State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Natural Disasters55

  • Climate Services: Power in Numbers

    Climate Services: Power in Numbers

    Many countries and organizations are already investing in climate services, says IRI’s Steve Zebiak. What has been missing until recently is a central platform for capturing experiences and sharing best practices–enter the Climate Services Partnership.

  • The Sundarbans

    The Sundarbans

    After finally reaching the Mongla and our boat, we settled into our new home. It is a similar design, but much larger than the one we used in September. As we ate dinner and explored the ship, it started the overnight journey to the southeastern part of the Sundarbans where the wildlife is most plentiful.…

  • Rivers and the Road

    Rivers and the Road

    We spent a day on the islands (chars) in the Brahmaputra River seeing the geology and talking to the residents. Then after an evening of feasting and dancing in our new Saris and lungis, we hit the road for the trip to the Sundarbans.

  • Class Trip – to Bangladesh

    Class Trip – to Bangladesh

    To help my students in a class on hazards of Bangladesh better understand the country, I am taking them there to experience Bangladesh for themselves.

  • One Planet, Too Many People?

    One Planet, Too Many People?

    Can we manage the needs of 9 billion people for water, food and energy without depleting our resources and ruining the environment? “The solutions,” says Tim Fox, “are all within the capability of existing technology.”

  • Climate Services: Global Framework

    Climate Services: Global Framework

    Jerry Lengoasa, Deputy Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization — How do we bridge the gap between those who have the knowledge and those who don’t, those who have the capacity and those who don’t have the capacity, and the capability?

  • Climate Services: Providers, Users Must Partner

    Climate Services: Providers, Users Must Partner

    The potential of climate services depends on the strength of partnerships between those who provide climate information and those who need it, says Zhang Zuqiang, Deputy Director of China’s National Climate Center.

  • Climates Services: Must Help Us Understand Risks

    Climates Services: Must Help Us Understand Risks

    The point is setting priorities right, and for an agency like the World Food Programme, our focus is of course vulnerable people in the most vulnerable countries, countries where climate change is a multiplier of hunger risk. –- WFP’s Carlo Scaramella, in the fifth in a series of video interviews.

  • Climate Services: Science=Credibility

    Climate Services: Science=Credibility

    It’s terribly important that those who provide climate services are backed up by science and most importantly, link with and understand the problems of the user community. – says John Zillman, former president of the World Meteorological Organization, in the fourth in a series of video interviews.

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

  • Climate Services: Power in Numbers

    Climate Services: Power in Numbers

    Many countries and organizations are already investing in climate services, says IRI’s Steve Zebiak. What has been missing until recently is a central platform for capturing experiences and sharing best practices–enter the Climate Services Partnership.

  • The Sundarbans

    The Sundarbans

    After finally reaching the Mongla and our boat, we settled into our new home. It is a similar design, but much larger than the one we used in September. As we ate dinner and explored the ship, it started the overnight journey to the southeastern part of the Sundarbans where the wildlife is most plentiful.…

  • Rivers and the Road

    Rivers and the Road

    We spent a day on the islands (chars) in the Brahmaputra River seeing the geology and talking to the residents. Then after an evening of feasting and dancing in our new Saris and lungis, we hit the road for the trip to the Sundarbans.

  • Class Trip – to Bangladesh

    Class Trip – to Bangladesh

    To help my students in a class on hazards of Bangladesh better understand the country, I am taking them there to experience Bangladesh for themselves.

  • One Planet, Too Many People?

    One Planet, Too Many People?

    Can we manage the needs of 9 billion people for water, food and energy without depleting our resources and ruining the environment? “The solutions,” says Tim Fox, “are all within the capability of existing technology.”

  • Climate Services: Global Framework

    Climate Services: Global Framework

    Jerry Lengoasa, Deputy Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization — How do we bridge the gap between those who have the knowledge and those who don’t, those who have the capacity and those who don’t have the capacity, and the capability?

  • Climate Services: Providers, Users Must Partner

    Climate Services: Providers, Users Must Partner

    The potential of climate services depends on the strength of partnerships between those who provide climate information and those who need it, says Zhang Zuqiang, Deputy Director of China’s National Climate Center.

  • Climates Services: Must Help Us Understand Risks

    Climates Services: Must Help Us Understand Risks

    The point is setting priorities right, and for an agency like the World Food Programme, our focus is of course vulnerable people in the most vulnerable countries, countries where climate change is a multiplier of hunger risk. –- WFP’s Carlo Scaramella, in the fifth in a series of video interviews.

  • Climate Services: Science=Credibility

    Climate Services: Science=Credibility

    It’s terribly important that those who provide climate services are backed up by science and most importantly, link with and understand the problems of the user community. – says John Zillman, former president of the World Meteorological Organization, in the fourth in a series of video interviews.