State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201230

  • The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    Drawing upon the narrative of his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Dr. Jonathan Haidt gave a lecture entitled “The Rationalist Delusion in Moral Psychology,” on April 24, 2012 to members of Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Haidt elaborates on his own research in moral and…

  • Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Research on decadal prediction—what the climate is going to be like a decade or two from now—is still relatively new and experimental. It’s also in high demand by planners and decision makers interested in building dams and other large-scale development projects. In a new paper, IRI’s Lisa Goddard and colleagues discuss how decadal prediction research…

  • MSSM Student Goes the Extra Mile for Earth Institute Programs

    MSSM Student Goes the Extra Mile for Earth Institute Programs

    MSSM Student Scott Miller is nearing completion of his 300 mile ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. Find out how you can help support him.

  • The End of the Line

    The End of the Line

    The R/V Oscar Dyson pulled into Dutch Harbor, Alaska on May 9 after a hectic few final days! We are now starting to sift through the hundreds of samples and a hard-drive worth of data we shipped back, unpacking our eleven boxes of gear, and re-packing perhaps even more for an upcoming cruise off the…

  • Sustainable Development Program Awards Its First Departmental Honors

    The Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development is proud to announce that graduating seniors Tal Lee Anderman, GS ’12 and Erin Stahmer, CC ’12 have been selected to receive departmental honors.  Tal Lee and Erin are the first recipients of sustainable development departmental honors and were nominated for this distinction based on their outstanding grade point…

  • Bryant Awards Honorary Degree to Sachs

    Bryant Awards Honorary Degree to Sachs

    By graduating with an education that has one foot in the business world and another foot in the liberal arts, Bryant students have learned that “business and society walk hand in hand,” Sachs told the graduates.

  • Sustainability Management Students Say Farewell

    Sustainability Management Students Say Farewell

    “The relevance of our Sustainability Management degree in today’s rapidly changing world was apparent in many of the speeches made throughout both ceremonies,” stated Eileen Quigley, one of the 87 MS in Sustainability Management students that graduated from the program on May 15.

  • Lessons From a Rock Fall

    Lessons From a Rock Fall

    A 500-foot-high sliver of the Palisades Cliff came crashing down May 12 at 7:28 p.m., jiggling our seismometer at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory a few micrometers. Weighing about 10,000 tons, the rock smashed trees along the Hudson River and covered over a hiking trail, but fortunately caused no injuries.

  • Final Days in Alert

    Final Days in Alert

    Time is flying, bringing us to our final days in Alert. We were able to recover samples from 12 stations, which is a great success and the second most successful year on record. Thanks to everyone who made it happen: Dale, Richard and Dan who went out every possible day to collect samples; Al 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

  • The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    Drawing upon the narrative of his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Dr. Jonathan Haidt gave a lecture entitled “The Rationalist Delusion in Moral Psychology,” on April 24, 2012 to members of Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Haidt elaborates on his own research in moral and…

  • Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Research on decadal prediction—what the climate is going to be like a decade or two from now—is still relatively new and experimental. It’s also in high demand by planners and decision makers interested in building dams and other large-scale development projects. In a new paper, IRI’s Lisa Goddard and colleagues discuss how decadal prediction research…

  • MSSM Student Goes the Extra Mile for Earth Institute Programs

    MSSM Student Goes the Extra Mile for Earth Institute Programs

    MSSM Student Scott Miller is nearing completion of his 300 mile ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. Find out how you can help support him.

  • The End of the Line

    The End of the Line

    The R/V Oscar Dyson pulled into Dutch Harbor, Alaska on May 9 after a hectic few final days! We are now starting to sift through the hundreds of samples and a hard-drive worth of data we shipped back, unpacking our eleven boxes of gear, and re-packing perhaps even more for an upcoming cruise off the…

  • Sustainable Development Program Awards Its First Departmental Honors

    The Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development is proud to announce that graduating seniors Tal Lee Anderman, GS ’12 and Erin Stahmer, CC ’12 have been selected to receive departmental honors.  Tal Lee and Erin are the first recipients of sustainable development departmental honors and were nominated for this distinction based on their outstanding grade point…

  • Bryant Awards Honorary Degree to Sachs

    Bryant Awards Honorary Degree to Sachs

    By graduating with an education that has one foot in the business world and another foot in the liberal arts, Bryant students have learned that “business and society walk hand in hand,” Sachs told the graduates.

  • Sustainability Management Students Say Farewell

    Sustainability Management Students Say Farewell

    “The relevance of our Sustainability Management degree in today’s rapidly changing world was apparent in many of the speeches made throughout both ceremonies,” stated Eileen Quigley, one of the 87 MS in Sustainability Management students that graduated from the program on May 15.

  • Lessons From a Rock Fall

    Lessons From a Rock Fall

    A 500-foot-high sliver of the Palisades Cliff came crashing down May 12 at 7:28 p.m., jiggling our seismometer at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory a few micrometers. Weighing about 10,000 tons, the rock smashed trees along the Hudson River and covered over a hiking trail, but fortunately caused no injuries.

  • Final Days in Alert

    Final Days in Alert

    Time is flying, bringing us to our final days in Alert. We were able to recover samples from 12 stations, which is a great success and the second most successful year on record. Thanks to everyone who made it happen: Dale, Richard and Dan who went out every possible day to collect samples; Al and…