State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Sustainability97

  • Come on Mr. Mayor, Leave the Central Park Carriage Horses Alone

    The mayor seems almost desperate to complete this carriage deal and move on, but in the process is simply giving his enemies more ammunition to do battle with him. In the process, he has managed to antagonize park advocates, pedicab workers, and good government advocates.

  • Students Help an Urban Farm Rethink Its Future

    Students Help an Urban Farm Rethink Its Future

    In the Fair Haven section of New Haven, Conn., rates of obesity and diabetes are high, and access to healthy fresh food can be limited. For some residents, the New Haven Farms wellness program is just the prescription, but the organization is struggling to grow. Now, students studying sustainability management through the Earth Institute have…

  • The Clean Power Plan Overcomes Another Attack

    The politics of climate change remains contentious, with Democrats more concerned about the issue than Republicans. What is most interesting about the polling data is that young people are far more concerned about climate change than older people.

  • Developing a Sustainable Tourism Industry in China

    Developing a Sustainable Tourism Industry in China

    Last week, members of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management traveled to Huizhou, China, to present their initial findings for a study on sustainable tourism for the IBM Smarter Cities initiative.

  • There’s Plenty of Blame for Flint, Michigan’s Water Crisis

    The federal government sets the drinking water standards in America, even though monitoring and administration is delegated to the states. The federal EPA had the authority and responsibility to intervene. The failure in Flint belongs to all of us and it should lead to some hard thinking about the causes of this completely avoidable environmental…

  • A Sustainable Lifestyle and the Changing Nature of Work

    In the process of changing the economic role of the city, we need to pay more attention to the impact of our production and consumption on the environment and on all elements of the supply chain that bring goods and services to us. Building systems that reduce environmental impacts is more important than individual consumption…

  • The Not in My Backyard Syndrome and Sustainability Infrastructure

    As we make the transition to a more sustainable, renewable resource based economy, we will need to build new smart-grid electrical systems, new water infrastructure, coastal resiliency projects, mass transit, public charging stations, and other types of development. This will require innovative efforts to plan, design, build, manage and communicate if it is to succeed.

  • Center on Sustainable Investment Accepting Internship Applications

    Center on Sustainable Investment Accepting Internship Applications

    The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute, is accepting applications until Jan. 15, 2016, for internship positions for the spring 2016 semester. Interns are staffed to one or more specific research projects depending on the background and interests of the particular applicant. Unpaid and paid…

  • Electoral Politics and Environmental Sustainability

    The political consensus for sustainability that could emerge might be based on increased funding for the science of renewable energy, battery technology, energy efficiency and smart grids. It could also include incentives for private sector investment to commercialize new energy technologies, and tax expenditures that make it easier for consumers to adopt these new technologies.

Blue banner with kids and Earth photos. Text: "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am-4pm.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!

  • Come on Mr. Mayor, Leave the Central Park Carriage Horses Alone

    The mayor seems almost desperate to complete this carriage deal and move on, but in the process is simply giving his enemies more ammunition to do battle with him. In the process, he has managed to antagonize park advocates, pedicab workers, and good government advocates.

  • Students Help an Urban Farm Rethink Its Future

    Students Help an Urban Farm Rethink Its Future

    In the Fair Haven section of New Haven, Conn., rates of obesity and diabetes are high, and access to healthy fresh food can be limited. For some residents, the New Haven Farms wellness program is just the prescription, but the organization is struggling to grow. Now, students studying sustainability management through the Earth Institute have…

  • The Clean Power Plan Overcomes Another Attack

    The politics of climate change remains contentious, with Democrats more concerned about the issue than Republicans. What is most interesting about the polling data is that young people are far more concerned about climate change than older people.

  • Developing a Sustainable Tourism Industry in China

    Developing a Sustainable Tourism Industry in China

    Last week, members of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management traveled to Huizhou, China, to present their initial findings for a study on sustainable tourism for the IBM Smarter Cities initiative.

  • There’s Plenty of Blame for Flint, Michigan’s Water Crisis

    The federal government sets the drinking water standards in America, even though monitoring and administration is delegated to the states. The federal EPA had the authority and responsibility to intervene. The failure in Flint belongs to all of us and it should lead to some hard thinking about the causes of this completely avoidable environmental…

  • A Sustainable Lifestyle and the Changing Nature of Work

    In the process of changing the economic role of the city, we need to pay more attention to the impact of our production and consumption on the environment and on all elements of the supply chain that bring goods and services to us. Building systems that reduce environmental impacts is more important than individual consumption…

  • The Not in My Backyard Syndrome and Sustainability Infrastructure

    As we make the transition to a more sustainable, renewable resource based economy, we will need to build new smart-grid electrical systems, new water infrastructure, coastal resiliency projects, mass transit, public charging stations, and other types of development. This will require innovative efforts to plan, design, build, manage and communicate if it is to succeed.

  • Center on Sustainable Investment Accepting Internship Applications

    Center on Sustainable Investment Accepting Internship Applications

    The Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, a joint center of Columbia Law School and the Earth Institute, is accepting applications until Jan. 15, 2016, for internship positions for the spring 2016 semester. Interns are staffed to one or more specific research projects depending on the background and interests of the particular applicant. Unpaid and paid…

  • Electoral Politics and Environmental Sustainability

    The political consensus for sustainability that could emerge might be based on increased funding for the science of renewable energy, battery technology, energy efficiency and smart grids. It could also include incentives for private sector investment to commercialize new energy technologies, and tax expenditures that make it easier for consumers to adopt these new technologies.