State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate260

  • Cyprus: A Case Study in Water Challenges

    One tends to think of islands as wet places (surrounded as they are by water) but the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean sea belies that characterization. Among many childhood memories I have of that place, some of the most vivid are of the wide-open, piercing blue of cloudless skies and the sun-scorched, dusty…

  • Climate-Security Linkages Lost in Translation

    Climate-Security Linkages Lost in Translation

    Contrary to recent news stories, the possibility that climate change might trigger conflict remains very real.

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 8/30 and 9/6

    Climate News Roundup – Week of 8/30 and 9/6

    Talks at Geneva Dialogue on Climate Finance constructive, BAFU The Swiss Environment Minister, together with the Mexican Foreign Secretary, concluded an informal 2-day meeting of 46 countries and the EU on the future of climate change finance. The dialogue aimed to discuss the problems surrounding the challenge of raising and distributing $100 billion annually, as…

  • Study Adds New Clue to How Last Ice Age Ended

    New Zealand Glaciers Melted as European Glaciers Briefly Expanded

  • Irrigation’s Cooling Effects May Mask Warming–For Now

    If Water Runs Short, Some Regions May Suffer Significantly

  • The Pearl of Africa

    My cell phone rang in the middle of the night. “Are you in Kampala?” On the other line was my husband informing me that two bombs went off in Uganda’s capital city just several hours before, killing scores of people gathered at public spots to watch the final game of the World Cup. I was…

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 8/23

    Last week: the Obama administration sides with utilities in a case about climate change, a climate change education center is set to be opened in New Orleans, New England trees are under attack by an invasive caterpillar, and under political pressure BP withdraws its application permits for drilling off of the coast of Greenland.

  • Deutsche Bank and Columbia Climate Center Enhance Global Climate Change Policy Tracker

    Deutsche Bank and Columbia Climate Center Enhance Global Climate Change Policy Tracker

    The Earth Institute, Columbia University is pleased to announce that Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors (DBCCA) of Deutsche Asset Management will continue work with Columbia Climate Center (CCC) researchers to update and enhance their Global Climate Change Policy Tracker. The Policy Tracker is a computer model that estimates the impact of policies on greenhouse gas…

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Climate Models

    A Beginner’s Guide to Climate Models

    Climate models are an important tool for scientists to understand the complexities of Earth’s climate. These computer simulations incorporate both theory and direct observations of the past and present in order to project climate into the future. Because of this synthesizing role, and because their output takes the recognizable shape of maps, these models lay…

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

  • Cyprus: A Case Study in Water Challenges

    One tends to think of islands as wet places (surrounded as they are by water) but the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean sea belies that characterization. Among many childhood memories I have of that place, some of the most vivid are of the wide-open, piercing blue of cloudless skies and the sun-scorched, dusty…

  • Climate-Security Linkages Lost in Translation

    Climate-Security Linkages Lost in Translation

    Contrary to recent news stories, the possibility that climate change might trigger conflict remains very real.

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 8/30 and 9/6

    Climate News Roundup – Week of 8/30 and 9/6

    Talks at Geneva Dialogue on Climate Finance constructive, BAFU The Swiss Environment Minister, together with the Mexican Foreign Secretary, concluded an informal 2-day meeting of 46 countries and the EU on the future of climate change finance. The dialogue aimed to discuss the problems surrounding the challenge of raising and distributing $100 billion annually, as…

  • Study Adds New Clue to How Last Ice Age Ended

    New Zealand Glaciers Melted as European Glaciers Briefly Expanded

  • Irrigation’s Cooling Effects May Mask Warming–For Now

    If Water Runs Short, Some Regions May Suffer Significantly

  • The Pearl of Africa

    My cell phone rang in the middle of the night. “Are you in Kampala?” On the other line was my husband informing me that two bombs went off in Uganda’s capital city just several hours before, killing scores of people gathered at public spots to watch the final game of the World Cup. I was…

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 8/23

    Last week: the Obama administration sides with utilities in a case about climate change, a climate change education center is set to be opened in New Orleans, New England trees are under attack by an invasive caterpillar, and under political pressure BP withdraws its application permits for drilling off of the coast of Greenland.

  • Deutsche Bank and Columbia Climate Center Enhance Global Climate Change Policy Tracker

    Deutsche Bank and Columbia Climate Center Enhance Global Climate Change Policy Tracker

    The Earth Institute, Columbia University is pleased to announce that Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors (DBCCA) of Deutsche Asset Management will continue work with Columbia Climate Center (CCC) researchers to update and enhance their Global Climate Change Policy Tracker. The Policy Tracker is a computer model that estimates the impact of policies on greenhouse gas…

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Climate Models

    A Beginner’s Guide to Climate Models

    Climate models are an important tool for scientists to understand the complexities of Earth’s climate. These computer simulations incorporate both theory and direct observations of the past and present in order to project climate into the future. Because of this synthesizing role, and because their output takes the recognizable shape of maps, these models lay…