State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Earth Sciences116

  • 7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    You can now watch the tape of “The World at 7 Billion: Sustaining Our Future,” the Earth Institute’s panel discussion held at Columbia Oct. 17 and featuring the presentation by Professor Joel E. Cohen on the “good and bad news” behind the growing world population.

  • Scientific Publisher to Provide Easy Access to Study Data

    Scientific Publisher to Provide Easy Access to Study Data

    Modern society is awash in data. By one estimate, as much information today is created in 48 hours as was produced in the last 30,000 years. The challenge now is making all those megabytes public. This month, Elsevier, publisher of The Lancet and Cell, announced that it would establish reciprocal linking between its geochemistry journals…

  • Open House: Earth Institute Graduate Programs

    The Environmental and Sustainable Development Programs Open House is a wonderful opportunity for you to find out more about Columbia’s cutting-edge graduate degrees in sustainable development and environmental studies. We invite you to come explore our diverse offering of programs, have your application questions answered, and meet with current Columbia students and faculty. Attend the…

  • Open House: Earth Institute Undergraduate Programs

    Open House: Earth Institute Undergraduate Programs

    Whether you are interested in global poverty alleviation, sustainable development, sustainability management, ecology or environmental policy, Columbia University has a program for you. Attend the Environmental and Sustainable Development Programs Open House from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, Low Memorial Library, Columbia University (116th & Broadway) to learn more.

  • Imagining the Hudson before Humans

    Imagining the Hudson before Humans

    Pollution is just one way that humans have transformed the Hudson River. A small way, it turns out. We have altered the Hudson’s shape, the speed of its flow and the mix of plants and trees along its banks. In a new book, Environmental History of the Hudson River, two Lamont-Doherty scientists who contributed chapters—Frank…

  • Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Urbanization poses both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development and environmental management. Improved data on patterns of human settlement and trends in population can help researchers and policy makers better understand differences between urban and rural areas in terms of their impacts on the environment and vulnerability to environmental variability and change. The newly released…

  • New Salt Map of Seas Gives Scientists Taste of Discoveries Ahead

    After less than a month in operation, a new NASA satellite has produced the first map showing how saltiness varies across the surface of the world’s oceans. Salt influences how seawater and heat move around the globe and also tells oceanographers how much rain and evaporation is happening at the surface. Until now, salt measurements…

  • Jumping Ship

    Jumping Ship

    As we finally reached our prime target area, it was time for me to leave the ship and return home. Despite initial struggles on navigating the Brahmaputra River, we have worked together with the ship’s crew and pilots for a successful method. And now as I leave with many new friends, the best data is…

  • Cruising up the Brahmaputra

    Cruising up the Brahmaputra

    Rejoining the ship, we sailed up the Padma and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) Rivers. Hurrying to our primary area with the help of pilots, we finally collected good seismic data.

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!

  • 7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    You can now watch the tape of “The World at 7 Billion: Sustaining Our Future,” the Earth Institute’s panel discussion held at Columbia Oct. 17 and featuring the presentation by Professor Joel E. Cohen on the “good and bad news” behind the growing world population.

  • Scientific Publisher to Provide Easy Access to Study Data

    Scientific Publisher to Provide Easy Access to Study Data

    Modern society is awash in data. By one estimate, as much information today is created in 48 hours as was produced in the last 30,000 years. The challenge now is making all those megabytes public. This month, Elsevier, publisher of The Lancet and Cell, announced that it would establish reciprocal linking between its geochemistry journals…

  • Open House: Earth Institute Graduate Programs

    The Environmental and Sustainable Development Programs Open House is a wonderful opportunity for you to find out more about Columbia’s cutting-edge graduate degrees in sustainable development and environmental studies. We invite you to come explore our diverse offering of programs, have your application questions answered, and meet with current Columbia students and faculty. Attend the…

  • Open House: Earth Institute Undergraduate Programs

    Open House: Earth Institute Undergraduate Programs

    Whether you are interested in global poverty alleviation, sustainable development, sustainability management, ecology or environmental policy, Columbia University has a program for you. Attend the Environmental and Sustainable Development Programs Open House from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, Low Memorial Library, Columbia University (116th & Broadway) to learn more.

  • Imagining the Hudson before Humans

    Imagining the Hudson before Humans

    Pollution is just one way that humans have transformed the Hudson River. A small way, it turns out. We have altered the Hudson’s shape, the speed of its flow and the mix of plants and trees along its banks. In a new book, Environmental History of the Hudson River, two Lamont-Doherty scientists who contributed chapters—Frank…

  • Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Major Spatial Data Collection Released

    Urbanization poses both challenges and opportunities for sustainable development and environmental management. Improved data on patterns of human settlement and trends in population can help researchers and policy makers better understand differences between urban and rural areas in terms of their impacts on the environment and vulnerability to environmental variability and change. The newly released…

  • New Salt Map of Seas Gives Scientists Taste of Discoveries Ahead

    After less than a month in operation, a new NASA satellite has produced the first map showing how saltiness varies across the surface of the world’s oceans. Salt influences how seawater and heat move around the globe and also tells oceanographers how much rain and evaporation is happening at the surface. Until now, salt measurements…

  • Jumping Ship

    Jumping Ship

    As we finally reached our prime target area, it was time for me to leave the ship and return home. Despite initial struggles on navigating the Brahmaputra River, we have worked together with the ship’s crew and pilots for a successful method. And now as I leave with many new friends, the best data is…

  • Cruising up the Brahmaputra

    Cruising up the Brahmaputra

    Rejoining the ship, we sailed up the Padma and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) Rivers. Hurrying to our primary area with the help of pilots, we finally collected good seismic data.