State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201515

  • Horn of Africa Drying in Sync With Climate

    Study Suggests Worsening Future for Troubled Region

  • Growing Up in an Era of Extreme Events: What We Need to Know Now

    NEW YORK (October 7, 2015)—The recent flooding in South Carolina is yet another reminder of just how much destruction natural disasters can cause and how ill prepared communities throughout the US continue to be. Extreme events such as flooding, drought, and storms are leading to not only short-term economic and health impacts but are setting…

  • Certificate Program to Focus on Environment and Security

    Certificate Program to Focus on Environment and Security

    A new professional certificate program at Columbia University will address the linkages between environment and security, aimed at practitioners with responsibility for providing assessments and warnings regarding environment-security risks or for designing programs to manage such risks.

  • A Well-Deserved Honor for Mayor David Dinkins

    David Dinkins represents a time when public service was considered a calling. From his service in the U.S. Marines, to his time in the New York State legislature, his service as New York City Clerk, Borough President, Mayor and now Professor; he has always looked for ways to make a contribution to the public good.

  • Photo Essay: Rising Islands, Monster Wave

    Photo Essay: Rising Islands, Monster Wave

    Researchers at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have published a new study showing that a tsunami of unimaginable size swept over the Cape Verde Islands some 73,000 years ago. The discovery may have implications for the potential for modern hazards.  READ THE FULL SCIENTIFIC STORY

  • Signs Of Ancient Megatsunami Could Portend Modern Hazard

    Evidence of an 800-Foot Wave in the Cape Verde Islands

  • Joaquin? There’s No Perfect Forecast, So Stay Tuned

    Joaquin? There’s No Perfect Forecast, So Stay Tuned

    What will Hurricane Joaquin do? The science of predicting that is getting better, but still uncertain. The debate today is over whether there will be a U.S. landfall now in five or more days’ time or not; 30 years ago there would have been no point in even having that discussion.

  • For Sustainability, Rethink Our Systems

    For Sustainability, Rethink Our Systems

    Increasingly, systems thinking is embraced as a critical framework for approaching sustainability and resilience. Such an approach helps us look beyond an analytical, cause-and-effect mode of doing business that often only yields short-term solutions and unintended consequences.

  • Program Backs Start-up Competition at Dhaka University

    Program Backs Start-up Competition at Dhaka University

    The Sustainable Development program at the Earth Institute is helping to sponsor a start-up competition for students at Dhaka University in Bangladesh.

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

  • Horn of Africa Drying in Sync With Climate

    Study Suggests Worsening Future for Troubled Region

  • Growing Up in an Era of Extreme Events: What We Need to Know Now

    NEW YORK (October 7, 2015)—The recent flooding in South Carolina is yet another reminder of just how much destruction natural disasters can cause and how ill prepared communities throughout the US continue to be. Extreme events such as flooding, drought, and storms are leading to not only short-term economic and health impacts but are setting…

  • Certificate Program to Focus on Environment and Security

    Certificate Program to Focus on Environment and Security

    A new professional certificate program at Columbia University will address the linkages between environment and security, aimed at practitioners with responsibility for providing assessments and warnings regarding environment-security risks or for designing programs to manage such risks.

  • A Well-Deserved Honor for Mayor David Dinkins

    David Dinkins represents a time when public service was considered a calling. From his service in the U.S. Marines, to his time in the New York State legislature, his service as New York City Clerk, Borough President, Mayor and now Professor; he has always looked for ways to make a contribution to the public good.

  • Photo Essay: Rising Islands, Monster Wave

    Photo Essay: Rising Islands, Monster Wave

    Researchers at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory have published a new study showing that a tsunami of unimaginable size swept over the Cape Verde Islands some 73,000 years ago. The discovery may have implications for the potential for modern hazards.  READ THE FULL SCIENTIFIC STORY

  • Signs Of Ancient Megatsunami Could Portend Modern Hazard

    Evidence of an 800-Foot Wave in the Cape Verde Islands

  • Joaquin? There’s No Perfect Forecast, So Stay Tuned

    Joaquin? There’s No Perfect Forecast, So Stay Tuned

    What will Hurricane Joaquin do? The science of predicting that is getting better, but still uncertain. The debate today is over whether there will be a U.S. landfall now in five or more days’ time or not; 30 years ago there would have been no point in even having that discussion.

  • For Sustainability, Rethink Our Systems

    For Sustainability, Rethink Our Systems

    Increasingly, systems thinking is embraced as a critical framework for approaching sustainability and resilience. Such an approach helps us look beyond an analytical, cause-and-effect mode of doing business that often only yields short-term solutions and unintended consequences.

  • Program Backs Start-up Competition at Dhaka University

    Program Backs Start-up Competition at Dhaka University

    The Sustainable Development program at the Earth Institute is helping to sponsor a start-up competition for students at Dhaka University in Bangladesh.