State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate192

  • The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The enormity of these anti-nuclear policy decisions is difficult to exaggerate. Energy consumption is an inescapable requirement of development, and renewable energy sources alone cannot satisfy the energy demands of China and other developing nations. They now have no choice but to burn massive amounts of coal if they wish to raise their living standards.

  • Faint Young Sun

    Faint Young Sun

    Through an ancient looking-glass, Perhaps you’d see more H2 gas, And if with denser gas collided, Greater greenhouse warmth provided.

  • Reflections of a Changing North

    Reflections of a Changing North

    No one ever leaves the field the same way they entered it. Yes there is a new layer of mud on equipment, the expected wear and tear on your gear and your physical being. But also, an intangible shift in perspective.

  • Webinar Sept. 8 on Proposed Sustainable Development Goals

    Webinar Sept. 8 on Proposed Sustainable Development Goals

    Researcher Magdalena A K Muir will present a live webinar, “The UN Sustainable Development Goals: Setting an Agenda for Sustainability,” as part of the Association for Environmental Studies and Educators Webinar Series.

  • Major Gift Will Expand Center for Climate Change Law

    Major Gift Will Expand Center for Climate Change Law

    Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law will be newly expanded with a major gift from the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation. The center, an affiliate of the Earth Institute, has been renamed the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

  • Studies Find Climate Change to Disrupt Antarctic and Tropical Ecosystems

    Studies Find Climate Change to Disrupt Antarctic and Tropical Ecosystems

    A recent study finds that West Antarctica’s ecosystem is highly correlated to its climate. As a result, climate change will have a negative impact on its ecological relationships, from plankton to penguins. Antarctica isn’t alone – climate change will also affect tropical ocean ecosystems by causing mass coral bleaching.

  • Ocean Sediments Tell a Surprising Climate Story

    Ocean Sediments Tell a Surprising Climate Story

    Geochemists Alexander van Geen and Jacob Mey helped coauthor a recent paper in the leading journal Science showing that warming climate in the future may not degrade oxygen supplies in some parts of the oceans as previously thought.

  • A Summit for Young Climate Leaders

    A Summit for Young Climate Leaders

    We created CliMates in 2011. Our dream was to find new ways for youth worldwide to work together on climate change. In less than a year, CliMates grew into a network of several hundred students and young professionals across all continents and from different academic backgrounds. This year, the 2nd CliMates International Summit will take…

  • Climate Change or Public Health: Which Matters More?

    Climate Change or Public Health: Which Matters More?

    A new study by Earth Institute researchers suggests that talking about the human health impacts of air pollution related to burning fossil fuels might make a more convincing argument for action among conservatives, who are generally more skeptical of the scientific evidence for climate change.

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

  • The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The enormity of these anti-nuclear policy decisions is difficult to exaggerate. Energy consumption is an inescapable requirement of development, and renewable energy sources alone cannot satisfy the energy demands of China and other developing nations. They now have no choice but to burn massive amounts of coal if they wish to raise their living standards.

  • Faint Young Sun

    Faint Young Sun

    Through an ancient looking-glass, Perhaps you’d see more H2 gas, And if with denser gas collided, Greater greenhouse warmth provided.

  • Reflections of a Changing North

    Reflections of a Changing North

    No one ever leaves the field the same way they entered it. Yes there is a new layer of mud on equipment, the expected wear and tear on your gear and your physical being. But also, an intangible shift in perspective.

  • Webinar Sept. 8 on Proposed Sustainable Development Goals

    Webinar Sept. 8 on Proposed Sustainable Development Goals

    Researcher Magdalena A K Muir will present a live webinar, “The UN Sustainable Development Goals: Setting an Agenda for Sustainability,” as part of the Association for Environmental Studies and Educators Webinar Series.

  • Major Gift Will Expand Center for Climate Change Law

    Major Gift Will Expand Center for Climate Change Law

    Columbia Law School’s Center for Climate Change Law will be newly expanded with a major gift from the Andrew Sabin Family Foundation. The center, an affiliate of the Earth Institute, has been renamed the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

  • Studies Find Climate Change to Disrupt Antarctic and Tropical Ecosystems

    Studies Find Climate Change to Disrupt Antarctic and Tropical Ecosystems

    A recent study finds that West Antarctica’s ecosystem is highly correlated to its climate. As a result, climate change will have a negative impact on its ecological relationships, from plankton to penguins. Antarctica isn’t alone – climate change will also affect tropical ocean ecosystems by causing mass coral bleaching.

  • Ocean Sediments Tell a Surprising Climate Story

    Ocean Sediments Tell a Surprising Climate Story

    Geochemists Alexander van Geen and Jacob Mey helped coauthor a recent paper in the leading journal Science showing that warming climate in the future may not degrade oxygen supplies in some parts of the oceans as previously thought.

  • A Summit for Young Climate Leaders

    A Summit for Young Climate Leaders

    We created CliMates in 2011. Our dream was to find new ways for youth worldwide to work together on climate change. In less than a year, CliMates grew into a network of several hundred students and young professionals across all continents and from different academic backgrounds. This year, the 2nd CliMates International Summit will take…

  • Climate Change or Public Health: Which Matters More?

    Climate Change or Public Health: Which Matters More?

    A new study by Earth Institute researchers suggests that talking about the human health impacts of air pollution related to burning fossil fuels might make a more convincing argument for action among conservatives, who are generally more skeptical of the scientific evidence for climate change.