State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate172

  • Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    A new study that looked at the feasibility of lowering sea levels by pumping water onto icy Antarctica offers a warning about the costs today’s greenhouse gas emissions may be creating for future generations.

  • Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Sometime soon, a flock of “Climate Birds” could be ascending from a former NATO base in northeast France to take the measure of climate change around the world.

  • We’re Headed for Mozambique!

    We’re Headed for Mozambique!

    After weeks of anticipation, permission arrived just in time to core off Mozambique. Sidney Hemming and her team of scientists aboard the JOIDES Resolution are excited about what they might learn from the ocean sediment.

  • Are Zika Virus and the Climate Related?

    Are Zika Virus and the Climate Related?

    Madeleine Thomson, a scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, studies the relationship between diseases like Zika, dengue, malaria and others and changes in climate. She spoke at length recently with the Wellcome Trust, a health-focused charity, about the connection.

  • Slowly Moving to Protect the Environment

    In some cases we do not understand the impact of human actions on the planet and we need to do more observation and analysis to understand those impacts. In other cases we don’t really know how to repair the damage once it has been done.

  • What Five Tech Companies Are Doing About Climate Change

    What Five Tech Companies Are Doing About Climate Change

    Many experts agree that the climate pledges made at COP21 alone will not hold global temperatures below 2˚ C—we also need significant investment in energy technology innovation in order to meet the climate goals. What are the five big tech companies and their founders doing about climate change?

  • Competition Challenges Students to Limit Global Warming

    Competition Challenges Students to Limit Global Warming

    Can the global community devise a solution to save the planet from the worst impacts of global climate change? How about doing it in seven hours?

  • Bleach Patrol: Turning Surfers into Scientists to Help Coral Reefs

    Bleach Patrol: Turning Surfers into Scientists to Help Coral Reefs

    With coral bleaching spreading, a new project and app called Bleach Patrol is putting surfers, divers and snorkelers to work as citizen scientists, keeping an eye on the world’s coral reefs.

  • Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    The global trend toward hotter summers could make parts of the Middle East and tropics “practically uninhabitable” by the end of the century, new research published this week contends.

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    A new study that looked at the feasibility of lowering sea levels by pumping water onto icy Antarctica offers a warning about the costs today’s greenhouse gas emissions may be creating for future generations.

  • Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Sometime soon, a flock of “Climate Birds” could be ascending from a former NATO base in northeast France to take the measure of climate change around the world.

  • We’re Headed for Mozambique!

    We’re Headed for Mozambique!

    After weeks of anticipation, permission arrived just in time to core off Mozambique. Sidney Hemming and her team of scientists aboard the JOIDES Resolution are excited about what they might learn from the ocean sediment.

  • Are Zika Virus and the Climate Related?

    Are Zika Virus and the Climate Related?

    Madeleine Thomson, a scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, studies the relationship between diseases like Zika, dengue, malaria and others and changes in climate. She spoke at length recently with the Wellcome Trust, a health-focused charity, about the connection.

  • Slowly Moving to Protect the Environment

    In some cases we do not understand the impact of human actions on the planet and we need to do more observation and analysis to understand those impacts. In other cases we don’t really know how to repair the damage once it has been done.

  • What Five Tech Companies Are Doing About Climate Change

    What Five Tech Companies Are Doing About Climate Change

    Many experts agree that the climate pledges made at COP21 alone will not hold global temperatures below 2˚ C—we also need significant investment in energy technology innovation in order to meet the climate goals. What are the five big tech companies and their founders doing about climate change?

  • Competition Challenges Students to Limit Global Warming

    Competition Challenges Students to Limit Global Warming

    Can the global community devise a solution to save the planet from the worst impacts of global climate change? How about doing it in seven hours?

  • Bleach Patrol: Turning Surfers into Scientists to Help Coral Reefs

    Bleach Patrol: Turning Surfers into Scientists to Help Coral Reefs

    With coral bleaching spreading, a new project and app called Bleach Patrol is putting surfers, divers and snorkelers to work as citizen scientists, keeping an eye on the world’s coral reefs.

  • Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    The global trend toward hotter summers could make parts of the Middle East and tropics “practically uninhabitable” by the end of the century, new research published this week contends.