State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Energy46

  • British Royals’ Green Wedding

    British Royals’ Green Wedding

    The Royal wedding used up a lot of resources, but Will and Kate did their best to keep it green.

  • Professor Jeffrey Sachs Extends Term as Director of the Earth Institute

    Professor Jeffrey Sachs Extends Term as Director of the Earth Institute

    The Earth Institute, Columbia University announced that Professor Jeffrey Sachs has agreed to extend his term as its director. Since his tenure began in 2002, Sachs has led the Earth Institute to become a leading scientific authority on sustainable development while simultaneously expanding its reach worldwide. Through his guidance, the Earth Institute and its scientists…

  • ‘One Yard Line’ For Cape Wind?

    ‘One Yard Line’ For Cape Wind?

    Jim Gordon, the developer of Cape Wind, recently spoke at Columbia University about his experience working to get the first offshore wind farm in the US built.

  • Test Your Energy-Saving Savvy

    Test Your Energy-Saving Savvy

    What hogs more energy? A desktop computer or a laptop? Central air conditioning or an A/C unit? Take Slate’s energy quiz and find out. The magazine collaborated with researchers at Columbia’s Earth Institute to come up with questions to test if readers know how much energy their household appliances are guzzling. The quiz was adapted…

  • New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    An analysis and interactive map appearing in Nature News provide new insights and a spatial context for assessing some of the risks associated with nuclear power plants.

  • The Middle East Dries Up—Another Case Study in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

    The Middle East Dries Up—Another Case Study in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

    As seductive as it is, depleting non-renewable aquifers to grow food is fundamentally unsustainable for the long term, as Saudi Arabia and other nations are finding out. According to a recent article by Lester Brown, in the 1970s the world’s largest oil producer realized it could use oil-drilling technology to tap deep underwater aquifers and—amazingly,…

  • Pennsylvania’s Gasland Spill

    Pennsylvania’s Gasland Spill

    Pennsylvania well spills tens of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid into a nearby creek; Gasland director Josh Fox talks to Columbia University about renewable energy.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/17

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/17

    Young Climate Activists Push Obama, Vow to Create More Local Awareness, NY Times, Apr. 18 This past weekend, around 10,000 young climate change activists gathered in Washington, D.C for the third Power Shift. While previous Power Shifts held educational workshops on climate science and technology specifics, this year’s event focused on training young activists in…

  • Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.

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!

  • British Royals’ Green Wedding

    British Royals’ Green Wedding

    The Royal wedding used up a lot of resources, but Will and Kate did their best to keep it green.

  • Professor Jeffrey Sachs Extends Term as Director of the Earth Institute

    Professor Jeffrey Sachs Extends Term as Director of the Earth Institute

    The Earth Institute, Columbia University announced that Professor Jeffrey Sachs has agreed to extend his term as its director. Since his tenure began in 2002, Sachs has led the Earth Institute to become a leading scientific authority on sustainable development while simultaneously expanding its reach worldwide. Through his guidance, the Earth Institute and its scientists…

  • ‘One Yard Line’ For Cape Wind?

    ‘One Yard Line’ For Cape Wind?

    Jim Gordon, the developer of Cape Wind, recently spoke at Columbia University about his experience working to get the first offshore wind farm in the US built.

  • Test Your Energy-Saving Savvy

    Test Your Energy-Saving Savvy

    What hogs more energy? A desktop computer or a laptop? Central air conditioning or an A/C unit? Take Slate’s energy quiz and find out. The magazine collaborated with researchers at Columbia’s Earth Institute to come up with questions to test if readers know how much energy their household appliances are guzzling. The quiz was adapted…

  • New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    An analysis and interactive map appearing in Nature News provide new insights and a spatial context for assessing some of the risks associated with nuclear power plants.

  • The Middle East Dries Up—Another Case Study in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

    The Middle East Dries Up—Another Case Study in the Water-Energy-Food Nexus

    As seductive as it is, depleting non-renewable aquifers to grow food is fundamentally unsustainable for the long term, as Saudi Arabia and other nations are finding out. According to a recent article by Lester Brown, in the 1970s the world’s largest oil producer realized it could use oil-drilling technology to tap deep underwater aquifers and—amazingly,…

  • Pennsylvania’s Gasland Spill

    Pennsylvania’s Gasland Spill

    Pennsylvania well spills tens of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid into a nearby creek; Gasland director Josh Fox talks to Columbia University about renewable energy.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/17

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/17

    Young Climate Activists Push Obama, Vow to Create More Local Awareness, NY Times, Apr. 18 This past weekend, around 10,000 young climate change activists gathered in Washington, D.C for the third Power Shift. While previous Power Shifts held educational workshops on climate science and technology specifics, this year’s event focused on training young activists in…

  • Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Southern Louisiana’s Vanishing Act

    Louisiana’s wetlands — the largest system in the United States — are shrinking at an alarming rate.