State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate206

  • Ozone-Protection Treaty Had Climate Benefits, Too, Study Says

    The global treaty that headed off destruction of earth’s protective ozone layer has also prevented major disruption of global rainfall patterns, according to a new study in the Journal of Climate. The 1987 Montreal Protocol phased out the use of chloroflourocarbons, or CFCs, a class of chemicals that destroy ozone in the stratosphere, allowing more…

  • Only 144 Miles, Yet Worlds Apart

    Only 144 Miles, Yet Worlds Apart

    144 miles separates Kangerlussuaq from Raven Camp. Not far really, just 144 miles – like traveling from the southern tip of New York City up to Albany. Flying at 270 knots we can be there in about half an hour, no time at all, and yet to the casual observer they seem worlds apart.

  • Conservation & Environmental Sustainability – Fall 2013 Courses

    Conservation & Environmental Sustainability – Fall 2013 Courses

    The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University provides executive training in environmental sustainability through courses in science, economics and policy. We invite you to join our leading experts and practitioners, strengthen your understanding of human-ecosystem interactions, and become an effective environmental leader and decision-maker.

  • Disaster Readiness Center Joins Earth Institute

    Shaping Local, Global Responses to Natural and Manmade Threats

  • Gone Fishing…Took IcePod!

    Gone Fishing…Took IcePod!

    When we sat down to map out the flight plan, our request to the crew for locating lakes met with an easy nod: No problem at all. It took only seconds to register that our definition of lakes might differ from theirs.

  • ‘Lipreading’ the Icesheet

    ‘Lipreading’ the Icesheet

    Even the most skilled of English language lipreaders are only able to tease apart about 30 percent of the information being shared, I read in a recent article. The author, herself deaf, noted that in some transmissions, the information capture is higher, while in others, nothing is collected. An average of 30 percent information transfer…most…

  • Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Focusing on near-term probabilities can also aid in decreasing vulnerability to future climate uncertainties.

  • World Population Projected to Cross 11 Billion Threshold in 2100

    World Population Projected to Cross 11 Billion Threshold in 2100

    In 2011, the U.N. announced that the world population had reached 7 billion. This year’s new projections for future population growth are higher than previously expected. Projects like Millennium Cities hope to alleviate many of the pressures that crowded cities place on infrastructure, public services, and the environment.

  • Photo Essay: High Desert, Deep Earth

    Photo Essay: High Desert, Deep Earth

    In the Arabian peninsula nation of Oman, geologists are studying the Hajar mountains–a range containing rocks that have been thrust up from the deep earth. Accessible to humans in only a few places on earth, these kinds of rocks offer clues to the planet’s deep history–and possible ways that natural processes may be harnessed to…

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

  • Ozone-Protection Treaty Had Climate Benefits, Too, Study Says

    The global treaty that headed off destruction of earth’s protective ozone layer has also prevented major disruption of global rainfall patterns, according to a new study in the Journal of Climate. The 1987 Montreal Protocol phased out the use of chloroflourocarbons, or CFCs, a class of chemicals that destroy ozone in the stratosphere, allowing more…

  • Only 144 Miles, Yet Worlds Apart

    Only 144 Miles, Yet Worlds Apart

    144 miles separates Kangerlussuaq from Raven Camp. Not far really, just 144 miles – like traveling from the southern tip of New York City up to Albany. Flying at 270 knots we can be there in about half an hour, no time at all, and yet to the casual observer they seem worlds apart.

  • Conservation & Environmental Sustainability – Fall 2013 Courses

    Conservation & Environmental Sustainability – Fall 2013 Courses

    The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University provides executive training in environmental sustainability through courses in science, economics and policy. We invite you to join our leading experts and practitioners, strengthen your understanding of human-ecosystem interactions, and become an effective environmental leader and decision-maker.

  • Disaster Readiness Center Joins Earth Institute

    Shaping Local, Global Responses to Natural and Manmade Threats

  • Gone Fishing…Took IcePod!

    Gone Fishing…Took IcePod!

    When we sat down to map out the flight plan, our request to the crew for locating lakes met with an easy nod: No problem at all. It took only seconds to register that our definition of lakes might differ from theirs.

  • ‘Lipreading’ the Icesheet

    ‘Lipreading’ the Icesheet

    Even the most skilled of English language lipreaders are only able to tease apart about 30 percent of the information being shared, I read in a recent article. The author, herself deaf, noted that in some transmissions, the information capture is higher, while in others, nothing is collected. An average of 30 percent information transfer…most…

  • Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Climate Forecasts: A Vital Tool for Policymakers

    Focusing on near-term probabilities can also aid in decreasing vulnerability to future climate uncertainties.

  • World Population Projected to Cross 11 Billion Threshold in 2100

    World Population Projected to Cross 11 Billion Threshold in 2100

    In 2011, the U.N. announced that the world population had reached 7 billion. This year’s new projections for future population growth are higher than previously expected. Projects like Millennium Cities hope to alleviate many of the pressures that crowded cities place on infrastructure, public services, and the environment.

  • Photo Essay: High Desert, Deep Earth

    Photo Essay: High Desert, Deep Earth

    In the Arabian peninsula nation of Oman, geologists are studying the Hajar mountains–a range containing rocks that have been thrust up from the deep earth. Accessible to humans in only a few places on earth, these kinds of rocks offer clues to the planet’s deep history–and possible ways that natural processes may be harnessed to…