State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

General193

  • Racing to Save the Planet: Conservation Efforts in the Gulf Region

    Racing to Save the Planet: Conservation Efforts in the Gulf Region

    The April 20th explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the coast of Louisiana continues to pour thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day. The spill—which is being heralded as the worst oil disaster in US history—is quickly encroaching upon the habitats of hundreds of species in the Gulf…

  • Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation Renews Support of Ethiopia Water, Educational Initiatives

    The Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation renewed its commitment to water and educational initiatives in Ethiopia with a $354,050 gift.  The foundation’s continued support will benefit the last phase of the Water Capture System in Koraro, Ethiopia, fellowships in Earth Institute Masters programs and Millennium Villages project interns. Students whose internships were supported by…

  • Earth Institute Partners Support Work of Matt Berg, a 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential Person

    We are thrilled to announce that Matt Berg, ICT Director for the Millennium Villages project and Earth Institute researcher was named to the 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People list.  Through groundbreaking initiatives like the new mobile phone platform ChildCount+, Matt is pioneering the use of mobile technology to revolutionize public health systems and greatly…

  • Through the Looking Glass: A Science Art Exhibit

    Have you ever found yourself squinting into a microscope and thinking about the surprising visual similarity between the curve of a cell wall and the mark left by the stroke of a paintbrush? It is easy to overlook a similarity such as this, but when one takes the time to recognize the beauty and balance…

  • Vote for the Earth Institute in the eBay Fundraising Tournament for the Environment

    Do you share our belief that the world has the know-how and resources to solve our environmental challenges in a sustainable manner? Do you support efforts by the scientific community to help understand the effects of climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and advance renewable energy technologies? Then please vote for the Earth Institute in the…

  • Vote for the Earth Institute in the eBay Fundraising Tournament for the Environment

    Do you share our belief that the world has the know-how and resources to solve our environmental challenges in a sustainable manner? Do you support efforts by the scientific community to help understand the effects of climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and advance renewable energy technologies? Then please vote for the Earth Institute in the…

  • Final Seminar this Thursday: When Science and Halakha (Jewish Law) Collide

    Final Seminar this Thursday: When Science and Halakha (Jewish Law) Collide

    The end is near—of the CSSR’s Spring Seminar Series that is. We are concluding this season’s series with a seminar by Rabbi Dov Linzer, Rosh Hayeshiva and Head of Academics at Yeshiva Chovevei Torah, this Thursday, April 29th.  Rabbi Linzer’s lecture, When Science and Halakha (Jewish Law) Collide: Sympathies, Strategies, and Solutions, will investigate the complex moral…

  • Code Charlie Turns to Code Delta

    Since the first week of the Spring Campaign we have had a planned flight from Thule to Fairbanks. This trans Arctic flight will provide a valuable overview of the icecap and the condition of the Northwest Passage. The weather has caused reschedules in that flight until we are down to the last days of the…

  • Taro Takahashi Wins Top U.N. Award for Environmental Leadership

    The United Nations has awarded Taro Takahashi, a geochemist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, its highest honor for environmental leadership, the Champions of the Earth award, for his research on the oceans’ uptake of carbon dioxide and its implications for global warming. He was presented with a trophy and a $40,000 prize on Thursday, April 22,…

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • Racing to Save the Planet: Conservation Efforts in the Gulf Region

    Racing to Save the Planet: Conservation Efforts in the Gulf Region

    The April 20th explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig off the coast of Louisiana continues to pour thousands of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico each day. The spill—which is being heralded as the worst oil disaster in US history—is quickly encroaching upon the habitats of hundreds of species in the Gulf…

  • Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation Renews Support of Ethiopia Water, Educational Initiatives

    The Ceil and Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation renewed its commitment to water and educational initiatives in Ethiopia with a $354,050 gift.  The foundation’s continued support will benefit the last phase of the Water Capture System in Koraro, Ethiopia, fellowships in Earth Institute Masters programs and Millennium Villages project interns. Students whose internships were supported by…

  • Earth Institute Partners Support Work of Matt Berg, a 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential Person

    We are thrilled to announce that Matt Berg, ICT Director for the Millennium Villages project and Earth Institute researcher was named to the 2010 TIME 100 Most Influential People list.  Through groundbreaking initiatives like the new mobile phone platform ChildCount+, Matt is pioneering the use of mobile technology to revolutionize public health systems and greatly…

  • Through the Looking Glass: A Science Art Exhibit

    Have you ever found yourself squinting into a microscope and thinking about the surprising visual similarity between the curve of a cell wall and the mark left by the stroke of a paintbrush? It is easy to overlook a similarity such as this, but when one takes the time to recognize the beauty and balance…

  • Vote for the Earth Institute in the eBay Fundraising Tournament for the Environment

    Do you share our belief that the world has the know-how and resources to solve our environmental challenges in a sustainable manner? Do you support efforts by the scientific community to help understand the effects of climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and advance renewable energy technologies? Then please vote for the Earth Institute in the…

  • Vote for the Earth Institute in the eBay Fundraising Tournament for the Environment

    Do you share our belief that the world has the know-how and resources to solve our environmental challenges in a sustainable manner? Do you support efforts by the scientific community to help understand the effects of climate change, reduce environmental degradation, and advance renewable energy technologies? Then please vote for the Earth Institute in the…

  • Final Seminar this Thursday: When Science and Halakha (Jewish Law) Collide

    Final Seminar this Thursday: When Science and Halakha (Jewish Law) Collide

    The end is near—of the CSSR’s Spring Seminar Series that is. We are concluding this season’s series with a seminar by Rabbi Dov Linzer, Rosh Hayeshiva and Head of Academics at Yeshiva Chovevei Torah, this Thursday, April 29th.  Rabbi Linzer’s lecture, When Science and Halakha (Jewish Law) Collide: Sympathies, Strategies, and Solutions, will investigate the complex moral…

  • Code Charlie Turns to Code Delta

    Since the first week of the Spring Campaign we have had a planned flight from Thule to Fairbanks. This trans Arctic flight will provide a valuable overview of the icecap and the condition of the Northwest Passage. The weather has caused reschedules in that flight until we are down to the last days of the…

  • Taro Takahashi Wins Top U.N. Award for Environmental Leadership

    The United Nations has awarded Taro Takahashi, a geochemist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, its highest honor for environmental leadership, the Champions of the Earth award, for his research on the oceans’ uptake of carbon dioxide and its implications for global warming. He was presented with a trophy and a $40,000 prize on Thursday, April 22,…