents Sustainable Solutions for NYC Public High School

    Prior to completing the MS in Sustainability Management program in December 2011, Sarah Bacon conducted a sustainability assessment of a public school in New York City for her independent capstone thesis. Bacon used the CO2 conversion factors of PlaNYC, the agenda created by Mayor Bloomberg to create a greener New York City and in doing…

  • MPA Students Apply Classroom Knowledge at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

    MPA Students Apply Classroom Knowledge at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

    On Monday, June 25, the students in the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program took a field trip to Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades, NY. The trip was organized and led by Lamont Associate Research Professors Jason Smerdon and Juerg Matter, who teach Climatology and Environmental Chemistry respectively during…

  • Mapping Water Circulation Within Cascadia Basin

    Heading west from coastal Oregon we are able to make our initial seismic images beneath the seafloor continuously as we go. Where once our data would have been recorded on magnetic tapes only to be analyzed long after the expedition was over, thanks to the wonders of modern signal processing, we can now make images…

  • Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    Education for Sustainable Citizenship

    UNESCO Director General Irena Bokova said sustainable development cannot be achieved by political agreements, financial incentives or technological solutions alone. There must be a fundamental change in the ways individuals think and act.

  • Mexico’s Climate Change Law

    By Juan Carlos de Obeso Tuesday June 5th of 2012 will be remembered as a key date in the annals of climate change legislation. On this day Mr. Felipe Calderon, President of Mexico, signed a decree that enacted the General Climate Change Law, which had been previously approved by the Senate and the Deputy chamber.…

  • A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    A Faustian Choice: Population and Environment

    Population growth is a key contributor to the pressures pushing at our planetary boundaries. In Rio+20 discussions, implications of population growth have become shrouded in platitudes. It is important that discussions on planetary limits clearly lay out possible strategies that can alleviate these pressures.

  • X-Ray Vision Beneath the Seafloor

    X-Ray Vision Beneath the Seafloor

    Yesterday we deployed one of the Langseth’s long cables equipped with listening devices and began the second phase of our survey which we have been awaiting with much anticipation.

  • Starting This Fall: Learn to Measure Sustainability

    Starting This Fall: Learn to Measure Sustainability

    Columbia University’s Earth Institute and the School of Continuing Education are proud to announce the launch of the Professional Certification in Sustainability Analytics program–designed to formally train managers in specific quantitative and technical skills central to practicing sustainability.

  • Water Shortages in Jordan

    Water Shortages in Jordan

    By Melissa von Mayrhauser Jordan is the third most water scarce country in the world, while its population is rising at approximately 3% annually. Columbia’s SEE-U Jordan program is investigating the reasons behind the country’s lack of water security while also considering possible solutions. We dove into our studies by swimming in the Red and…