State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Natural Disasters42

  • Post-Sandy Rebuilding for Resiliency: Lessons From Long Beach, NY

    It is not that people have gotten amnesia and don’t remember the damage of Hurricane Sandy. Some homes are still being rebuilt and some people are still displaced. Moreover, the people who lead the shore towns in Long Island and New Jersey are speaking the language of climate resiliency.

  • The Hidden Stresses of Drought

    The Hidden Stresses of Drought

    “Drought affects the economy, water supply, lifestyle, and agricultural productivity. The downstream consequences on humans that are facing these threats, including loss of jobs and daily lifestyle challenges, become overwhelming.”

  • Mt. Everest Not Safe from Climate Change

    Mt. Everest Not Safe from Climate Change

    Climate change has many asking if the days of being able to summit the world’s highest peak are numbered.

  • Preparing for Disasters, with the Focus on Children

    Preparing for Disasters, with the Focus on Children

    A new initiative directed by the Earth Institute’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia will focus on protecting children from all types of disasters, starting with a pilot program in two communities in New York and Arkansas.

  • From the Nile to the Sundarbans: the Undergraduate Capstones

    From the Nile to the Sundarbans: the Undergraduate Capstones

    This spring, students in the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development presented innovative solutions to sustainability issues as part of their Capstone Workshop. Their clients ranged from the United States Military Academy at West Point to the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

  • Was Hurricane Sandy the 100-Year Event?

    Was Hurricane Sandy the 100-Year Event?

    Recent research suggests that Sandy may have been much more likely than previously believed.

  • Indian Sundarban

    Indian Sundarban

    We arrived in Kolkata, and filmed by the Hooghly River. While it is no longer the main channel of the Ganges, it is still the Holy Ganges and we saw a funeral procession spreading ashes of a loved one while filming there. Then a 5 hour trip by car, ferry, rickshaw and boat to the…

  • Geology and Filming in Mizoram

    Geology and Filming in Mizoram

    In the small town of Kolasib, we stayed in Hotel Cloud 9. I had been told since I was a child that I was always off on Cloud 9 and now I was actually here. However, the electricity wasn’t for the first few hours, so showers were cold, but the dinner was hot.

  • Tiger Footprints and Dhaka

    Tiger Footprints and Dhaka

    We finished our time in the Sundarbans with a silent boat ride in a tidal creek. The highlight was sets of fresh tiger footprints. We then had a long sail back to Dhaka with only one stop at a village. We then had a whirlwind tour of Old Dhaka with enough shopping to send the…

Composite banner with modern building at night and portrait of Dean Alexis Abramson that reads "Science for the Planet"

By studying thousands of buildings and analyzing their electricity use, Columbia Climate School Dean Alexis Abramson has been able to uncover ways to significantly cut energy consumption and emissions. Watch the Video: “Engineering a Cooler Future Through Smarter Buildings

  • Post-Sandy Rebuilding for Resiliency: Lessons From Long Beach, NY

    It is not that people have gotten amnesia and don’t remember the damage of Hurricane Sandy. Some homes are still being rebuilt and some people are still displaced. Moreover, the people who lead the shore towns in Long Island and New Jersey are speaking the language of climate resiliency.

  • The Hidden Stresses of Drought

    The Hidden Stresses of Drought

    “Drought affects the economy, water supply, lifestyle, and agricultural productivity. The downstream consequences on humans that are facing these threats, including loss of jobs and daily lifestyle challenges, become overwhelming.”

  • Mt. Everest Not Safe from Climate Change

    Mt. Everest Not Safe from Climate Change

    Climate change has many asking if the days of being able to summit the world’s highest peak are numbered.

  • Preparing for Disasters, with the Focus on Children

    Preparing for Disasters, with the Focus on Children

    A new initiative directed by the Earth Institute’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia will focus on protecting children from all types of disasters, starting with a pilot program in two communities in New York and Arkansas.

  • From the Nile to the Sundarbans: the Undergraduate Capstones

    From the Nile to the Sundarbans: the Undergraduate Capstones

    This spring, students in the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development presented innovative solutions to sustainability issues as part of their Capstone Workshop. Their clients ranged from the United States Military Academy at West Point to the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law.

  • Was Hurricane Sandy the 100-Year Event?

    Was Hurricane Sandy the 100-Year Event?

    Recent research suggests that Sandy may have been much more likely than previously believed.

  • Indian Sundarban

    Indian Sundarban

    We arrived in Kolkata, and filmed by the Hooghly River. While it is no longer the main channel of the Ganges, it is still the Holy Ganges and we saw a funeral procession spreading ashes of a loved one while filming there. Then a 5 hour trip by car, ferry, rickshaw and boat to the…

  • Geology and Filming in Mizoram

    Geology and Filming in Mizoram

    In the small town of Kolasib, we stayed in Hotel Cloud 9. I had been told since I was a child that I was always off on Cloud 9 and now I was actually here. However, the electricity wasn’t for the first few hours, so showers were cold, but the dinner was hot.

  • Tiger Footprints and Dhaka

    Tiger Footprints and Dhaka

    We finished our time in the Sundarbans with a silent boat ride in a tidal creek. The highlight was sets of fresh tiger footprints. We then had a long sail back to Dhaka with only one stop at a village. We then had a whirlwind tour of Old Dhaka with enough shopping to send the…