State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Energy29

  • Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Burning garbage to produce electricity is a strategy for sustainable waste management that is finding favor in Europe and China. Why isn’t it practiced more in the U.S.?

  • Solar New York

    Solar New York

    Governor Cuomo has set the goal that in less than a decade and a half, 50% of New York State’s energy will come from renewable resources. To some, that goal seems to be a stretch, but the chatter I’m starting to hear indicates we might even do better.

  • Biofuels And Jet Travel

    Biofuels And Jet Travel

    Global communication and global travel have transformed economic life in our world and have been important tools in improving quality of life for many. They have transformed our world’s culture in ways that we do not yet fully understand. Let’s take the first small steps in building the technology and business models most appropriate to…

  • Turning Sunlight into Fuel

    Turning Sunlight into Fuel

    The world uses little more than one percent of the sun’s energy for our electricity needs. A major obstacle to tapping into its full potential is that it is intermittent. Solar fuels could one day store, transport and use solar energy to produce electricity and replace fossil fuels in vehicles.

  • California’s First In The Nation Climate Plan

    California’s First In The Nation Climate Plan

    The goal of the energy transition is to create a renewable energy system that is as effective and reliable as the current fossil fuel-based system. Microgrids provide backup capacity and vastly increase the reliability of power systems for consumers. A second goal of the energy transition is to switch off of fossil fuels and rely…

  • For Climate Change, Carbon Pricing is No Silver Bullet

    For Climate Change, Carbon Pricing is No Silver Bullet

    Many economists and policy experts believe carbon pricing is the most effective way to deal with global warming. But others argue that carbon pricing is not a silver bullet for dealing with climate change. Here’s why.

  • Quiet Moves Toward a Renewable Resource Based Economy

    The transition to a sustainable, renewable resource based economy will take decades to complete. Just as our organizations learned to incorporate occupational safety, financial reporting, performance measurement, customer relations, employment law, social media marketing and many other elements into their standard operating procedures, so too will they need to incorporate a concern for the physical…

  • Watch Live: Turning CO2 to Stone, Scientists Discuss a Climate Solution

    Watch Live: Turning CO2 to Stone, Scientists Discuss a Climate Solution

    On June 24, a scientist involved in the CarbFix carbon capture and storage project in Iceland will give a live-streamed presentation about the technology and the project’s success at turning CO2 to stone.

  • In a First, Iceland Power Plant Turns Carbon Emissions to Stone

    Study Shows Unexpectedly Fast Reactions Lock In Greenhouse Gas

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!

  • Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Putting Garbage to Good Use with Waste-to-Energy

    Burning garbage to produce electricity is a strategy for sustainable waste management that is finding favor in Europe and China. Why isn’t it practiced more in the U.S.?

  • Solar New York

    Solar New York

    Governor Cuomo has set the goal that in less than a decade and a half, 50% of New York State’s energy will come from renewable resources. To some, that goal seems to be a stretch, but the chatter I’m starting to hear indicates we might even do better.

  • Biofuels And Jet Travel

    Biofuels And Jet Travel

    Global communication and global travel have transformed economic life in our world and have been important tools in improving quality of life for many. They have transformed our world’s culture in ways that we do not yet fully understand. Let’s take the first small steps in building the technology and business models most appropriate to…

  • Turning Sunlight into Fuel

    Turning Sunlight into Fuel

    The world uses little more than one percent of the sun’s energy for our electricity needs. A major obstacle to tapping into its full potential is that it is intermittent. Solar fuels could one day store, transport and use solar energy to produce electricity and replace fossil fuels in vehicles.

  • California’s First In The Nation Climate Plan

    California’s First In The Nation Climate Plan

    The goal of the energy transition is to create a renewable energy system that is as effective and reliable as the current fossil fuel-based system. Microgrids provide backup capacity and vastly increase the reliability of power systems for consumers. A second goal of the energy transition is to switch off of fossil fuels and rely…

  • For Climate Change, Carbon Pricing is No Silver Bullet

    For Climate Change, Carbon Pricing is No Silver Bullet

    Many economists and policy experts believe carbon pricing is the most effective way to deal with global warming. But others argue that carbon pricing is not a silver bullet for dealing with climate change. Here’s why.

  • Quiet Moves Toward a Renewable Resource Based Economy

    The transition to a sustainable, renewable resource based economy will take decades to complete. Just as our organizations learned to incorporate occupational safety, financial reporting, performance measurement, customer relations, employment law, social media marketing and many other elements into their standard operating procedures, so too will they need to incorporate a concern for the physical…

  • Watch Live: Turning CO2 to Stone, Scientists Discuss a Climate Solution

    Watch Live: Turning CO2 to Stone, Scientists Discuss a Climate Solution

    On June 24, a scientist involved in the CarbFix carbon capture and storage project in Iceland will give a live-streamed presentation about the technology and the project’s success at turning CO2 to stone.

  • In a First, Iceland Power Plant Turns Carbon Emissions to Stone

    Study Shows Unexpectedly Fast Reactions Lock In Greenhouse Gas