State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Health50

  • Landfill Disposal May Pose Greater Health Risks Than WTE Treatment, Student Research Shows

    Disposing of waste via landfills increases health risks 30-fold, compared with using waste-to-energy treatment — which generates electricity by burning waste — for disposal. This is according to a study conducted by a student in the Masters in Public Health (MPH) program at the Mailman School at Columbia University. The study, carried out by Pearl…

  • In Rwanda, Clever Use of Technology Helps a Little Go a Long Way, and Faster

    In a country that made headlines for a brutal genocide that left an estimated 800,000 dead, Rwanda now counts itself among several African nations battling with another devastating enemy: AIDS. According to government estimates, about 4 percent of adults living in rural areas and as many as 13 percent in Kigali, the country’s capital, are…

Banner: Climate Week NYC 2025, September 21-28, 2025

  • Landfill Disposal May Pose Greater Health Risks Than WTE Treatment, Student Research Shows

    Disposing of waste via landfills increases health risks 30-fold, compared with using waste-to-energy treatment — which generates electricity by burning waste — for disposal. This is according to a study conducted by a student in the Masters in Public Health (MPH) program at the Mailman School at Columbia University. The study, carried out by Pearl…

  • In Rwanda, Clever Use of Technology Helps a Little Go a Long Way, and Faster

    In a country that made headlines for a brutal genocide that left an estimated 800,000 dead, Rwanda now counts itself among several African nations battling with another devastating enemy: AIDS. According to government estimates, about 4 percent of adults living in rural areas and as many as 13 percent in Kigali, the country’s capital, are…