State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Climate285

  • 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

  • A Breathtaking But Fragile Landscape

    Michael Studinger, Instrument Co-Principal Investigator, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: PUNTA ARENAS, Chile–The weather forecast for our survey over the Larsen C Ice Shelf looks good. Given the difficult weather over the past couple of days this is a welcome change. After studying satellite images and computer models and talking to the meteorologist at the Punta Arenas…

  • Stalled Economy or Not, Record Year for CO2 Emissions

    People Still Consumed More Per Capita in 2008

  • Tips for Communicating Climate Change

    Last week the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) published a concise guide for “scientists, journalists, educators, political aides, and the interested public” on the challenges of communicating climate change. Below are some common excuses that lead to a lack of action on climate change and tips from the CRED guide that explain what…

  • IRI Climate Scientist Appointed to NAS Advisory Panel

    With her recent appointment to the National Academies of Science’s prestigious Climate Research Committee, IRI scientist Lisa Goddard hopes to continue fostering connections between climate science and its use by decision makers.

  • Economics of Climate Change: Example from Ethiopia

    Experts from Swiss Re, Oxfam America, and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society recently participated in a panel discussion at Columbia recently on weather index insurance for climate change adaptation. The event, organized as part of efforts to support Climate Week in New York, was sponsored by the New York Committee for Oxfam…

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings

  • 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

  • A Breathtaking But Fragile Landscape

    Michael Studinger, Instrument Co-Principal Investigator, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory: PUNTA ARENAS, Chile–The weather forecast for our survey over the Larsen C Ice Shelf looks good. Given the difficult weather over the past couple of days this is a welcome change. After studying satellite images and computer models and talking to the meteorologist at the Punta Arenas…

  • Stalled Economy or Not, Record Year for CO2 Emissions

    People Still Consumed More Per Capita in 2008

  • Tips for Communicating Climate Change

    Last week the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) published a concise guide for “scientists, journalists, educators, political aides, and the interested public” on the challenges of communicating climate change. Below are some common excuses that lead to a lack of action on climate change and tips from the CRED guide that explain what…

  • IRI Climate Scientist Appointed to NAS Advisory Panel

    With her recent appointment to the National Academies of Science’s prestigious Climate Research Committee, IRI scientist Lisa Goddard hopes to continue fostering connections between climate science and its use by decision makers.

  • Economics of Climate Change: Example from Ethiopia

    Experts from Swiss Re, Oxfam America, and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society recently participated in a panel discussion at Columbia recently on weather index insurance for climate change adaptation. The event, organized as part of efforts to support Climate Week in New York, was sponsored by the New York Committee for Oxfam…