State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

air pollution7

  • The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    We need to ensure that our air, water and soil is free of poisons and to do that we need to take pollution control more seriously than we do today. Many industries have found that environmental regulation is compatible with long term production and profits.

  • Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    If U.S. sulfur dioxide emissions are cut to zero by 2100, as some researchers have projected they will be, rainfall over Africa’s Sahel region could increase up to 10 percent from 2000 levels, computer simulations suggest.

  • With a Little Software Magic, Students Create Pollution Solutions

    With a Little Software Magic, Students Create Pollution Solutions

    Undergraduate sustainability students explored innovative software and 3D printing to create a set of possible solutions to help Singapore cope with a big problem: haze and air pollution drifting over the city state from burning forests in neighboring Indonesia.

  • Spring 2017 Undergraduate Research Assistant Opportunities

    Undergraduates from Columbia and Barnard will be able to serve as research assistants on research projects related to sustainable development and the environment with distinguished faculty and researchers at the cutting edge of this burgeoning field.

  • 2015 Indonesia Fires Killed 100,000 People, Says Study

    2015 Indonesia Fires Killed 100,000 People, Says Study

    In fall 2015, smoke from agricultural fires in Indonesia blanketed much of equatorial Asia. Schools and businesses closed, planes were grounded and tens of thousands of people sought treatment for respiratory illnesses. In a new study, researchers estimate that the smoke caused upward of 100,000 deaths across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

  • By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    New York City is known for many things, but having clean air isn’t one of them. Explore some of the issues and challenges the Big Apple faces in clearing NYC’s air through interactive maps and data.

  • The False Trade-Off Between Economic Growth and Environmental Protection

    The investment in environmental clean-up often stimulates other upgrades that enable businesses to more effectively compete in a global economy. Moreover, a clean environment reduces illness and that reduces the need for expensive health care.

  • A Major Source of Air Pollution: Farms

    Global Study Shows How Agriculture Interacts With Industry

  • Does Pollution Regulation Kill Jobs? Lessons for China from the U.S.

    Does Pollution Regulation Kill Jobs? Lessons for China from the U.S.

    The problem of air pollution in China continues to reach new heights. To combat the problem in any real way stringent regulation is needed. A new paper from Columbia University’s Earth Institute finds that this can be done without hurting job creation.

Columbia Climate School Giving Day on October 28, 2026, featuring students and renewable energy imagery

October 28, 2026 is Columbia Giving Day! Your gift to Columbia Climate School helps advance interdisciplinary research, educate the next generation of leaders, and transform bold ideas into real-world solutions for climate, Earth, and society.

  • The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    We need to ensure that our air, water and soil is free of poisons and to do that we need to take pollution control more seriously than we do today. Many industries have found that environmental regulation is compatible with long term production and profits.

  • Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    Reduced U.S. Air Pollution Will Boost Rainfall in Africa’s Sahel, Says Study

    If U.S. sulfur dioxide emissions are cut to zero by 2100, as some researchers have projected they will be, rainfall over Africa’s Sahel region could increase up to 10 percent from 2000 levels, computer simulations suggest.

  • With a Little Software Magic, Students Create Pollution Solutions

    With a Little Software Magic, Students Create Pollution Solutions

    Undergraduate sustainability students explored innovative software and 3D printing to create a set of possible solutions to help Singapore cope with a big problem: haze and air pollution drifting over the city state from burning forests in neighboring Indonesia.

  • Spring 2017 Undergraduate Research Assistant Opportunities

    Undergraduates from Columbia and Barnard will be able to serve as research assistants on research projects related to sustainable development and the environment with distinguished faculty and researchers at the cutting edge of this burgeoning field.

  • 2015 Indonesia Fires Killed 100,000 People, Says Study

    2015 Indonesia Fires Killed 100,000 People, Says Study

    In fall 2015, smoke from agricultural fires in Indonesia blanketed much of equatorial Asia. Schools and businesses closed, planes were grounded and tens of thousands of people sought treatment for respiratory illnesses. In a new study, researchers estimate that the smoke caused upward of 100,000 deaths across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

  • By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    By the Numbers: Air Quality and Pollution in New York City

    New York City is known for many things, but having clean air isn’t one of them. Explore some of the issues and challenges the Big Apple faces in clearing NYC’s air through interactive maps and data.

  • The False Trade-Off Between Economic Growth and Environmental Protection

    The investment in environmental clean-up often stimulates other upgrades that enable businesses to more effectively compete in a global economy. Moreover, a clean environment reduces illness and that reduces the need for expensive health care.

  • A Major Source of Air Pollution: Farms

    Global Study Shows How Agriculture Interacts With Industry

  • Does Pollution Regulation Kill Jobs? Lessons for China from the U.S.

    Does Pollution Regulation Kill Jobs? Lessons for China from the U.S.

    The problem of air pollution in China continues to reach new heights. To combat the problem in any real way stringent regulation is needed. A new paper from Columbia University’s Earth Institute finds that this can be done without hurting job creation.