State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Author: Steven Cohen39


  • Main Streets, Malls, and Sustainable Consumption

    Main Streets, Malls, and Sustainable Consumption

    As new technologies continue to change consumption patterns, land use and social norms, we have an opportunity to ensure these changes result in an exciting sustainable lifestyle in a new type of sustainable city.

  • Catastrophe and Community

    Catastrophe and Community

    Natural disaster reconstruction will not be easy, but our greatest assets in the rebuilding efforts are our communities and our common values.

  • The Disaster of Disaster Reconstruction

    The Disaster of Disaster Reconstruction

    First responders have learned how to reduce the death toll from natural disasters, but America’s long-term response and approach to reconstruction suffers from uncertainty, bureaucracy and inadequate resources of every kind. Until we understand that disaster reconstruction is not part of emergency response, it will remain a disaster.

  • The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    We need to ensure that our air, water and soil is free of poisons and to do that we need to take pollution control more seriously than we do today. Many industries have found that environmental regulation is compatible with long term production and profits.

  • Diversity, Tolerance, and Success in the Global Economy

    Diversity, Tolerance, and Success in the Global Economy

    Though Trump’s America doesn’t recognize the value of diversity, New York City views maintaining economic, racial, national and ethnic diversity as an important goal and matter of public policy.

  • Trump Cannot Stop the Transition to Environmental Sustainability

    Trump Cannot Stop the Transition to Environmental Sustainability

    Trump cannot stop the attention most of us are paying to environmental sustainability, and I remain confident that the transition to a renewable resource-based economy has begun.

  • Puerto Rico’s Peril and Potential

    Puerto Rico’s Peril and Potential

    The federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was far too slow and small to deal with the massive scale of the disaster, but the future potential for Puerto Rico could be achieved by constructing a more resilient, storm-resistant built environment.

  • We Need a Government Capable of Building Climate Resilient Infrastructure

    We Need a Government Capable of Building Climate Resilient Infrastructure

    Vulnerable infrastructure is a crisis that calls for enhanced governmental capacity to address a new, national issue of national security.

  • The Centrality of Science to Sustainability

    The Centrality of Science to Sustainability

    The growth of this field of study is one of the reasons I am optimistic that we will overcome and meet the challenges of climate change and global sustainability.

  • Main Streets, Malls, and Sustainable Consumption

    Main Streets, Malls, and Sustainable Consumption

    As new technologies continue to change consumption patterns, land use and social norms, we have an opportunity to ensure these changes result in an exciting sustainable lifestyle in a new type of sustainable city.

  • Catastrophe and Community

    Catastrophe and Community

    Natural disaster reconstruction will not be easy, but our greatest assets in the rebuilding efforts are our communities and our common values.

  • The Disaster of Disaster Reconstruction

    The Disaster of Disaster Reconstruction

    First responders have learned how to reduce the death toll from natural disasters, but America’s long-term response and approach to reconstruction suffers from uncertainty, bureaucracy and inadequate resources of every kind. Until we understand that disaster reconstruction is not part of emergency response, it will remain a disaster.

  • The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    We need to ensure that our air, water and soil is free of poisons and to do that we need to take pollution control more seriously than we do today. Many industries have found that environmental regulation is compatible with long term production and profits.

  • Diversity, Tolerance, and Success in the Global Economy

    Diversity, Tolerance, and Success in the Global Economy

    Though Trump’s America doesn’t recognize the value of diversity, New York City views maintaining economic, racial, national and ethnic diversity as an important goal and matter of public policy.

  • Trump Cannot Stop the Transition to Environmental Sustainability

    Trump Cannot Stop the Transition to Environmental Sustainability

    Trump cannot stop the attention most of us are paying to environmental sustainability, and I remain confident that the transition to a renewable resource-based economy has begun.

  • Puerto Rico’s Peril and Potential

    Puerto Rico’s Peril and Potential

    The federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was far too slow and small to deal with the massive scale of the disaster, but the future potential for Puerto Rico could be achieved by constructing a more resilient, storm-resistant built environment.

  • We Need a Government Capable of Building Climate Resilient Infrastructure

    We Need a Government Capable of Building Climate Resilient Infrastructure

    Vulnerable infrastructure is a crisis that calls for enhanced governmental capacity to address a new, national issue of national security.

  • The Centrality of Science to Sustainability

    The Centrality of Science to Sustainability

    The growth of this field of study is one of the reasons I am optimistic that we will overcome and meet the challenges of climate change and global sustainability.