State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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The 7 Billion Challenge

The rapid rise in the world’s population to 7 billion — from 6 billion a dozen years ago — poses enormous challenges. In this video, Earth Institute Director Jeffrey D. Sachs talks about the stresses our population already puts on the planet, and the mission of the institute to tackle those problems and promote sustainable development.

Young boy drinking at camp for displaced persons in Afghanistan
A young resident of Maslakh Camp for internally displaced persons, in Afghanistan. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Sachs will join a panel of experts on Oct. 17 to talk about these challenges. Joel E. Cohen, a professor at both Columbia and Rockefeller universities, will talk on “7 billion: Good news and bad news (no joke).” Matthew Bishop, the U.S. business editor and New York bureau chief for the Economist, will moderate the panel. The event runs from 5-7 p.m. in the Roone Arledge Auditorium, Lerner Hall, Columbia, at Broadway between 114th and 115th streets.

For details to register, or to watch the webcast, go here.

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

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