State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Agriculture29

  • How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    Right off the bat, we were faced with the difficult question of what “sustainable” actually means. Students were well-versed in the triple bottom line of sustainability – economic, environmental and social. Then one of the students, a hefty young man on Columbia’s wrestling team, spoke up in defense of his right to make a decision…

  • Perspective: A Q&A with Development Practitioner Sarah Curran

    Perspective: A Q&A with Development Practitioner Sarah Curran

    Sarah Curran, Master of Public Administration in Development Practice (MDP), Class of 2011, believes that addressing complex global issues starts with a meal. As a Program Manager for the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute, she brings a full plate of organizational and information experience, from back home in the UK…

  • Myanmar: a New Frontier for Sustainable Development

    Myanmar: a New Frontier for Sustainable Development

    The Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development is building a sustainable development program to provide policy support for the government of Myanmar, local NGOs and the donor community, accelerating growth that is both socially inclusive, sustainable and mindful of climate risks and opportunities. This video explains the project.

  • Postdoc Crosses Disciplines to Put Theory to Practice

    Postdoc Crosses Disciplines to Put Theory to Practice

    The Earth Institute postdoc has provided me with a strong foundation to continue to initiate and develop these sorts of collaborations, has helped me learn how my own research can benefit from being challenged by and contextualized in another field, and has taught me how much fun it can be to share the same sort…

  • Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Should we certify aquaculture? A look at mounting challenges in the push for sustainable seafood.

  • Students Explore Sustainable Agriculture at McEnroe Farm

    The McEnroe Farm opened in the late 1980s, with the help of the McEnroe and Durst families of Duchess County, who had a shared vision for the future of sustainable agriculture. Over time, their endeavor has grown from a small farm with a roadside stand to one of the largest organic farms in the Northeast,…

  • From Laughter to Linear Regressions

    From Laughter to Linear Regressions

    What was obvious to a Malaysian studying in Singapore was slightly less clear to a California-born New Yorker, but as my knowledge on the subject grew, I quickly understood my colleague’s enthusiasm for studying oil palm.

  • The Intensifying Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods

    The Intensifying Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods

    Genetically modified foods contain organisms that have had DNA from a non-related species transferred into their genes via biotechnology to imbue them with specific traits. The debate over whether or not they are safe is intensifying as more GM foods show up in our supermarkets, and the movement to label GM food grows.

  • Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Focusing on near-term probabilities can also aid in decreasing vulnerability to future climate uncertainties.

  • How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    How We Put Our Spreadsheets Where Our Stomachs Are

    Right off the bat, we were faced with the difficult question of what “sustainable” actually means. Students were well-versed in the triple bottom line of sustainability – economic, environmental and social. Then one of the students, a hefty young man on Columbia’s wrestling team, spoke up in defense of his right to make a decision…

  • Perspective: A Q&A with Development Practitioner Sarah Curran

    Perspective: A Q&A with Development Practitioner Sarah Curran

    Sarah Curran, Master of Public Administration in Development Practice (MDP), Class of 2011, believes that addressing complex global issues starts with a meal. As a Program Manager for the Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development at the Earth Institute, she brings a full plate of organizational and information experience, from back home in the UK…

  • Myanmar: a New Frontier for Sustainable Development

    Myanmar: a New Frontier for Sustainable Development

    The Center on Globalization and Sustainable Development is building a sustainable development program to provide policy support for the government of Myanmar, local NGOs and the donor community, accelerating growth that is both socially inclusive, sustainable and mindful of climate risks and opportunities. This video explains the project.

  • Postdoc Crosses Disciplines to Put Theory to Practice

    Postdoc Crosses Disciplines to Put Theory to Practice

    The Earth Institute postdoc has provided me with a strong foundation to continue to initiate and develop these sorts of collaborations, has helped me learn how my own research can benefit from being challenged by and contextualized in another field, and has taught me how much fun it can be to share the same sort…

  • Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Sustainability Certification in Aquaculture: Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is?

    Should we certify aquaculture? A look at mounting challenges in the push for sustainable seafood.

  • Students Explore Sustainable Agriculture at McEnroe Farm

    The McEnroe Farm opened in the late 1980s, with the help of the McEnroe and Durst families of Duchess County, who had a shared vision for the future of sustainable agriculture. Over time, their endeavor has grown from a small farm with a roadside stand to one of the largest organic farms in the Northeast,…

  • From Laughter to Linear Regressions

    From Laughter to Linear Regressions

    What was obvious to a Malaysian studying in Singapore was slightly less clear to a California-born New Yorker, but as my knowledge on the subject grew, I quickly understood my colleague’s enthusiasm for studying oil palm.

  • The Intensifying Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods

    The Intensifying Debate Over Genetically Modified Foods

    Genetically modified foods contain organisms that have had DNA from a non-related species transferred into their genes via biotechnology to imbue them with specific traits. The debate over whether or not they are safe is intensifying as more GM foods show up in our supermarkets, and the movement to label GM food grows.

  • Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Focusing on near-term probabilities can also aid in decreasing vulnerability to future climate uncertainties.