State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

201621

  • Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    I believe that concern over tap water is part of the growing movement for locally-sourced food, physical fitness, and what has been termed “wellness.” The underlying source of support for environmental protection is a growing understanding of the relationship between a toxic environment and human health.

  • Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    A new project, SERVIR-West Africa, will use space-based climate, weather land cover, and other NASA satellite data to address issues such as food security and the availability of fresh water in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Niger.

  • Balancing Development and Preservation in an Urban National Park

    Balancing Development and Preservation in an Urban National Park

    Nairobi National Park is the only wildlife park in the world within a city’s administrative boundaries. However, the park’s value to its greater ecosystem, as well as its role in promoting conservation throughout Kenya, are under threat due to recent urban and infrastructure developments.

  • Tropical Cyclones on Track to Grow More Intense as Temperatures Rise

    Aerosols have compensated for greenhouse gases, but won’t in future

  • Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    A new project combines cutting edge climate science and mobile soil labs for African farmers and service providers.

  • Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Lawsuits based on corporate misrepresentations to investors are gaining attention from those who want to see companies held more accountable for environmental damage–including risks associated with climate change.

  • Interdependence, Sustainability, and a Sense of Place

    Interdependence, Sustainability, and a Sense of Place

    As important as global economic and cultural forces may be, I see the push for distinctive identity and a sense of place ensuring that communities and nation states will maintain their power in a more globally interconnected world. Part of it is expressed in Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY) local politics that resists development…

  • A Giant Quake May Lurk Under Bangladesh and Beyond

    Hidden Deep Below Sediment, Tectonic Plates Are Seen Building Strain

  • Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    To tackle the challenge of how to effectively educate important stakeholders about ground water in the United States, 11 graduate students from the Earth Institute and School of International and Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program were asked to recommend a strategy to improve scientific literacy among policymakers and investors.

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

  • Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    I believe that concern over tap water is part of the growing movement for locally-sourced food, physical fitness, and what has been termed “wellness.” The underlying source of support for environmental protection is a growing understanding of the relationship between a toxic environment and human health.

  • Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    A new project, SERVIR-West Africa, will use space-based climate, weather land cover, and other NASA satellite data to address issues such as food security and the availability of fresh water in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Niger.

  • Balancing Development and Preservation in an Urban National Park

    Balancing Development and Preservation in an Urban National Park

    Nairobi National Park is the only wildlife park in the world within a city’s administrative boundaries. However, the park’s value to its greater ecosystem, as well as its role in promoting conservation throughout Kenya, are under threat due to recent urban and infrastructure developments.

  • Tropical Cyclones on Track to Grow More Intense as Temperatures Rise

    Aerosols have compensated for greenhouse gases, but won’t in future

  • Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    A new project combines cutting edge climate science and mobile soil labs for African farmers and service providers.

  • Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Lawsuits based on corporate misrepresentations to investors are gaining attention from those who want to see companies held more accountable for environmental damage–including risks associated with climate change.

  • Interdependence, Sustainability, and a Sense of Place

    Interdependence, Sustainability, and a Sense of Place

    As important as global economic and cultural forces may be, I see the push for distinctive identity and a sense of place ensuring that communities and nation states will maintain their power in a more globally interconnected world. Part of it is expressed in Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY) local politics that resists development…

  • A Giant Quake May Lurk Under Bangladesh and Beyond

    Hidden Deep Below Sediment, Tectonic Plates Are Seen Building Strain

  • Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    To tackle the challenge of how to effectively educate important stakeholders about ground water in the United States, 11 graduate students from the Earth Institute and School of International and Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program were asked to recommend a strategy to improve scientific literacy among policymakers and investors.