State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate205

  • Exploring New Zealand Climate Change in Groundwater

    Exploring New Zealand Climate Change in Groundwater

    Alan Seltzer, a senior at Columbia University, traveled to New Zealand this past summer to work on field experiments aimed at reconstructing temperatures in the region over the last 20,000 years. His adviser, geochemist Martin Stute, is working closely with colleagues at Lamont-Doherty to understand how the southern hemisphere came out of the last ice…

  • Wind and Rain Belts to Shift North as Planet Warms, Says Study

    Redistribution of Rainfall Could Make Middle East, Western U.S. and Amazonia Drier

  • Riding for Climate with Mom and Mr. Shark

    Riding for Climate with Mom and Mr. Shark

    Katy Mixter will ride with “Mr. Shark” on her handlebars, the result of a $75 donation from her boss. Pamela Quinlan is joining the 300-mile Climate Ride to mark her 30th birthday. Jennifer Hurford will ride beside her mother.

  • A Tip of the Psychological Scales, and What it Means for Conservation Efforts

    A Tip of the Psychological Scales, and What it Means for Conservation Efforts

    Despite their differences, both humanitarian crises and environmental issues are faced with an unending struggle to engage the public. A recent study reveals a new psychological mechanism confronting conservation efforts, and points the way to overcoming obstacles related to inaction.

  • The Pluvial Continues… Has the Long Rain Epoch Begun?

    The Pluvial Continues… Has the Long Rain Epoch Begun?

    Daily comparisons on TV or other media sources are typically based upon recent climate and ignore the past. Dased upon paleo records, the full picture indicates that we are sitting in one of the more unusually wet periods of the last 500 years.

  • Finding Threatened Animals New Homes

    Finding Threatened Animals New Homes

    Translocation in wildlife conservation is the capture, transport and release or introduction of species, habitats or other ecological material from one location to another. The authors argue that many species will need to move to a different location in order to survive. For species that are unable to relocate naturally, the only chance of survival…

  • Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Newly redesigned interactive mapping tools are helping the Red Cross make planning and operational decisions ahead of droughts and extreme weather.

  • Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    A massive landslide in Alaska’s snowy Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range in July may have been caused by a summer heat wave making some slopes more vulnerable to collapse, says the Lamont-Doherty scientist who first discovered the avalanche.

  • James Hansen to Lead New Program on Climate Science and Policy

    A Focus on Practical Results

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings

  • Exploring New Zealand Climate Change in Groundwater

    Exploring New Zealand Climate Change in Groundwater

    Alan Seltzer, a senior at Columbia University, traveled to New Zealand this past summer to work on field experiments aimed at reconstructing temperatures in the region over the last 20,000 years. His adviser, geochemist Martin Stute, is working closely with colleagues at Lamont-Doherty to understand how the southern hemisphere came out of the last ice…

  • Wind and Rain Belts to Shift North as Planet Warms, Says Study

    Redistribution of Rainfall Could Make Middle East, Western U.S. and Amazonia Drier

  • Riding for Climate with Mom and Mr. Shark

    Riding for Climate with Mom and Mr. Shark

    Katy Mixter will ride with “Mr. Shark” on her handlebars, the result of a $75 donation from her boss. Pamela Quinlan is joining the 300-mile Climate Ride to mark her 30th birthday. Jennifer Hurford will ride beside her mother.

  • A Tip of the Psychological Scales, and What it Means for Conservation Efforts

    A Tip of the Psychological Scales, and What it Means for Conservation Efforts

    Despite their differences, both humanitarian crises and environmental issues are faced with an unending struggle to engage the public. A recent study reveals a new psychological mechanism confronting conservation efforts, and points the way to overcoming obstacles related to inaction.

  • The Pluvial Continues… Has the Long Rain Epoch Begun?

    The Pluvial Continues… Has the Long Rain Epoch Begun?

    Daily comparisons on TV or other media sources are typically based upon recent climate and ignore the past. Dased upon paleo records, the full picture indicates that we are sitting in one of the more unusually wet periods of the last 500 years.

  • Finding Threatened Animals New Homes

    Finding Threatened Animals New Homes

    Translocation in wildlife conservation is the capture, transport and release or introduction of species, habitats or other ecological material from one location to another. The authors argue that many species will need to move to a different location in order to survive. For species that are unable to relocate naturally, the only chance of survival…

  • Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Newly redesigned interactive mapping tools are helping the Red Cross make planning and operational decisions ahead of droughts and extreme weather.

  • Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    A massive landslide in Alaska’s snowy Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range in July may have been caused by a summer heat wave making some slopes more vulnerable to collapse, says the Lamont-Doherty scientist who first discovered the avalanche.

  • James Hansen to Lead New Program on Climate Science and Policy

    A Focus on Practical Results