State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

20168

  • Mass Transit in the Sustainable City

    Mass Transit in the Sustainable City

    An effective transportation system is to the sustainable city what a well-functioning circulatory system is to a healthy human being. New York City has developed along the path of its subway system.

  • Toward a Carbon-Neutral Future: Why Land and Resource Rights Matter

    Toward a Carbon-Neutral Future: Why Land and Resource Rights Matter

    Climate change is a destabilizing force that touches all sectors of society, whether agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, energy, water or health. The inherently intertwined and complex nature of climate change impacts means that strong institutions, laws and policies are critical to ensuring that these impacts don’t impinge on the rights of local populations. Key among these…

  • The Urgency Of Adapting To Climate Change

    The Urgency Of Adapting To Climate Change

    While ideologues continue to deny the reality of climate change, local governments do not have the luxury of indulging in the Tea Party and Koch Brothers’ favorite environmental fantasy. The impacts are real. We don’t need to shut down the economy, but we need to learn to run it without burning the place down or…

  • Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    The Earth Institute hosted a panel focused on how New York City, and other cities like it, can take steps to become stronger and more resilient in the face of climate change.

  • Can Climate Litigation Support Global Action on Climate Change?

    Can Climate Litigation Support Global Action on Climate Change?

    The Paris Climate Agreement officially goes into effect Nov. 4. But it will take much more to achieve its goals. Legal challenges could well provide one way for individuals, civil society and governments to support and reinforce global action on climate change.

  • Spring 2017 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Positions

    Spring 2017 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Positions

    The Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development is currently accepting applications for spring 2017 teaching assistant positions. Applications will only be accepted from graduate students and undergraduate juniors or seniors at Columbia. The deadline to apply is Nov. 21.

  • Lamont Opens Doors to Earth Sciences at Open House

    Lamont Opens Doors to Earth Sciences at Open House

    Nearly 3,000 people showed up to explore the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s campus and laboratories at the open house on Oct. 8. Watch the video and find out what it was all about.

  • How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    What began as research at Columbia University became the catalyst for improving the sustainability of an airline, as JetBlue recently forged a 10-year deal to buy 330 million gallons of jet fuel made partially from plants.

  • Protecting Intellectual Property While Mitigating Climate Change: Can We Do Both?

    Protecting Intellectual Property While Mitigating Climate Change: Can We Do Both?

    The Paris Climate Agreement officially goes into effect Nov. 4. But it will take much more to achieve its goals. Legal mechanisms could well provide one way for individuals, civil society and governments to support and reinforce global action on climate change.

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

  • Mass Transit in the Sustainable City

    Mass Transit in the Sustainable City

    An effective transportation system is to the sustainable city what a well-functioning circulatory system is to a healthy human being. New York City has developed along the path of its subway system.

  • Toward a Carbon-Neutral Future: Why Land and Resource Rights Matter

    Toward a Carbon-Neutral Future: Why Land and Resource Rights Matter

    Climate change is a destabilizing force that touches all sectors of society, whether agriculture, forestry, infrastructure, energy, water or health. The inherently intertwined and complex nature of climate change impacts means that strong institutions, laws and policies are critical to ensuring that these impacts don’t impinge on the rights of local populations. Key among these…

  • The Urgency Of Adapting To Climate Change

    The Urgency Of Adapting To Climate Change

    While ideologues continue to deny the reality of climate change, local governments do not have the luxury of indulging in the Tea Party and Koch Brothers’ favorite environmental fantasy. The impacts are real. We don’t need to shut down the economy, but we need to learn to run it without burning the place down or…

  • Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    The Earth Institute hosted a panel focused on how New York City, and other cities like it, can take steps to become stronger and more resilient in the face of climate change.

  • Can Climate Litigation Support Global Action on Climate Change?

    Can Climate Litigation Support Global Action on Climate Change?

    The Paris Climate Agreement officially goes into effect Nov. 4. But it will take much more to achieve its goals. Legal challenges could well provide one way for individuals, civil society and governments to support and reinforce global action on climate change.

  • Spring 2017 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Positions

    Spring 2017 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Positions

    The Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development is currently accepting applications for spring 2017 teaching assistant positions. Applications will only be accepted from graduate students and undergraduate juniors or seniors at Columbia. The deadline to apply is Nov. 21.

  • Lamont Opens Doors to Earth Sciences at Open House

    Lamont Opens Doors to Earth Sciences at Open House

    Nearly 3,000 people showed up to explore the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s campus and laboratories at the open house on Oct. 8. Watch the video and find out what it was all about.

  • How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    What began as research at Columbia University became the catalyst for improving the sustainability of an airline, as JetBlue recently forged a 10-year deal to buy 330 million gallons of jet fuel made partially from plants.

  • Protecting Intellectual Property While Mitigating Climate Change: Can We Do Both?

    Protecting Intellectual Property While Mitigating Climate Change: Can We Do Both?

    The Paris Climate Agreement officially goes into effect Nov. 4. But it will take much more to achieve its goals. Legal mechanisms could well provide one way for individuals, civil society and governments to support and reinforce global action on climate change.