State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Natural Disasters47

  • The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, the vulnerabilities of the New York/New Jersey region to extreme weather were made all too clear. The Rebuild by Design challenge was launched to find the most innovative ways to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

  • Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University invites you to enroll in courses this Spring via our Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability.

  • Is Sustainability Sustainable in a Post-Bloomberg NYC?

    Is Sustainability Sustainable in a Post-Bloomberg NYC?

    With the end of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s tenure drawing near, many are speculating which of his policies will survive the next administration. New York City’s comprehensive environmental plan, PlaNYC 2030: A Greener, Greater New York, has been championed politically by Bloomberg, but is grounded in science and data, and performance management. It has demonstrated progress,…

  • Perspective: Q&A with Development Practitioner Ignacio Urrutia

    Perspective: Q&A with Development Practitioner Ignacio Urrutia

    By Sarayu Adeni With careful planning and a methodical approach, Ignacio Urrutia, MPA-DP ‘13, aims to solve problems before they happen. Currently working in South Asia’s Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Climate Change Unit at the World Bank, he brought over five years of experience at the World Bank and UNDP in Washington, D.C. and…

  • A Different Climate Change Message, on Stage Nov. 2-3

    A Different Climate Change Message, on Stage Nov. 2-3

    The Superhero Clubhouse eco-theater group will be putting on a double-billed performance –Don’t Be Sad Flying Ace! and Field Trip: A Climate Cabaret- on November 2nd and 3rd at the Theater at the 14th St. Y, 344 East 14th Street (between 1st and 2nd Aves).

  • Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Newly redesigned interactive mapping tools are helping the Red Cross make planning and operational decisions ahead of droughts and extreme weather.

  • Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    A massive landslide in Alaska’s snowy Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range in July may have been caused by a summer heat wave making some slopes more vulnerable to collapse, says the Lamont-Doherty scientist who first discovered the avalanche.

  • On Gulf Coast, Organizing Youth to Face Disaster

    On Gulf Coast, Organizing Youth to Face Disaster

    A new youth development and disaster recovery program, which grew out of research on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will debut in five Gulf Coast high schools. The project will bring together teens to create and share resources to help communities recover from disasters.

  • What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    Earth Institute experts weigh in as the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches.

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

  • The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    The Rebuild by Design Challenge

    When Hurricane Sandy hit last October, the vulnerabilities of the New York/New Jersey region to extreme weather were made all too clear. The Rebuild by Design challenge was launched to find the most innovative ways to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

  • Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    Certificate Program in Conservation and Sustainability Spring Courses

    The Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University invites you to enroll in courses this Spring via our Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability.

  • Is Sustainability Sustainable in a Post-Bloomberg NYC?

    Is Sustainability Sustainable in a Post-Bloomberg NYC?

    With the end of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s tenure drawing near, many are speculating which of his policies will survive the next administration. New York City’s comprehensive environmental plan, PlaNYC 2030: A Greener, Greater New York, has been championed politically by Bloomberg, but is grounded in science and data, and performance management. It has demonstrated progress,…

  • Perspective: Q&A with Development Practitioner Ignacio Urrutia

    Perspective: Q&A with Development Practitioner Ignacio Urrutia

    By Sarayu Adeni With careful planning and a methodical approach, Ignacio Urrutia, MPA-DP ‘13, aims to solve problems before they happen. Currently working in South Asia’s Disaster Risk Management (DRM) and Climate Change Unit at the World Bank, he brought over five years of experience at the World Bank and UNDP in Washington, D.C. and…

  • A Different Climate Change Message, on Stage Nov. 2-3

    A Different Climate Change Message, on Stage Nov. 2-3

    The Superhero Clubhouse eco-theater group will be putting on a double-billed performance –Don’t Be Sad Flying Ace! and Field Trip: A Climate Cabaret- on November 2nd and 3rd at the Theater at the 14th St. Y, 344 East 14th Street (between 1st and 2nd Aves).

  • Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Maps Made for Disaster Management

    Newly redesigned interactive mapping tools are helping the Red Cross make planning and operational decisions ahead of droughts and extreme weather.

  • Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    Summer Heat Wave May Have Triggered Landslide on Lonely Alaskan Glacier

    A massive landslide in Alaska’s snowy Wrangell-St. Elias mountain range in July may have been caused by a summer heat wave making some slopes more vulnerable to collapse, says the Lamont-Doherty scientist who first discovered the avalanche.

  • On Gulf Coast, Organizing Youth to Face Disaster

    On Gulf Coast, Organizing Youth to Face Disaster

    A new youth development and disaster recovery program, which grew out of research on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, will debut in five Gulf Coast high schools. The project will bring together teens to create and share resources to help communities recover from disasters.

  • What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    What We Learned From Hurricane Sandy

    Earth Institute experts weigh in as the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy approaches.