State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

General158

  • Renewed Effort Underway to Better Understand Challenges to Peacebuilding

    Renewed Effort Underway to Better Understand Challenges to Peacebuilding

    Lessons learned regarding the management of natural resources in peacebuilding efforts were the focus of several activities recently, including a book launch of the first in a six-volume series, a conference, and curriculum-building workshop.

  • MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Welcomes the Class of 2013

    MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Welcomes the Class of 2013

    On Tuesday, May 29, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program hosted an orientation day to welcome its eleventh cohort of students.

  • The Art of Flying

    The Art of Flying

    Flying. It is something we are almost all familiar with, and yet I expect few of us have really sat back to appreciate the actual science of it. For the past 10 weeks we have been flying, not just a day or two a week but five or six days a week depending on the…

  • Fresh Evidence of Life on Mars?

    Fresh Evidence of Life on Mars?

    In a landscape shaped by wind and water, is it possible that microbial life was found on Mars in 1976? A new paper indicates life may be present, and a new mission to Mars may confirm the results.

  • Unique Career Path: Utah Ski Slopes to NYC Sustainability Consulting and Columbia

    Unique Career Path: Utah Ski Slopes to NYC Sustainability Consulting and Columbia

    Josh Rosenfield has an ambitious and admirable career mission: “helping companies to generate healthy profits by meeting society’s needs and conserving nature.” He chose the MS in Sustainability Management program because it allowed him to study part-time and continue his work with Deloitte’s Global Sustainability and Climate Change Services team. “I believe that having a…

  • The ‘Glory’ in Clouds and Other Amazing Sights!

    The ‘Glory’ in Clouds and Other Amazing Sights!

    If you look carefully at the picture below you will see a small shadow of our plane completely encircled in a rainbow. This optical phenomenon, called a “glory,” can develop when the plane flies directly between the sun and a cloud below. Flying over the ice sheet in the far northeast of Greenland we saw…

  • Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    With the incidence of extreme weather on the increase, concern about global warming is also growing. This concern needs to be turned into action—whether local, regional or national. Here are a dozen ways to take action.

  • Congratulations to the MPA in Environmental Science & Policy Class of 2012

    Congratulations to the MPA in Environmental Science & Policy Class of 2012

    Students from the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program commemorated their graduation from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) on May 17 at a pre-ceremony breakfast reception, followed by a commencement ceremony on campus.

  • The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    Drawing upon the narrative of his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Dr. Jonathan Haidt gave a lecture entitled “The Rationalist Delusion in Moral Psychology,” on April 24, 2012 to members of Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Haidt elaborates on his own research in moral and…

Collage of Turkiye beach scene and Columbia University Campus with text: UN Climate Change Conference COP31, Antalya, Turkiye, Nov 9-20, 2026

COP31, the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference, aims to advance dialogue, strengthen consensus, and accelerate climate action on a global scale. From November 9–20, 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, heads of state, ministers, scientists, business leaders, and civil society will gather to advance efforts in emission targets, climate finance, and adaptation and resilience. Once again, our experts, students, and global thought leaders from Columbia Climate School and across Columbia University are contributing to key events, sharing insights, and helping shape the dialogue toward ambitious, science-based solutions. Learn More

  • Renewed Effort Underway to Better Understand Challenges to Peacebuilding

    Renewed Effort Underway to Better Understand Challenges to Peacebuilding

    Lessons learned regarding the management of natural resources in peacebuilding efforts were the focus of several activities recently, including a book launch of the first in a six-volume series, a conference, and curriculum-building workshop.

  • MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Welcomes the Class of 2013

    MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Welcomes the Class of 2013

    On Tuesday, May 29, the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program hosted an orientation day to welcome its eleventh cohort of students.

  • The Art of Flying

    The Art of Flying

    Flying. It is something we are almost all familiar with, and yet I expect few of us have really sat back to appreciate the actual science of it. For the past 10 weeks we have been flying, not just a day or two a week but five or six days a week depending on the…

  • Fresh Evidence of Life on Mars?

    Fresh Evidence of Life on Mars?

    In a landscape shaped by wind and water, is it possible that microbial life was found on Mars in 1976? A new paper indicates life may be present, and a new mission to Mars may confirm the results.

  • Unique Career Path: Utah Ski Slopes to NYC Sustainability Consulting and Columbia

    Unique Career Path: Utah Ski Slopes to NYC Sustainability Consulting and Columbia

    Josh Rosenfield has an ambitious and admirable career mission: “helping companies to generate healthy profits by meeting society’s needs and conserving nature.” He chose the MS in Sustainability Management program because it allowed him to study part-time and continue his work with Deloitte’s Global Sustainability and Climate Change Services team. “I believe that having a…

  • The ‘Glory’ in Clouds and Other Amazing Sights!

    The ‘Glory’ in Clouds and Other Amazing Sights!

    If you look carefully at the picture below you will see a small shadow of our plane completely encircled in a rainbow. This optical phenomenon, called a “glory,” can develop when the plane flies directly between the sun and a cloud below. Flying over the ice sheet in the far northeast of Greenland we saw…

  • Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    With the incidence of extreme weather on the increase, concern about global warming is also growing. This concern needs to be turned into action—whether local, regional or national. Here are a dozen ways to take action.

  • Congratulations to the MPA in Environmental Science & Policy Class of 2012

    Congratulations to the MPA in Environmental Science & Policy Class of 2012

    Students from the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program commemorated their graduation from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) on May 17 at a pre-ceremony breakfast reception, followed by a commencement ceremony on campus.

  • The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    The Evolution of The Moral Brain

    Drawing upon the narrative of his new book, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion, Dr. Jonathan Haidt gave a lecture entitled “The Rationalist Delusion in Moral Psychology,” on April 24, 2012 to members of Teachers College at Columbia University. Dr. Haidt elaborates on his own research in moral and…