State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate190

  • International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    A live-streamed international conference on El Niño takes place on Nov. 17 and 18 at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

  • Symbolic Politics, the Keystone Pipeline, and Climate Policy in the Real World

    The Clean Power Plan, the renewable energy tax credit, and state and local sustainability initiatives may not have the glamor of climate conferences in Paris or the media currency of the fight over the Keystone XL Pipeline, but they are the real, operational policies and programs that actually reduce fossil fuel use and speed the…

  • New Drought Atlas Maps 2,000 Years of Climate in Europe

    Completes the First Big-Picture View Across Northern Hemisphere

  • Rapid-Fire Cyclones over the North Indian Ocean

    Rapid-Fire Cyclones over the North Indian Ocean

    With Chapala’s destructive landfall in Yemen just a couple of days in the past, a second tropical cyclone, Megh, has just formed in the Arabian Sea. This one is not forecast to become anywhere near as intense as Chapala did—though we know intensity forecasts can be wrong, as they were at early stages for both…

  • Getting Sustainability on the Agenda of Our Dysfunctional Federal Government

    What is needed politically and in reality is a positive vision of a sustainable society. In the case of this country it will need to be built on the traditional values that have always attracted people to America: freedom, rewarding individual achievement, a love of the new and novel, innovation, and acceptance (even if reluctantly)…

  • Antarctica’s Wildlife in a Changing Climate

    Antarctica’s Wildlife in a Changing Climate

    We hear a lot about polar bears and other Arctic mammals in connection to climate change, but what about biodiversity in Antarctica?

  • The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The presidential election of 2016 will determine the United States’ role in confronting the global challenge of climate change, and preparing our nation to manage its impacts for years to come. Where do the presidential candidates stand today on these issues?

  • Historic Hurricane Nears Landfall on Southwest Coast of Mexico

    Historic Hurricane Nears Landfall on Southwest Coast of Mexico

    Hurricane Patricia, the strongest hurricane ever observed in either the Atlantic or eastern Pacific, is expected to make landfall on the Southwest coast of Mexico this afternoon and evening as an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane.

  • In 2015: Hot, Wet and Opinionated

    In 2015: Hot, Wet and Opinionated

    This year is shaping up to be the warmest year on record since 1880, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And, perhaps not so coincidentally, a new poll says more people in the United States are coming around to the view that climate change is happening.

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

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

  • International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    A live-streamed international conference on El Niño takes place on Nov. 17 and 18 at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

  • Symbolic Politics, the Keystone Pipeline, and Climate Policy in the Real World

    The Clean Power Plan, the renewable energy tax credit, and state and local sustainability initiatives may not have the glamor of climate conferences in Paris or the media currency of the fight over the Keystone XL Pipeline, but they are the real, operational policies and programs that actually reduce fossil fuel use and speed the…

  • New Drought Atlas Maps 2,000 Years of Climate in Europe

    Completes the First Big-Picture View Across Northern Hemisphere

  • Rapid-Fire Cyclones over the North Indian Ocean

    Rapid-Fire Cyclones over the North Indian Ocean

    With Chapala’s destructive landfall in Yemen just a couple of days in the past, a second tropical cyclone, Megh, has just formed in the Arabian Sea. This one is not forecast to become anywhere near as intense as Chapala did—though we know intensity forecasts can be wrong, as they were at early stages for both…

  • Getting Sustainability on the Agenda of Our Dysfunctional Federal Government

    What is needed politically and in reality is a positive vision of a sustainable society. In the case of this country it will need to be built on the traditional values that have always attracted people to America: freedom, rewarding individual achievement, a love of the new and novel, innovation, and acceptance (even if reluctantly)…

  • Antarctica’s Wildlife in a Changing Climate

    Antarctica’s Wildlife in a Changing Climate

    We hear a lot about polar bears and other Arctic mammals in connection to climate change, but what about biodiversity in Antarctica?

  • The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The presidential election of 2016 will determine the United States’ role in confronting the global challenge of climate change, and preparing our nation to manage its impacts for years to come. Where do the presidential candidates stand today on these issues?

  • Historic Hurricane Nears Landfall on Southwest Coast of Mexico

    Historic Hurricane Nears Landfall on Southwest Coast of Mexico

    Hurricane Patricia, the strongest hurricane ever observed in either the Atlantic or eastern Pacific, is expected to make landfall on the Southwest coast of Mexico this afternoon and evening as an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane.

  • In 2015: Hot, Wet and Opinionated

    In 2015: Hot, Wet and Opinionated

    This year is shaping up to be the warmest year on record since 1880, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And, perhaps not so coincidentally, a new poll says more people in the United States are coming around to the view that climate change is happening.