Agriculture40
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Can Intensive Farming Save Tropical Forests?
With 7 billion people on the planet and some 40 percent of earth’s land surface already covered with croplands and pastures, the only remaining frontiers for agricultural expansion are dwindling tropical forests. Some see high-yield industrial-scale farming as a way to take the pressure off; the theory goes that if more produce can be grown…
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U.S., 5 Nations to Cut Methane, Soot Emissions
The United States and five other countries agreed this week to fund an effort to cut emissions of methane, soot and other pollutants to start to slow the rate of human-induced climate change.
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Climate Services: Think Local
“I think we have to get a lot more humble about what we can do with our science, and what is actually going to be useful with our science.” — US AID’s Edward Carr talks about the importance of climate services to local communities, for the first in a series of video interviews.
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Opening the Door to More Rooftop Farming?
The NYC Department of City Planning has proposed new zoning rules to make it easier to retrofit buildings for energy efficiency – including a provision on rooftop greenhouses.
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The End of Traffic: Goals of an Ecopreneur
Savraj Singh Danjal, an ecopreneur based in New Jersey, has some practical solutions for your home energy bill — and for traffic, congestion, your view of the night sky, and how to keep your coffee warm.
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Agricultural Development in Africa: NEPAD’s Contribution over a Decade
The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a program of the African Union, was launched in Lusaka, Zambia in July 2001. NEPAD offered a fundamentally new approach to development. African leaders set out to pursue new priorities and methods to transform the continent politically and socio-economically, focusing on Africa’s growth, development and participation in the…
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Fast & Cheap: Shortcuts to Curb Global Warming
Relatively cheap, simple steps using existing technologies could cut projected global warming by one degree Fahrenheit – a substantial amount — by focusing on sources of methane and soot, concludes a new study by an international team of scientists.
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East Africa Drought Is “Exceptional”
Climate scientist Simon Mason talks about the drought and the role of climate information in disaster preparedness and response.
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Restoring Damaged Ecosystems – The Challenge of Haiti
In 2010, almost two-thirds of the world’s ecosystems were deemed degraded due to human impacts and mismanagement, but fortunately ecosystems can be restored. The Earth Institute’s work in Haiti illustrates just how complicated ecosystem restoration can be.
COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More
