State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

General171

  • New Resource Center for Preservation of Geospatial Data

    Geospatial data–including digital maps, imagery, and a variety of other digital files–are valuable resources for many different types of research, applications, and administrative functions. But unlike physical maps and documents, digital data can be difficult to reuse and preserve in the long run, because of changing software and formats, inadequate documentation, loss of media, and…

  • ISDRC 17: Recap of Sustainable Development Conference, Where Do We Go From Here

    ISDRC 17: Recap of Sustainable Development Conference, Where Do We Go From Here

    This post was written by Pablo Villoch On May 7-10 the Earth Institute, Columbia University, hosted the 17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference, in partnership with the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development (UNDSD) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Following are some notes from the conference. More than 400 researchers from over…

  • Rising Seas Pushing Island Nations to the Brink

    Rising sea levels caused by global warming could displace millions of people worldwide who are living on low-lying coastlines, and it may prove fatal to some small island nations. At a conference at Columbia Law School, legal experts explored the implications for the people whose homelands could become uninhabitable within a matter of decades.

  • Science Education with Trees and Canoes

    Science Education with Trees and Canoes

    Students from New York City, Singapore and the Netherlands test their skills this weekend in the woods and on the water near Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the International Student and Teacher Exchange Program.

  • Apply for *NEW* Executive Courses in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability

    Apply for *NEW* Executive Courses in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability

    The Center for Environmental Research and Conservation at Columbia University provides professionals with the knowledge and tools to be effective environmental leaders and decision makers in the 21st century. It is an evening program in which environmental issues are discussed, debated and examined, where participants develop an in-depth understanding of conservation science and practice through…

  • The Science Barge Demonstrates Sustainable Urban Farming

    The Science Barge Demonstrates Sustainable Urban Farming

    Just a few miles north of Columbia University in Yonkers, the Science Barge floats on the Hudson River, demonstrating a fully functioning system of renewable energy based sustainable food production. Despite its river setting, however, the Science Barge is, in fact, a prototype for rooftop gardening.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/08

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/08

    In a Changing Antarctica, Some Penguins Thrive as Others Suffer, NY Times, May 9 Adelie penguins, inhabitants of the northern edge of Antarctica, are considered to be a “bellwether” of climate change. This Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming places on Earth: average winter air temperature has risen an alarming 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit…

  • Basic Health Care Doesn’t Have to Be of Basic Quality

    Basic Health Care Doesn’t Have to Be of Basic Quality

    While coordinating a Community Health Worker (CHW)-based asthma management program in New York City, I learned of the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), its CHW program, and of the opportunity to help build community health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. My diverse experience in healthcare gave me a unique understanding of the need for highly performing CHW…

  • Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    The North East Ice Stream is a fast-flowing glacier transporting ice from deep in the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet out to the coast (see image showing a deep penetration into central Greenland). When it reaches the coastline it feeds 79 N Glacier. This area is heavily crevassed, evidence of the rapid ice flow.…

Blue banner with kids and Earth photos. Text: "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am-4pm.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!

  • New Resource Center for Preservation of Geospatial Data

    Geospatial data–including digital maps, imagery, and a variety of other digital files–are valuable resources for many different types of research, applications, and administrative functions. But unlike physical maps and documents, digital data can be difficult to reuse and preserve in the long run, because of changing software and formats, inadequate documentation, loss of media, and…

  • ISDRC 17: Recap of Sustainable Development Conference, Where Do We Go From Here

    ISDRC 17: Recap of Sustainable Development Conference, Where Do We Go From Here

    This post was written by Pablo Villoch On May 7-10 the Earth Institute, Columbia University, hosted the 17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference, in partnership with the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development (UNDSD) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Following are some notes from the conference. More than 400 researchers from over…

  • Rising Seas Pushing Island Nations to the Brink

    Rising sea levels caused by global warming could displace millions of people worldwide who are living on low-lying coastlines, and it may prove fatal to some small island nations. At a conference at Columbia Law School, legal experts explored the implications for the people whose homelands could become uninhabitable within a matter of decades.

  • Science Education with Trees and Canoes

    Science Education with Trees and Canoes

    Students from New York City, Singapore and the Netherlands test their skills this weekend in the woods and on the water near Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in the International Student and Teacher Exchange Program.

  • Apply for *NEW* Executive Courses in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability

    Apply for *NEW* Executive Courses in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability

    The Center for Environmental Research and Conservation at Columbia University provides professionals with the knowledge and tools to be effective environmental leaders and decision makers in the 21st century. It is an evening program in which environmental issues are discussed, debated and examined, where participants develop an in-depth understanding of conservation science and practice through…

  • The Science Barge Demonstrates Sustainable Urban Farming

    The Science Barge Demonstrates Sustainable Urban Farming

    Just a few miles north of Columbia University in Yonkers, the Science Barge floats on the Hudson River, demonstrating a fully functioning system of renewable energy based sustainable food production. Despite its river setting, however, the Science Barge is, in fact, a prototype for rooftop gardening.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/08

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 5/08

    In a Changing Antarctica, Some Penguins Thrive as Others Suffer, NY Times, May 9 Adelie penguins, inhabitants of the northern edge of Antarctica, are considered to be a “bellwether” of climate change. This Antarctic Peninsula is one of the fastest warming places on Earth: average winter air temperature has risen an alarming 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit…

  • Basic Health Care Doesn’t Have to Be of Basic Quality

    Basic Health Care Doesn’t Have to Be of Basic Quality

    While coordinating a Community Health Worker (CHW)-based asthma management program in New York City, I learned of the Millennium Villages Project (MVP), its CHW program, and of the opportunity to help build community health systems in sub-Saharan Africa. My diverse experience in healthcare gave me a unique understanding of the need for highly performing CHW…

  • Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    Transporting Ice From Greenland’s Deep Interior

    The North East Ice Stream is a fast-flowing glacier transporting ice from deep in the interior of the Greenland Ice Sheet out to the coast (see image showing a deep penetration into central Greenland). When it reaches the coastline it feeds 79 N Glacier. This area is heavily crevassed, evidence of the rapid ice flow.…