State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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  • Winter Extremes: So Last Year?

    Winter Extremes: So Last Year?

    What are the odds that this winter will be as snowy as the last two? Climate scientist Jason Smerdon and tree-ring scientist Rosanne D’Arrigo are working on an answer, looking at the long-term history of two important weather patterns—the North Atlantic Oscillation and La Niña state in the tropical Pacific—that similar to last year could…

  • Larry Burns Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

    Larry Burns Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

    Larry Burns, director of the Earth Institute’s Roundtable on Sustainable Mobility, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on Oct. 16, 2011. A self-proclaimed “engineer through and through,” Burns teaches engineering practice at the University of Michigan and visits New York City regularly to lead the Roundtable.

  • Life as an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    Life as an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    By Daniel Soto About this time a two years ago, I was preparing my own application to be an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow.  I am beginning my second year in the fellowship and would like to share my experience with anyone who is interested in the program. My work here at the Earth Institute explores…

  • Perspectives on Monitoring and Evaluation in the African Millennium Villages

    Dr. Paul Pronyk, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for the Millennium Villages Project (joined by Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the MVP and Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of System Design of the MVP) As the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Centre for Global Health and Economic Development at The Earth Institute, I…

  • Artificial Trees: Giving Us Time to Act?

    Artificial Trees: Giving Us Time to Act?

    Soon after Klaus Lackner met Allen Wright at Biosphere 2 in Arizona, they began dreaming up a way to pull CO2 out of the air. After years of work, the two have come up with a working laboratory-scale prototype…

  • Join a Conversation About 7 Billion People

    Join a Conversation About 7 Billion People

    The world’s population will reach 7 billion this year, and the UN estimates continued growth, primarily in less-developed regions. What will this steep population growth mean for our environmental, economic and social systems? Join the conversation on Oct. 17.

  • Western Water Woes – Is Big Infrastructure the Way to Go?

    Western Water Woes – Is Big Infrastructure the Way to Go?

    Guest Blog by Michael Clark Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, spoke on July 20 at a US Chamber of Commerce conference, as part of its Invest in Water Initiative, and proposed a bold idea: build a pipeline to divert Mississippi River flood waters to the West. This, she said,…

  • New health and community facilities in Sauri

    Post by Salome Munyendo Members of the small community of Uranga, in Western Kenya, don’t have to walk long distances anymore to access healthcare. Now, they can visit St. Elizabeth Onding dispensary, which was inaugurated recently by local officials and the Sauri Millennium Village team. The villagers were so aware of the need for such…

  • Mama kit: Every detail counts in fight for maternal health

    Post by Shakilah Bint Shiekh Improving maternal health and encouraging expectant women to deliver at a health facility is a priority for the Millennium Villages Project (MVP). Several interventions are being implemented to boost institutional delivery. In Ruhiira, Uganda, only 8% of pregnant women delivered in a facility when the project first started. This number…

  • Winter Extremes: So Last Year?

    Winter Extremes: So Last Year?

    What are the odds that this winter will be as snowy as the last two? Climate scientist Jason Smerdon and tree-ring scientist Rosanne D’Arrigo are working on an answer, looking at the long-term history of two important weather patterns—the North Atlantic Oscillation and La Niña state in the tropical Pacific—that similar to last year could…

  • Larry Burns Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

    Larry Burns Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

    Larry Burns, director of the Earth Institute’s Roundtable on Sustainable Mobility, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) on Oct. 16, 2011. A self-proclaimed “engineer through and through,” Burns teaches engineering practice at the University of Michigan and visits New York City regularly to lead the Roundtable.

  • Life as an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    Life as an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

    By Daniel Soto About this time a two years ago, I was preparing my own application to be an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellow.  I am beginning my second year in the fellowship and would like to share my experience with anyone who is interested in the program. My work here at the Earth Institute explores…

  • Perspectives on Monitoring and Evaluation in the African Millennium Villages

    Dr. Paul Pronyk, Director of Monitoring and Evaluation for the Millennium Villages Project (joined by Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the MVP and Dr. Prabhjot Singh, Director of System Design of the MVP) As the Director of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Centre for Global Health and Economic Development at The Earth Institute, I…

  • Artificial Trees: Giving Us Time to Act?

    Artificial Trees: Giving Us Time to Act?

    Soon after Klaus Lackner met Allen Wright at Biosphere 2 in Arizona, they began dreaming up a way to pull CO2 out of the air. After years of work, the two have come up with a working laboratory-scale prototype…

  • Join a Conversation About 7 Billion People

    Join a Conversation About 7 Billion People

    The world’s population will reach 7 billion this year, and the UN estimates continued growth, primarily in less-developed regions. What will this steep population growth mean for our environmental, economic and social systems? Join the conversation on Oct. 17.

  • Western Water Woes – Is Big Infrastructure the Way to Go?

    Western Water Woes – Is Big Infrastructure the Way to Go?

    Guest Blog by Michael Clark Pat Mulroy, the general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, spoke on July 20 at a US Chamber of Commerce conference, as part of its Invest in Water Initiative, and proposed a bold idea: build a pipeline to divert Mississippi River flood waters to the West. This, she said,…

  • New health and community facilities in Sauri

    Post by Salome Munyendo Members of the small community of Uranga, in Western Kenya, don’t have to walk long distances anymore to access healthcare. Now, they can visit St. Elizabeth Onding dispensary, which was inaugurated recently by local officials and the Sauri Millennium Village team. The villagers were so aware of the need for such…

  • Mama kit: Every detail counts in fight for maternal health

    Post by Shakilah Bint Shiekh Improving maternal health and encouraging expectant women to deliver at a health facility is a priority for the Millennium Villages Project (MVP). Several interventions are being implemented to boost institutional delivery. In Ruhiira, Uganda, only 8% of pregnant women delivered in a facility when the project first started. This number…