State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Energy31

  • Deep Sea Drilling Rules and the Transition from Fossil Fuels

    The now reorganized Minerals Management Service (MMS) was responsible for generating revenues by leasing federal lands for mining, or drilling, and then regulating the same mining operations it sold leases to. That is an inherent conflict of interest, but it gets worse: The MMS was a revolving door for fossil fuel companies.

  • What Will You Leave Behind? How Personal Legacy Affects Pro-environmental Behavior

    What Will You Leave Behind? How Personal Legacy Affects Pro-environmental Behavior

    New research from the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions finds that personal legacy can be a motivator to encourage pro-environmental behaviors.

  • Paths to Decarbonization: A Live Twitter Q&A

    Paths to Decarbonization: A Live Twitter Q&A

    @UNSDSN is hosting a live Twitter Q&A on Friday, Dec. 19, from 1-2 p.m. EST with Jim Williams, chief scientist at Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. and lead author on the U.S. Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project report. You can send in your questions before and during the live chat on Twitter or Facebook by using…

  • Matching Funds Boost Contributions through Dec. 31

    Matching Funds Boost Contributions through Dec. 31

    The Earth Institute will benefit this holiday season from a matching gift from dedicated donor Betsee Parker, who will match your contributions dollar for dollar up to $300,000 this holiday season.

  • Photo Essay: Open House at Lamont-Doherty

    Photo Essay: Open House at Lamont-Doherty

    Bend a rock. Channel your historic ‘birthquake.’ Check out rocks, fossils, sediment cores and more at Lamont’s Open House on Saturday, October 11.

  • What Everyone Should Know About Climate Change

    What Everyone Should Know About Climate Change

    Climate scientist William D’Andrea of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory asked young scientists attending a symposium last October, “What do you wish everyone knew about climate change?” He turned the responses into this video, which covers the topic pretty well.

  • Larry Gibson and the Lobster Boat

    Larry Gibson and the Lobster Boat

    There are many brave people who recognize the climate crisis and are beginning to stand up and take personal risks to try to stop expansion of the fossil fuel industry, across the United States, in Canada, and in other nations. Their courage is remarkable and I hope it has an awakening effect.

  • Photo Essay: Studying Fracking’s Effects, Up Close and Personal

    Photo Essay: Studying Fracking’s Effects, Up Close and Personal

    Ten years ago, hydraulic fracturing barely existed. Today 45,000 fracked wells produce natural gas, providing energy for millions of homes and businesses, and nearly a quarter of the nation’s electricity. But scientists are far behind in understanding how this boom affects people near wells. Geochemists Beizhan Yan and James Ross of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth…

  • Learning from the Era of American Environmental Leadership

    Learning from the Era of American Environmental Leadership

    Earth Institute Executive Director Steve Cohen discusses what sustainability leaders can learn from American environmental leaders of the past through a new course taught at Columbia University by Leon G. Billings and Thomas C. Jorling, authors of the Clean Air Act.

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

  • Deep Sea Drilling Rules and the Transition from Fossil Fuels

    The now reorganized Minerals Management Service (MMS) was responsible for generating revenues by leasing federal lands for mining, or drilling, and then regulating the same mining operations it sold leases to. That is an inherent conflict of interest, but it gets worse: The MMS was a revolving door for fossil fuel companies.

  • What Will You Leave Behind? How Personal Legacy Affects Pro-environmental Behavior

    What Will You Leave Behind? How Personal Legacy Affects Pro-environmental Behavior

    New research from the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions finds that personal legacy can be a motivator to encourage pro-environmental behaviors.

  • Paths to Decarbonization: A Live Twitter Q&A

    Paths to Decarbonization: A Live Twitter Q&A

    @UNSDSN is hosting a live Twitter Q&A on Friday, Dec. 19, from 1-2 p.m. EST with Jim Williams, chief scientist at Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. and lead author on the U.S. Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project report. You can send in your questions before and during the live chat on Twitter or Facebook by using…

  • Matching Funds Boost Contributions through Dec. 31

    Matching Funds Boost Contributions through Dec. 31

    The Earth Institute will benefit this holiday season from a matching gift from dedicated donor Betsee Parker, who will match your contributions dollar for dollar up to $300,000 this holiday season.

  • Photo Essay: Open House at Lamont-Doherty

    Photo Essay: Open House at Lamont-Doherty

    Bend a rock. Channel your historic ‘birthquake.’ Check out rocks, fossils, sediment cores and more at Lamont’s Open House on Saturday, October 11.

  • What Everyone Should Know About Climate Change

    What Everyone Should Know About Climate Change

    Climate scientist William D’Andrea of the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory asked young scientists attending a symposium last October, “What do you wish everyone knew about climate change?” He turned the responses into this video, which covers the topic pretty well.

  • Larry Gibson and the Lobster Boat

    Larry Gibson and the Lobster Boat

    There are many brave people who recognize the climate crisis and are beginning to stand up and take personal risks to try to stop expansion of the fossil fuel industry, across the United States, in Canada, and in other nations. Their courage is remarkable and I hope it has an awakening effect.

  • Photo Essay: Studying Fracking’s Effects, Up Close and Personal

    Photo Essay: Studying Fracking’s Effects, Up Close and Personal

    Ten years ago, hydraulic fracturing barely existed. Today 45,000 fracked wells produce natural gas, providing energy for millions of homes and businesses, and nearly a quarter of the nation’s electricity. But scientists are far behind in understanding how this boom affects people near wells. Geochemists Beizhan Yan and James Ross of Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth…

  • Learning from the Era of American Environmental Leadership

    Learning from the Era of American Environmental Leadership

    Earth Institute Executive Director Steve Cohen discusses what sustainability leaders can learn from American environmental leaders of the past through a new course taught at Columbia University by Leon G. Billings and Thomas C. Jorling, authors of the Clean Air Act.