State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate250

  • The American Climate Gap

    The American Climate Gap

    There’s a growing gap between scientists’ view of climate change and that of the general public, and it has less to do with scientific “illiteracy,” and more to do with the psychology of how people frame their understanding of the world, say the authors of a paper just published in the journal American Psychologist.

  • Ohio and Mississippi River Floods in Photos

    Ohio and Mississippi River Floods in Photos

    Heavy rains over the American South and Midwest have deluged the region, causing unprecedented flood damage. View photos of the event from around the web.

  • Earth, Water and Sky –A Conversation with Pierre Gentine, a new Columbia Water Center Scientist

    Earth, Water and Sky –A Conversation with Pierre Gentine, a new Columbia Water Center Scientist

    Columbia Water Center welcomes Pierre Gentine, Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics at Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, as an affiliate researcher. Pierre’s groundbreaking research on the way soil moisture interacts with the atmosphere has implications for many of CWCs initiatives—from developing more efficient irrigation systems, to water resource management, to understanding floods.…

  • Switchyard Project: New Sampling Record

    Switchyard Project: New Sampling Record

    On May 10, we celebrated the sampling of our 10th station yesterday. These are more stations than we were ever able to get water samples from. Because of the ongoing good weather, we will certainly get one more station today, and hopefully many more during the next couple of days. So watch the posted video and celebrate with…

  • Switchyard Project: Sampling Success

    Switchyard Project: Sampling Success

    The past 1½ weeks have been very successful. Our team from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory was able to obtain water samples from eight stations, while the team from the University of Washington has already broken their all-time record of the past years of 18 stations. Today (May 7) is actually the first day we can’t fly…

  • Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    The North East Ice Stream is a fast-flowing glacier transporting ice from deep in the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet out to the coast (see image showing a deep penetration into central Greenland). When it reaches the coastline it feeds 79 N Glacier. This area is heavily crevassed, evidence of the rapid ice flow.…

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/01

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/01

    California Gambles on Carbon Trade, New York Times, May 1 California state regulators are working to prepare for the January 1rst start of the multibillion-dollar carbon market, which will be the first in the U.S., after a lawsuit delayed the process. The courts are still a challenge with opponents striking from both the left and…

  • Climate Clock is Ticking for Pinot Noir

    Climate Clock is Ticking for Pinot Noir

    New studies of temperature records, grape harvests, and climate fluctuations over the Atlantic Ocean are yielding insights into how climate change might impact the production on Pinot Noir.

  • Switchyard Project: Rescue Operation

    Switchyard Project: Rescue Operation

    Four people who tried to ski from the North Pole to Greenland got stuck on the ice and ran out of food. Since our team was out on the ice for sampling close to their location, we stopped sampling and picked them up.

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • The American Climate Gap

    The American Climate Gap

    There’s a growing gap between scientists’ view of climate change and that of the general public, and it has less to do with scientific “illiteracy,” and more to do with the psychology of how people frame their understanding of the world, say the authors of a paper just published in the journal American Psychologist.

  • Ohio and Mississippi River Floods in Photos

    Ohio and Mississippi River Floods in Photos

    Heavy rains over the American South and Midwest have deluged the region, causing unprecedented flood damage. View photos of the event from around the web.

  • Earth, Water and Sky –A Conversation with Pierre Gentine, a new Columbia Water Center Scientist

    Earth, Water and Sky –A Conversation with Pierre Gentine, a new Columbia Water Center Scientist

    Columbia Water Center welcomes Pierre Gentine, Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics at Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, as an affiliate researcher. Pierre’s groundbreaking research on the way soil moisture interacts with the atmosphere has implications for many of CWCs initiatives—from developing more efficient irrigation systems, to water resource management, to understanding floods.…

  • Switchyard Project: New Sampling Record

    Switchyard Project: New Sampling Record

    On May 10, we celebrated the sampling of our 10th station yesterday. These are more stations than we were ever able to get water samples from. Because of the ongoing good weather, we will certainly get one more station today, and hopefully many more during the next couple of days. So watch the posted video and celebrate with…

  • Switchyard Project: Sampling Success

    Switchyard Project: Sampling Success

    The past 1½ weeks have been very successful. Our team from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory was able to obtain water samples from eight stations, while the team from the University of Washington has already broken their all-time record of the past years of 18 stations. Today (May 7) is actually the first day we can’t fly…

  • Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    The North East Ice Stream is a fast-flowing glacier transporting ice from deep in the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet out to the coast (see image showing a deep penetration into central Greenland). When it reaches the coastline it feeds 79 N Glacier. This area is heavily crevassed, evidence of the rapid ice flow.…

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/01

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/01

    California Gambles on Carbon Trade, New York Times, May 1 California state regulators are working to prepare for the January 1rst start of the multibillion-dollar carbon market, which will be the first in the U.S., after a lawsuit delayed the process. The courts are still a challenge with opponents striking from both the left and…

  • Climate Clock is Ticking for Pinot Noir

    Climate Clock is Ticking for Pinot Noir

    New studies of temperature records, grape harvests, and climate fluctuations over the Atlantic Ocean are yielding insights into how climate change might impact the production on Pinot Noir.

  • Switchyard Project: Rescue Operation

    Switchyard Project: Rescue Operation

    Four people who tried to ski from the North Pole to Greenland got stuck on the ice and ran out of food. Since our team was out on the ice for sampling close to their location, we stopped sampling and picked them up.