State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Water40

  • High Hopes and Low Expectations for 17th UN Climate Change Conference

    High Hopes and Low Expectations for 17th UN Climate Change Conference

    Numerous please for comprehensive action aimed at the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa have been issued. However, many doubt that meaningful policies will be passed and have criticized the United States’ position in these talks.

  • Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    The last major drought to hit the northeastern U.S. lasted three years and shrunk New York City’s reservoirs by nearly three quarters. But as bad as that drought was, the region has seen at least three dry spells in the last 6,000 years that were far worse, says Dorothy Peteet, a climate scientist at Columbia…

  • Columbia Water Center Scientists to Present New Findings at the AGU Fall Meeting

    Columbia Water Center Scientists to Present New Findings at the AGU Fall Meeting

    The American Geophysical Union’s fall conference is coming up! The meeting will be held in San Francisco from December 5th to the 9th — as usual, Columbia Water Center scientists and associates will be giving a number of presentations covering a dizzying array of topics.

  • Achieving Water Sustainability in Ceará, Brazil

    Achieving Water Sustainability in Ceará, Brazil

    Achieving sustainable water sustainability in Brazil’s semi-arid northeast will involve more than just building pipes, pumps and water towers: it will require significant changes in the ways water is monitored, distributed and used throughout the region.

  • Asia’s Motown Meets Waterworld–The Global Water Supply Chain Crisis

    Asia’s Motown Meets Waterworld–The Global Water Supply Chain Crisis

    Since July, an almost unceasing torrent of rain has soaked Thailand, flooding farms, roads, factories, and finally Bangkok itself, a city of some 12 million people; so far at least 500 people have died. To date the government has ordered evacuations of 12 of the city’s 50 districts, even as water continues to creep through…

  • Unsettled by Climate Change

    Unsettled by Climate Change

    Climate change already laps at the edges of some communities, disrupting local economies and habitat, and forcing resettlement. But a new study notes that any efforts to offset the effects of shifting climate could lead to even more displacement and disruption for many people, particularly the poor.

  • 7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    You can now watch the tape of “The World at 7 Billion: Sustaining Our Future,” the Earth Institute’s panel discussion held at Columbia Oct. 17 and featuring the presentation by Professor Joel E. Cohen on the “good and bad news” behind the growing world population.

  • China’s Decade Plan for Water

    China’s Decade Plan for Water

    For the first time, China’s No. 1 central document outlining the government’s priorities for the coming year focuses on the construction of water resources acknowledging its importance as a “strategic resource” and its necessity to the economy.

  • Open House: Earth Institute Graduate Programs

    The Environmental and Sustainable Development Programs Open House is a wonderful opportunity for you to find out more about Columbia’s cutting-edge graduate degrees in sustainable development and environmental studies. We invite you to come explore our diverse offering of programs, have your application questions answered, and meet with current Columbia students and faculty. Attend 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

  • High Hopes and Low Expectations for 17th UN Climate Change Conference

    High Hopes and Low Expectations for 17th UN Climate Change Conference

    Numerous please for comprehensive action aimed at the 17th United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa have been issued. However, many doubt that meaningful policies will be passed and have criticized the United States’ position in these talks.

  • Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    The last major drought to hit the northeastern U.S. lasted three years and shrunk New York City’s reservoirs by nearly three quarters. But as bad as that drought was, the region has seen at least three dry spells in the last 6,000 years that were far worse, says Dorothy Peteet, a climate scientist at Columbia…

  • Columbia Water Center Scientists to Present New Findings at the AGU Fall Meeting

    Columbia Water Center Scientists to Present New Findings at the AGU Fall Meeting

    The American Geophysical Union’s fall conference is coming up! The meeting will be held in San Francisco from December 5th to the 9th — as usual, Columbia Water Center scientists and associates will be giving a number of presentations covering a dizzying array of topics.

  • Achieving Water Sustainability in Ceará, Brazil

    Achieving Water Sustainability in Ceará, Brazil

    Achieving sustainable water sustainability in Brazil’s semi-arid northeast will involve more than just building pipes, pumps and water towers: it will require significant changes in the ways water is monitored, distributed and used throughout the region.

  • Asia’s Motown Meets Waterworld–The Global Water Supply Chain Crisis

    Asia’s Motown Meets Waterworld–The Global Water Supply Chain Crisis

    Since July, an almost unceasing torrent of rain has soaked Thailand, flooding farms, roads, factories, and finally Bangkok itself, a city of some 12 million people; so far at least 500 people have died. To date the government has ordered evacuations of 12 of the city’s 50 districts, even as water continues to creep through…

  • Unsettled by Climate Change

    Unsettled by Climate Change

    Climate change already laps at the edges of some communities, disrupting local economies and habitat, and forcing resettlement. But a new study notes that any efforts to offset the effects of shifting climate could lead to even more displacement and disruption for many people, particularly the poor.

  • 7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    7 Billion on 10/31: The Numbers Can Be Scary

    You can now watch the tape of “The World at 7 Billion: Sustaining Our Future,” the Earth Institute’s panel discussion held at Columbia Oct. 17 and featuring the presentation by Professor Joel E. Cohen on the “good and bad news” behind the growing world population.

  • China’s Decade Plan for Water

    China’s Decade Plan for Water

    For the first time, China’s No. 1 central document outlining the government’s priorities for the coming year focuses on the construction of water resources acknowledging its importance as a “strategic resource” and its necessity to the economy.

  • Open House: Earth Institute Graduate Programs

    The Environmental and Sustainable Development Programs Open House is a wonderful opportunity for you to find out more about Columbia’s cutting-edge graduate degrees in sustainable development and environmental studies. We invite you to come explore our diverse offering of programs, have your application questions answered, and meet with current Columbia students and faculty. Attend the…