State of the Planet

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Health29

  • How Safe is the Hudson? Scientists Test the River, Adirondacks to Ocean

    How Safe is the Hudson? Scientists Test the River, Adirondacks to Ocean

    A team of scientists conducted an unprecedented health check of the entire Hudson River system, from its source to New York Harbor. This is what they found.

  • Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    I believe that concern over tap water is part of the growing movement for locally-sourced food, physical fitness, and what has been termed “wellness.” The underlying source of support for environmental protection is a growing understanding of the relationship between a toxic environment and human health.

  • Study Warns of Surge in Heat-Related Deaths in New York City

    Study Warns of Surge in Heat-Related Deaths in New York City

    A new study projects that as many as 3,331 people a year could be dying from the heat during New York City summers by 2080 as a result of the warming climate. That compares to 638 heat-related deaths on average between 2000 and 2006.

  • Get the Facts: Arsenic in New Jersey Well Water

    Get the Facts: Arsenic in New Jersey Well Water

    A new initiative aims to help homeowners in New Jersey cope with arsenic contamination in private wells—a problem that has only come to light in recent years, and about which many homeowners are still unaware.

  • By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    New York City is known for many things, but having clean air isn’t one of them. Explore some of the issues and challenges the Big Apple faces in clearing NYC’s air through interactive maps and data.

  • The Connection Between Climate and Public Health

    The Connection Between Climate and Public Health

    International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Mailman School of Public Health will hold a two-day meeting to talk about how climate influences issues of public health, from heat waves to infectious diseases. The event will be livestreamed, and you also can follow it on Twitter at #healthclimate2016.

  • Miracle on the Potomac: The New Bipartisan Law Regulating Toxics

    The new law is far from perfect, but it is a major improvement over the ineffectual 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. Under that law, only five of the over 80,000 chemicals now in use have been banned or substantially restricted in use.

  • The Importance of New York City’s Water Infrastructure

    New York City has a magnificent system of water supply. It is an example of farsighted long-term leadership and investment without which the modern city of New York could never have been built.

  • Report Charges ‘Nepotism and Neglect’ on Bangladesh Arsenic Poisoning

    Report Charges ‘Nepotism and Neglect’ on Bangladesh Arsenic Poisoning

    Two decades after arsenic was found to be contaminating drinking water across Bangladesh, tens of millions of people are still exposed to the deadly chemical. Now a new report from the group Human Rights Watch charges that the Bangladesh government “is failing to adequately respond” to the issue, and that political favoritism and neglect have…

Columbia Climate School Giving Day on October 28, 2026, featuring students and renewable energy imagery

October 28, 2026 is Columbia Giving Day! Your gift to Columbia Climate School helps advance interdisciplinary research, educate the next generation of leaders, and transform bold ideas into real-world solutions for climate, Earth, and society.

  • How Safe is the Hudson? Scientists Test the River, Adirondacks to Ocean

    How Safe is the Hudson? Scientists Test the River, Adirondacks to Ocean

    A team of scientists conducted an unprecedented health check of the entire Hudson River system, from its source to New York Harbor. This is what they found.

  • Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    Changing Environmental Values and a Changing World

    I believe that concern over tap water is part of the growing movement for locally-sourced food, physical fitness, and what has been termed “wellness.” The underlying source of support for environmental protection is a growing understanding of the relationship between a toxic environment and human health.

  • Study Warns of Surge in Heat-Related Deaths in New York City

    Study Warns of Surge in Heat-Related Deaths in New York City

    A new study projects that as many as 3,331 people a year could be dying from the heat during New York City summers by 2080 as a result of the warming climate. That compares to 638 heat-related deaths on average between 2000 and 2006.

  • Get the Facts: Arsenic in New Jersey Well Water

    Get the Facts: Arsenic in New Jersey Well Water

    A new initiative aims to help homeowners in New Jersey cope with arsenic contamination in private wells—a problem that has only come to light in recent years, and about which many homeowners are still unaware.

  • By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    New York City is known for many things, but having clean air isn’t one of them. Explore some of the issues and challenges the Big Apple faces in clearing NYC’s air through interactive maps and data.

  • The Connection Between Climate and Public Health

    The Connection Between Climate and Public Health

    International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Mailman School of Public Health will hold a two-day meeting to talk about how climate influences issues of public health, from heat waves to infectious diseases. The event will be livestreamed, and you also can follow it on Twitter at #healthclimate2016.

  • Miracle on the Potomac: The New Bipartisan Law Regulating Toxics

    The new law is far from perfect, but it is a major improvement over the ineffectual 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act. Under that law, only five of the over 80,000 chemicals now in use have been banned or substantially restricted in use.

  • The Importance of New York City’s Water Infrastructure

    New York City has a magnificent system of water supply. It is an example of farsighted long-term leadership and investment without which the modern city of New York could never have been built.

  • Report Charges ‘Nepotism and Neglect’ on Bangladesh Arsenic Poisoning

    Report Charges ‘Nepotism and Neglect’ on Bangladesh Arsenic Poisoning

    Two decades after arsenic was found to be contaminating drinking water across Bangladesh, tens of millions of people are still exposed to the deadly chemical. Now a new report from the group Human Rights Watch charges that the Bangladesh government “is failing to adequately respond” to the issue, and that political favoritism and neglect have…