State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate275

  • Cities Can Lead Nations

    By Cynthia Rosenzweig At the Copenhagen climate summit, nations must answer a call for action—but local governments may help show the way. Climate change is no longer predicted; it has arrived. A plethora of studies shows that global changes in physical and biological systems are being caused by human-induced warming. Building on the 2007 Intergovernmental…

  • Our Leaders Can Run, But They Can’t Hide

    As the nations of the world prepare to meet in Denmark, there is some well publicized noise being emitted to lower expectations for a climate treaty. The United States and China—the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, with over 40% of the world’s pollutant load–appear to be at the center of this effort at political…

  • 30 Rock and Responsible Energy Use

    NBC’s Green Week 2009 featured an entertaining energy challenge for the characters of 30 Rock, when Jack tasks Kenneth and the office with reducing the show’s energy consumption by five per cent. Here are some highlights of how characters committed to help the cause. Liz Lemon: Agrees to remove the mini fridge from her office…

  • Four Times Around the World in 40 Days

    For the first time in more than 40 days, the nose of the NASA DC-8 is pointing north after taking off from Punta Arenas airport. We have completed our Antarctic survey flights and are heading back home to Palmdale, California. But before we start climbing to cruising altitude we are flying at 300 ft above…

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 11/22

    Industrialized Nations Unveil Plans to Rein in Emissions, The New York Times A succession of countries in the U.N. makes national pledges to reduce emissions in a hopeful precursor to climate negotiations in December. Mr. de Boer, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary, identified targets from every major developed country except…

  • Agriculture and its Discontents: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    In 1943, Norman Borlaug began his research into new varieties of wheat that could feed the burgeoning population of Mexico.  Invited by the Mexican government and funded largely by international philanthropic organizations, Borlaug’s research began what we now refer to as the Green Revolution. Over the next 13 years, Mexico became agriculturally self-sufficient, and in…

  • Columbia Climate Center Partners With Deutsche Bank

    Deutsche Bank Asset Management (DeAM) continues to partner with the Earth Institute in our work to understand, predict, and respond to climate variability and change. DeAM has been a leader in cutting-edge climate change activities through financial support, research collaboration and becoming a founding member of the Earth Institute’s Corporate Circle. Most recently, DeAM released…

  • Event: The National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges: An Overview and Focus on Water

    The Columbia Climate Center, in collaboration with the Columbia Water Center and the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, invites you to attend “The National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges: An Overview and Focus on Water,” on Tuesday, November 24 at 3 pm. The event will feature Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering and President…

  • Oceans’ Uptake of Manmade Carbon May Be Slowing

    First Year-by-Year Study, 1765-2008, Shows Proportion Declining

  • Cities Can Lead Nations

    By Cynthia Rosenzweig At the Copenhagen climate summit, nations must answer a call for action—but local governments may help show the way. Climate change is no longer predicted; it has arrived. A plethora of studies shows that global changes in physical and biological systems are being caused by human-induced warming. Building on the 2007 Intergovernmental…

  • Our Leaders Can Run, But They Can’t Hide

    As the nations of the world prepare to meet in Denmark, there is some well publicized noise being emitted to lower expectations for a climate treaty. The United States and China—the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, with over 40% of the world’s pollutant load–appear to be at the center of this effort at political…

  • 30 Rock and Responsible Energy Use

    NBC’s Green Week 2009 featured an entertaining energy challenge for the characters of 30 Rock, when Jack tasks Kenneth and the office with reducing the show’s energy consumption by five per cent. Here are some highlights of how characters committed to help the cause. Liz Lemon: Agrees to remove the mini fridge from her office…

  • Four Times Around the World in 40 Days

    For the first time in more than 40 days, the nose of the NASA DC-8 is pointing north after taking off from Punta Arenas airport. We have completed our Antarctic survey flights and are heading back home to Palmdale, California. But before we start climbing to cruising altitude we are flying at 300 ft above…

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 11/22

    Industrialized Nations Unveil Plans to Rein in Emissions, The New York Times A succession of countries in the U.N. makes national pledges to reduce emissions in a hopeful precursor to climate negotiations in December. Mr. de Boer, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change executive secretary, identified targets from every major developed country except…

  • Agriculture and its Discontents: Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    In 1943, Norman Borlaug began his research into new varieties of wheat that could feed the burgeoning population of Mexico.  Invited by the Mexican government and funded largely by international philanthropic organizations, Borlaug’s research began what we now refer to as the Green Revolution. Over the next 13 years, Mexico became agriculturally self-sufficient, and in…

  • Columbia Climate Center Partners With Deutsche Bank

    Deutsche Bank Asset Management (DeAM) continues to partner with the Earth Institute in our work to understand, predict, and respond to climate variability and change. DeAM has been a leader in cutting-edge climate change activities through financial support, research collaboration and becoming a founding member of the Earth Institute’s Corporate Circle. Most recently, DeAM released…

  • Event: The National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges: An Overview and Focus on Water

    The Columbia Climate Center, in collaboration with the Columbia Water Center and the Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy, invites you to attend “The National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges: An Overview and Focus on Water,” on Tuesday, November 24 at 3 pm. The event will feature Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering and President…

  • Oceans’ Uptake of Manmade Carbon May Be Slowing

    First Year-by-Year Study, 1765-2008, Shows Proportion Declining