State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate211

  • 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

  • Q&A: Climate Change, Drought and the Future

    Q&A: Climate Change, Drought and the Future

    “One of the ways that climate change is going to manifest is through warmer temperatures. … What we are seeing, in line with our projections, is that even if you assume constant precipitation, the temperature effects are so large that it is going to dry things out. This is going to have really big impacts…

  • From Consulting to Cycling: MSSM Alumni Join Climate Ride

    From Consulting to Cycling: MSSM Alumni Join Climate Ride

    MSSM alums JD Capuano, Eileen Quigley, and Ryan Meinke have gone on to make businesses more sustainable, adaptive and innovative through their work as consultants. This September, the group will take their passion for sustainability one step further when they ride 320 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness and support…

  • What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    Earth Institute experts weigh in as the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches.

Banner with images representing environmental issues and text "You Asked: Our Scientists and Experts Answer Your Burning Questions."

You Asked invites you to share your most pressing questions about climate, science, and sustainability. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School experts will respond with clear, evidence-based answers. Pose your questions and story ideas!

  • 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

  • Q&A: Climate Change, Drought and the Future

    Q&A: Climate Change, Drought and the Future

    “One of the ways that climate change is going to manifest is through warmer temperatures. … What we are seeing, in line with our projections, is that even if you assume constant precipitation, the temperature effects are so large that it is going to dry things out. This is going to have really big impacts…

  • From Consulting to Cycling: MSSM Alumni Join Climate Ride

    From Consulting to Cycling: MSSM Alumni Join Climate Ride

    MSSM alums JD Capuano, Eileen Quigley, and Ryan Meinke have gone on to make businesses more sustainable, adaptive and innovative through their work as consultants. This September, the group will take their passion for sustainability one step further when they ride 320 miles from New York City to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness and support…

  • What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    Earth Institute experts weigh in as the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches.