State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Natural Disasters28

  • Economists Are Downplaying Many Major Climate Risks, Says Report

    Economists Are Downplaying Many Major Climate Risks, Says Report

    Researchers warn that world leaders are being misled by economic assessments of future climate-change impacts.

  • Is New York Ready for the Next Superstorm?

    Is New York Ready for the Next Superstorm?

    For New York City climate resistance is not an option, but a matter of municipal survival.

  • North to Patuakhali and Barisal for the End of Our Fieldwork

    North to Patuakhali and Barisal for the End of Our Fieldwork

    We added a campaign monument to the tide gauge at Khepupara on the way to our last GPS and SET installation site at Patuakhali. We faced challenges such as bad roads and broken bridges, and leeches, but got the work done. The field work was now coming to a close.

  • What Moody’s Recent Acquisition Means for Assessing the Costs of the Climate Crisis

    What Moody’s Recent Acquisition Means for Assessing the Costs of the Climate Crisis

    The acquisition of Four Twenty Seven, a leading provider of insight on economic climate risk, stands out as an indicator that the climate crisis is seen as a material risk that corporations and governments must consider.

  • Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    We replaced the GPS at Khulna University, then met some colleagues in Barisal. We continued to Khepupara and the beach at Kuakata for more installations. The beach on the Bay of Bengal is fresh water in the summer due to the enormous water discharge at the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.

  • Finishing on the Boat

    Finishing on the Boat

    Silting rivers and bad roads made it difficult to find a last site. After a successful installation and an upgrade to an existing GPS site, we left the boat for land. We then discovered the local river had washed away some of our equipment.

  • Hiron Point Once More

    Hiron Point Once More

    We sailed to Hiron Point in the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to upgrade old and install new equipment. I have been to this beautiful remote site several times before. After competing the work, we sailed for over a day to reach our next site on a primary school roof.

  • Climate Change Could Revive Medieval Megadroughts in U.S. Southwest

    Climate Change Could Revive Medieval Megadroughts in U.S. Southwest

    Study picks apart factors that caused severe, long-lasting droughts and suggests increased risk for future.

  • Delays in Dhaka

    Delays in Dhaka

    I am back in Bangladesh for a new project examining the balance between sea level rise, land subsidence and sedimentation. We will be installing, repairing or upgrading equipment to measure changes to the landscape.

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings“

  • Economists Are Downplaying Many Major Climate Risks, Says Report

    Economists Are Downplaying Many Major Climate Risks, Says Report

    Researchers warn that world leaders are being misled by economic assessments of future climate-change impacts.

  • Is New York Ready for the Next Superstorm?

    Is New York Ready for the Next Superstorm?

    For New York City climate resistance is not an option, but a matter of municipal survival.

  • North to Patuakhali and Barisal for the End of Our Fieldwork

    North to Patuakhali and Barisal for the End of Our Fieldwork

    We added a campaign monument to the tide gauge at Khepupara on the way to our last GPS and SET installation site at Patuakhali. We faced challenges such as bad roads and broken bridges, and leeches, but got the work done. The field work was now coming to a close.

  • What Moody’s Recent Acquisition Means for Assessing the Costs of the Climate Crisis

    What Moody’s Recent Acquisition Means for Assessing the Costs of the Climate Crisis

    The acquisition of Four Twenty Seven, a leading provider of insight on economic climate risk, stands out as an indicator that the climate crisis is seen as a material risk that corporations and governments must consider.

  • Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    Khulna to Barishal and Kuakata

    We replaced the GPS at Khulna University, then met some colleagues in Barisal. We continued to Khepupara and the beach at Kuakata for more installations. The beach on the Bay of Bengal is fresh water in the summer due to the enormous water discharge at the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.

  • Finishing on the Boat

    Finishing on the Boat

    Silting rivers and bad roads made it difficult to find a last site. After a successful installation and an upgrade to an existing GPS site, we left the boat for land. We then discovered the local river had washed away some of our equipment.

  • Hiron Point Once More

    Hiron Point Once More

    We sailed to Hiron Point in the Sundarban Mangrove Forest to upgrade old and install new equipment. I have been to this beautiful remote site several times before. After competing the work, we sailed for over a day to reach our next site on a primary school roof.

  • Climate Change Could Revive Medieval Megadroughts in U.S. Southwest

    Climate Change Could Revive Medieval Megadroughts in U.S. Southwest

    Study picks apart factors that caused severe, long-lasting droughts and suggests increased risk for future.

  • Delays in Dhaka

    Delays in Dhaka

    I am back in Bangladesh for a new project examining the balance between sea level rise, land subsidence and sedimentation. We will be installing, repairing or upgrading equipment to measure changes to the landscape.