General217
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Supporting Students from Developing Countries with Scholarships and Internships
A recent anonymous gift of $200,000 to the Earth Institute will provide financial support for students from developing countries. The gift will fund two scholarships for students either in our MA in Climate and Society or MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program, and will also provide funding for summer internships.
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Is Ocean Water Helping to Melt Glaciers?
After crossing the Ross Sea, we’ve reached our first study area: the “Little America Trough.” The oceanographers on board want to find out if warmer water from the deep ocean is rising onto the continental shelf and reaching the ice, making it melt faster. They measure temperature and salinity as well as the water currents.…
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A People's Plan of Action to Fight Extreme Poverty
Government leaders cannot solve global challenges on their own any more. In today’s much flatter world, it is everyday people –and, critically, their personal networks–who have the potential to be the world’s big new problem solvers.
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Leaders of Distinction: The Lamont Research Professor
Robin Bell will soon become one of the most senior Observatory researchers to receive the title of Lamont Research Professor, which elevates the status of Lamont’s distinguished researchers to something akin to tenure in the University setting, and which will support Lamont’s recruitment efforts of such dedicated educator/researchers well into the future.
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Climate Risks and Haiti
As Haitians struggle to rebuild their country after January’s devastating earthquake, they face added risks, related to climate. Currently, about 1.2 million Haitians are without proper shelter, and an additional 470,000 have been displaced from their homes, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (latest updates). This leaves them vulnerable to storms and extreme…
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Take MDP Courses in the USA, Practice in Nigeria, Graduate in Costa Rica.
As a student, imagine taking courses from experts at the Earth Institute and the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, living in Nigeria for two months while helping villages problem-solve the complex challenges of sustainable development, and graduating from your home institution in Costa Rica. Picture meeting at a university campus every…
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Bill Gates Visits the Earth Institute
We were thrilled to welcome Bill Gates recently to the Earth Institute for a wide-ranging informational meeting led by director Jeff Sachs. The half-day visit was a lively, frank and open exchange of ideas between Mr. Gates and Earth Institute faculty members debating the challenges and immense opportunities for human development in the areas of…
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A Quiet Crackling Below the Ice
As a child, I believed that I could hear the ocean in a seashell. Now when I think about the sounds of the sea, I imagine the roar of waves crashing on the beach. But from the vantage point of a ship with noisy engines, the water seems silent. In 1490, Leonardo da Vinci observed,…
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A Sustainable Future for Haiti
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck southern Haiti on January 12 caused massive destruction to human life and infrastructure—as many as 3 million people have been affected. The Earth Institute’s Haiti Policy Advisor, Tatiana Wah, who was in the country at the time of the earthquake, works with the Haitian government to develop, analyze, implement…
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