News from the Columbia Climate School

Author: Renée Cho25

Renee Cho is a regular contributor to the Columbia Climate School. She has written over 200 articles for State of the Planet on a broad range of topics. She was previously published by www.insideclimatenews.com, and other environmental magazines. Renee was Communications Coordinator for Riverkeeper, the Hudson River environmental organization. She received the Executive Education Certificate in Conservation and Sustainability from the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability. Follow me on Twitter: @ReneeCho_ Visit website »

From Wastewater to Drinking Water

Across the globe, 2 out of 10 people do not have access to safe drinking water, and in the U.S., many states face water shortages and droughts. As the global population continues to grow and climate change results in more water crises, where will we find enough water to meet our needs?
Biomimicry: Learning From Nature’s Genius

Biomimicry is the science of studying and emulating nature’s solutions to the problems that human beings are trying to solve. Over the 3.8 billion years that life has existed on Earth, nature, through evolution, has come up with sustainable and robust solutions that work and that endure.
Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

Ninety-five percent of ethanol in the U.S. comes from corn, but corn-based ethanol is controversial because of the amount of land required to grow the crops, and because of its effect on food prices and water resources.
Why is Your Nitrogen Footprint Important?

While most people today are aware of the importance of reducing their carbon footprint, far fewer understand the harmful effects of nitrogen pollution. Yet many scientists believe that man’s disruption of the natural nitrogen cycle is a potential global tipping point and a serious threat to biodiversity.
The Fog Collectors: Harvesting Water From Thin Air

Today nearly two people in ten have no source of safe drinking water according to the U.N. But in some desert areas, where there is very little rain, fog and dew are abundant sources of humidity that are being harvested to produce fresh water.
Giant Jellyfish Swarms – Are Humans the Cause?

Many scientists believe that jellyfish, particularly jellyfish swarms or blooms, are on the increase worldwide, turning up in regions where they never existed before. Research shows shows that many human activities are strongly correlated to jellyfish blooms.
Seawater Greenhouses Produce Tomatoes in the Desert

With the global population increasing by 80 million each year, a third of the planet will likely face water shortages by 2025. This looming water crisis is inextricably linked to food production…
How Plants Could Impact Global Warming

Biodiversity influences climate at local, regional and global levels, yet most climate models do not take biodiversity into consideration because its variables and effects are too diverse and complex to compute.
Recruiting Tiny Organisms to Detect Water Pollution

Climate change has huge implications for water pollution, so with increasing climate change effects and the concern that many regions on the planet are approaching peak water, timely water pollution detection is critical.

From Wastewater to Drinking Water

Across the globe, 2 out of 10 people do not have access to safe drinking water, and in the U.S., many states face water shortages and droughts. As the global population continues to grow and climate change results in more water crises, where will we find enough water to meet our needs?
Biomimicry: Learning From Nature’s Genius

Biomimicry is the science of studying and emulating nature’s solutions to the problems that human beings are trying to solve. Over the 3.8 billion years that life has existed on Earth, nature, through evolution, has come up with sustainable and robust solutions that work and that endure.
Ethanol’s Impacts on Our Water Resources

Ninety-five percent of ethanol in the U.S. comes from corn, but corn-based ethanol is controversial because of the amount of land required to grow the crops, and because of its effect on food prices and water resources.
Why is Your Nitrogen Footprint Important?

While most people today are aware of the importance of reducing their carbon footprint, far fewer understand the harmful effects of nitrogen pollution. Yet many scientists believe that man’s disruption of the natural nitrogen cycle is a potential global tipping point and a serious threat to biodiversity.
The Fog Collectors: Harvesting Water From Thin Air

Today nearly two people in ten have no source of safe drinking water according to the U.N. But in some desert areas, where there is very little rain, fog and dew are abundant sources of humidity that are being harvested to produce fresh water.
Giant Jellyfish Swarms – Are Humans the Cause?

Many scientists believe that jellyfish, particularly jellyfish swarms or blooms, are on the increase worldwide, turning up in regions where they never existed before. Research shows shows that many human activities are strongly correlated to jellyfish blooms.
Seawater Greenhouses Produce Tomatoes in the Desert

With the global population increasing by 80 million each year, a third of the planet will likely face water shortages by 2025. This looming water crisis is inextricably linked to food production…
How Plants Could Impact Global Warming

Biodiversity influences climate at local, regional and global levels, yet most climate models do not take biodiversity into consideration because its variables and effects are too diverse and complex to compute.
Recruiting Tiny Organisms to Detect Water Pollution

Climate change has huge implications for water pollution, so with increasing climate change effects and the concern that many regions on the planet are approaching peak water, timely water pollution detection is critical.