State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate172

  • With Climate, Fertilizing Oceans Could be Zero-Sum Game

    In Pacific, Added Iron May Not Pull Carbon From Air as Thought

  • The Clean Power Plan Overcomes Another Attack

    The politics of climate change remains contentious, with Democrats more concerned about the issue than Republicans. What is most interesting about the polling data is that young people are far more concerned about climate change than older people.

  • Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    That change would have affected the monsoons, today relied on to feed over half the world’s population, and could have helped tip the climate system over the threshold for deglaciation.

  • 2015: The Hottest Year

    2016 May Be Even Hotter

  • What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    Scientists at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society took a moment from their work (a very brief moment) to answer the question, “What does El Niño mean?”

  • Crowd-Sourcing Tornado Data, and Other Climate Talks

    Crowd-Sourcing Tornado Data, and Other Climate Talks

    From crowd-sourcing tornado data to teaching Harlem high-school students about climate change and climate justice, IRI scientists will share a number of fascinating projects at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society

  • It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    Much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States was balmy on Christmas Day, with high temperatures more than 20°F above average from Texas to Maine. According to NOAA, 789 daily high temperature records were tied or broken on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the continental United States. What’s behind this unusual weather?

  • New App Explores Ice and Sea Level Change Through Time

    Lamont-Doherty Scientists Create ‘Polar Explorer: Sea Level’

  • Electoral Politics and Environmental Sustainability

    The political consensus for sustainability that could emerge might be based on increased funding for the science of renewable energy, battery technology, energy efficiency and smart grids. It could also include incentives for private sector investment to commercialize new energy technologies, and tax expenditures that make it easier for consumers to adopt these new technologies.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • With Climate, Fertilizing Oceans Could be Zero-Sum Game

    In Pacific, Added Iron May Not Pull Carbon From Air as Thought

  • The Clean Power Plan Overcomes Another Attack

    The politics of climate change remains contentious, with Democrats more concerned about the issue than Republicans. What is most interesting about the polling data is that young people are far more concerned about climate change than older people.

  • Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    That change would have affected the monsoons, today relied on to feed over half the world’s population, and could have helped tip the climate system over the threshold for deglaciation.

  • 2015: The Hottest Year

    2016 May Be Even Hotter

  • What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    Scientists at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society took a moment from their work (a very brief moment) to answer the question, “What does El Niño mean?”

  • Crowd-Sourcing Tornado Data, and Other Climate Talks

    Crowd-Sourcing Tornado Data, and Other Climate Talks

    From crowd-sourcing tornado data to teaching Harlem high-school students about climate change and climate justice, IRI scientists will share a number of fascinating projects at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society

  • It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    Much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States was balmy on Christmas Day, with high temperatures more than 20°F above average from Texas to Maine. According to NOAA, 789 daily high temperature records were tied or broken on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the continental United States. What’s behind this unusual weather?

  • New App Explores Ice and Sea Level Change Through Time

    Lamont-Doherty Scientists Create ‘Polar Explorer: Sea Level’

  • Electoral Politics and Environmental Sustainability

    The political consensus for sustainability that could emerge might be based on increased funding for the science of renewable energy, battery technology, energy efficiency and smart grids. It could also include incentives for private sector investment to commercialize new energy technologies, and tax expenditures that make it easier for consumers to adopt these new technologies.