General111
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Birds, Ballasts, and the Fate of the Biosphere
The Biosphere really needs its own newspaper. Yes, there are lots of newspapers out there, but when it comes to the Biosphere, important stories just don’t get the top billing they deserve. Take discoveries of new species, for example. Just in the last month, a new spoon worm, white toothed shrew, corpse flower, and tailorbird…
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MPA Students Present Mid-Semester Briefings
On Wednesday, June 26, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy students presented their Midterm Briefings for their class: Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis. A continental breakfast was provided before the presentations began and the students and faculty had a chance to mingle and discuss informally what they had been working on for…
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Faculty Profile: Benjamín Bostick
MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) professor Benjamín Bostick began his Columbia career as a researcher at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, specializing in geochemistry. His research centers on the coupled biogeochemical cycling of carbon, iron, and sulfur. He now teaches the Environmental Chemistry course in the ESP program, where he examines the delicate balance…
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Science in the Streets
What motivates artists may be different than what motivates scientists, but they can investigate similar ideas. Artists interested in sustainability issues might team up with scientists to make sure their work is accurate. Scientists benefit from art projects that communicate their research to a broader audience than would normally read a journal article. However, the…
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Designing the Future at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Industrial Park
Two Sustainability Management projects offer solutions that reinforce the business and development goals of the yard’s Development Corporation while also creating positive interactions with the environment and neighboring community.
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Finding Solutions to Environmental Conflict: Q&A With Josh Fisher
In a rapidly warming world, conflicts inevitably arise between those affected by dwindling resources and changing climate conditions. Josh Fisher’s work centers on trying to avert conflict and provide opportunities for cooperation through understanding the relationships between conflict, environment and development.
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ESP Alum Employs Program Skills in Environmental Finance Work
Having had past professional experience working for the sustainability group of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in London and New York City, MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) alum John Battaglia (’08) joined the program in the summer of 2007 hoping to land a role in environmental finance after graduation. Currently, John is the Vice President of…
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Maintaining large-scale biodiversity is critical for ecosystem health
It is well known that biological diversity underpins the functioning of ecosystems and the services that they provide. However, in a new study, researchers at the University of California-Santa Cruz demonstrate that higher levels of biodiversity are required in order to maintain multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously, over time.
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M.S. Students Propose Solution to Urban Food Waste
Four students have teamed up to create re:HARVEST, a food-sharing website and companion mobile application allowing users to notify each other when they have food available for pickup that would otherwise be wasted.
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“
