News from the Columbia Climate School

Author: Kevin Krajick8

Kevin Krajick was from 2007-2025 the senior editor for science news at the Earth Institute and the Columbia Climate School. He grew up in the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley of upstate New York, where he worked at his high-school newspaper. He has since reported from all 50 U.S. states and 30-some countries, writing about science, medicine, crime, immigration and other issues. His work has appeared in National Geographic, Newsweek, The New Yorker, Science, Smithsonian and many other publications. He was a finalist for the National Magazine Award for Public Service for his reporting on organized crime’s links to the toxic waste-disposal industry. He is two-time winner of the American Geophysical Union’s Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism, and his work has been featured repeatedly in the yearly book “Best American Science and Nature Writing.” His 2001 book “Barren Lands” is the true account of how two prospectors discovered vast deposits of diamonds in Canada’s remote far north. Krajick holds degrees in comparative literature and journalism from Columbia University. He lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his family.

Humans Reached Remote North Atlantic Islands Centuries Earlier Than Thought

It was long accepted that the Vikings were the first people to settle the Faroe Islands, around 850 A.D. until traces of earlier occupation were announced in 2013. But not everyone was convinced. New probes of lake sediments clinch the case that others were there first.
American Geophysical Union 2021: Key Events From the Columbia Climate School

A guide to some of the most provocative talks at the world’s largest gathering of earth and space scientists.
COP26: Resources for Journalists

Columbia will have a strong presence at the world climate summit, with live and online events, and experts from many fields attending or closely monitoring the proceedings.
Tackling a 40 Million-Year-Old Conundrum

A new study bolsters the idea that the uplifts of the Himalayas and Andes that began tens of millions years ago helped trigger the many ice ages that followed.
Scientists and Native People Jointly Study Sea-Ice Declines Threatening Seal Hunts

Seals have been a staple for the coastal village of Kotzebue for generations. Rapid changes in sea ice driven by ocean warmth are presenting a challenge for hunters.
Arctic Sea Ice May Make a Last Stand in This Remote Region. It May Lose the Battle.

Researchers have zeroed in on what they call the Last Ice Area, where the last year-round Arctic ice, and associated ecosystems may–or may not–survive in a warmer future.
Exposure to Deadly Urban Heat Worldwide Has Tripled in Recent Decades, Says Study

A detailed analysis of temperatures and population trends in 13,115 cities shows where specific numbers of people are most affected.
Why the U.S. Northeast Coast Is a Global Warming Hot Spot

A sharp rise in temperatures on land is linked to unusual heating of the Atlantic Ocean, and changes in wind patterns that send that warmth westward.
Harnessing Drones, Geophysics and Artificial Intelligence to Root Out Land Mines

A grad student and his colleagues search for innovative new ways to detect and disarm millions of hidden hazards.

Humans Reached Remote North Atlantic Islands Centuries Earlier Than Thought

It was long accepted that the Vikings were the first people to settle the Faroe Islands, around 850 A.D. until traces of earlier occupation were announced in 2013. But not everyone was convinced. New probes of lake sediments clinch the case that others were there first.
American Geophysical Union 2021: Key Events From the Columbia Climate School

A guide to some of the most provocative talks at the world’s largest gathering of earth and space scientists.
COP26: Resources for Journalists

Columbia will have a strong presence at the world climate summit, with live and online events, and experts from many fields attending or closely monitoring the proceedings.
Tackling a 40 Million-Year-Old Conundrum

A new study bolsters the idea that the uplifts of the Himalayas and Andes that began tens of millions years ago helped trigger the many ice ages that followed.
Scientists and Native People Jointly Study Sea-Ice Declines Threatening Seal Hunts

Seals have been a staple for the coastal village of Kotzebue for generations. Rapid changes in sea ice driven by ocean warmth are presenting a challenge for hunters.
Arctic Sea Ice May Make a Last Stand in This Remote Region. It May Lose the Battle.

Researchers have zeroed in on what they call the Last Ice Area, where the last year-round Arctic ice, and associated ecosystems may–or may not–survive in a warmer future.
Exposure to Deadly Urban Heat Worldwide Has Tripled in Recent Decades, Says Study

A detailed analysis of temperatures and population trends in 13,115 cities shows where specific numbers of people are most affected.
Why the U.S. Northeast Coast Is a Global Warming Hot Spot

A sharp rise in temperatures on land is linked to unusual heating of the Atlantic Ocean, and changes in wind patterns that send that warmth westward.
Harnessing Drones, Geophysics and Artificial Intelligence to Root Out Land Mines

A grad student and his colleagues search for innovative new ways to detect and disarm millions of hidden hazards.