General170
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MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability
“In classes like Adaptation to Climate Change and Climate Change in Africa, the link between social justice issues and climate change became very apparent to me, and I now feel equipped to use both my past work experience, the knowledge I have gained at Columbia and the skills I will acquire through my internship to…
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The Economic Invisibility of Nature
In a talk at the TEDGlobal conference in July 2011, Pavan Sukhdev, CEO and founder of environmental consultation firm GIST Advisory, urges us to protect the coral reefs, as they are in serious danger of extinction. In his talk, Sukhdev invokes the “economic invisibility of nature” to describe the value of biodiversity and ecosystems services.
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Climate Services: Science=Credibility
It’s terribly important that those who provide climate services are backed up by science and most importantly, link with and understand the problems of the user community. – says John Zillman, former president of the World Meteorological Organization, in the fourth in a series of video interviews.
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Can Intensive Farming Save Tropical Forests?
With 7 billion people on the planet and some 40 percent of earth’s land surface already covered with croplands and pastures, the only remaining frontiers for agricultural expansion are dwindling tropical forests. Some see high-yield industrial-scale farming as a way to take the pressure off; the theory goes that if more produce can be grown…
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Collaborating on Policy and Practice with Garry Conille, Prime Minister of Haiti
The Earth Institute welcomed Prime Minister Garry Conille of Haiti on Dec. 2 for a day of policy discussions and a seminar with the students of the Master’s in Public Affairs Development Practice program at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.
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Did the Oceans Influence Human Evolution?
Scientists often invoke climate as a possible factor in human evolution; but only recently have they developed the ability to get enough information about past climates and related fossil evidence to see any details. A half-dozen leading paleontologists and climate scientists discussed recent advances in a symposium this week at the annual meeting of the…
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Global Climate Modeling for the Masses: You Can Try This at Home
Since 2005, the Educational Global Climate Modeling Project has been downloaded 50,000 times, and adopted for teaching and research at hundreds of universities and other institutions.
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MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience
“I had been very interested in hydrofracking before I started the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program, but really became passionate about the negative the environmental impacts of the practice through my workshop, which analyzed and created an implementation plan for the FRAC Act of 2011.” Josh Garrett, MPA-ESP Class of 2012 student,…
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Extraordinary Support for Unprecedented Global Challenges
The Earth Institute’s annual donor report for fiscal year 2011 is now available in an interactive digital format. We remain committed to finding extraordinary support to unprecedented global challenges, many of which are outlined in this report. We have highlighted some of our innovative projects in research, policy, and education, as well as the partnerships…
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
