Posts
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H. James Simpson; Tracked Pollutants in the Hudson and Far Beyond
H. James Simpson, a geochemist who pioneered important studies of water pollutants in the Hudson River and abroad, died May 10. He had been affiliated with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory for 50 years. The cause was Parkinson’s disease, said his family; he was 72.
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The Right Wing’s Endless War on Environmental Regulation
The right wing attack on environmental regulation is a fundamental political mistake. Conservatives are correct in assuming that Americans mistrust big organizations and powerful institutions, but they should remember that the public counts on these powerful organizations to protect them.
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World’s Oldest Unused Stone Tools Found (So They Say)
Last week, it was announced that scientists had found the world’s oldest stone tools, in Kenya, dated at 3.3 million years. The precise dating of the tools was made possible by Chris Lepre and Dennis Kent of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, who used periodic reversals in earth’s magnetic field to nail the timing. Now, in a…
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Meet the Students Studying Trans-Boundary Sustainability Issues in the Middle East
This summer, nine Columbia University students and nine students from Tel Aviv University will take part in a fieldwork course focused on environmental sustainability in the Middle East.
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Global Warming’s ‘Missing’ Heat: It May Be in the Indian Ocean
Since the late 1990s, global warming has stabilized, even as greenhouse gases have risen. That defies simple models that say the temperature should keep going up. A team of oceanographers now says they know where the missing heat has gone.
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Was Hurricane Sandy the 100-Year Event?
Recent research suggests that Sandy may have been much more likely than previously believed.
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Scientists Discover World’s Oldest Stone Tools
Finds Challenge Ideas about Who Were the First Toolmakers
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Preserving the Origins of Environmental Law for a New Generation of Leaders
In fall 2014, Columbia University, through the School of International and Public Affairs, the School of Continuing Education and the Earth Institute, offered a never-before-taught class on “The Origins of Environmental Law.” While many courses teach the fundamentals of environmental law, this course spoke to the people and politics behind the creation of the legislation.…
