General213
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SESSION III: ECONOMIC RECOVERY – What Does a Green Recovery Look Like?
Update | 1:35p.m. Good afternoon. We are back and about to get started. Jeffrey Sachs returns to the stage. He introduces our first speaker of the afternoon, President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa of Mexico. Mexico will be hosting the next climate change conference in Cancun later this year. President Calderón will provide vision for this conference.…
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SESSION II: POVERTY – How Do We Achieve the Millennium Development Goals?
And we’re back with session II: Poverty – How Do We Achieve the Millennium Development Goals? Update | 11:15 a.m. The conversation begins with a short, but complex question: How are we doing with the MDGs? A panel of experts including HRH Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, Glenn Denning, Professor of Processional Practice, Columbia University, Upmanu…
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SESSION I: CLIMATE CHANGE – What Would It Take to Complete the Climate Deal?
Hans Vestberg reveals shocking stats Update | 8:48 a.m. Hans Vestberg, President and CEO, Ericsson takes the stage after Jeff Sachs and reveals some astounding statistics. Today, 4.6 people have mobile phones. Half a billion people have broadband. On the Chinese New Year 23 billion SMS were sent. In the upcoming years it’s predicted that…
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State of the Planet 2010 – Introduction
Update | 8:40 a.m. Hi everybody. The State of the Planet event is about to begin. The lights are darkening here at Lerner Hall at Columbia University. This year’s conference will address Climate Change, Poverty, Economic Recovery and International Systems. We begin today’s event with a panel on Climate Change. Jeff Sachs, Matthew Bishop and…
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Following Arctic Leads
Our ICE Bridge team of 34 scientists and NASA personnel has piled mounds of equipment, luggage, and emergency Arctic survival gear into the DC-8, setting off just before midnight for Thule, Greenland.All but two of the seats are filled, and every possible open area has been piled with our supplies for the next few weeks.Our…
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Coca Production, Deforestation and Climate Change
By Elisa Botero* Colombia is the number one cocaine producer in the world. Hundreds of hectares of coca bush, the main component of cocaine, are planted each year to produce this popular recreational drug, consumed mainly in Europe and North America. The local social, economic and environmental impacts of illicit drug production have been discussed…
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Second Spring Seminar Tomorrow Night!
Wendy Chung, the director of the Clinical Genetics Program at Columbia University, is presenting the second lecture of the CSSR’s Spring series tomorrow night (March 23rd) at 6pm. Don’t miss the discussion of her fascinating research on genetic medicine. CSSR 2010 Spring Seminar Series Presents: Ethical Challenges in Genetic Medicine Wendy Chung, MD, PhD –…
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California ‘shake down’ starts Greenland trip!
Jim Cochran, Geophysicist, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory ICE Bridge scientists gathering at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in Palmdale, CA for our upcoming Greenland mission were greeted in true California style. We were awakened by a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in the middle of the night! Although small by California standards the event was centered only about…
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Keeping PACE: How NY municipalities can implement a property assessed clean energy program to make use of available federal funds to reduce energy use
By Marne Sussman Recently passed legislation in New York State authorizes municipalities to create a PACE, or property assessed clean energy, program using federal grant assistance or federal credit support. In a PACE program a municipality sets up a special clean energy finance district capable of issuing low-interest bonds. Homeowners opt into these districts and…
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