State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

American Geophysical Union8

  • Clues from Last Ice Age May Hint at Drying Ahead for Some Regions

    Clues from Last Ice Age May Hint at Drying Ahead for Some Regions

    In the spectacular collapse of ice sheets as the last ice age ended about 18,000 years ago scientists hope to find clues for what regions may grow drier from human caused global warming. In a talk Thursday at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting, Aaron Putnam, a postdoctoral scholar at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, painted a…

  • Huge Landslide Linked to Glacier Surge in Tajikstan’s Pamir Mountains

    Huge Landslide Linked to Glacier Surge in Tajikstan’s Pamir Mountains

    Glaciers advance in colder temperatures, but sometimes a big rock avalanche can also make a glacier grow, new research results presented at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting suggests.

  • Tree Rings and Teachable Moments

    Tree Rings and Teachable Moments

    Nicole Davi, a postdoctoral scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, thinks tree rings are an ideal way to motivate students to collect and analyze data as well as to learn about climate change.

  • Improving the Water Outlook in the Himalayas

    Improving the Water Outlook in the Himalayas

    Andrew Robertson, a climate scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, discusses his research on helping reservoir managers in northern India make better planning decisions by improving their ability to predict how climate change will influence water availability.

  • Managing Hazard Risk and Weather Extremes at AGU

    Managing Hazard Risk and Weather Extremes at AGU

    Researchers from the Earth Institute’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions will present their work at the 2012 American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco this week. Psychology doctoral candidate Katherine Thompson will present a poster entitled “The Psychology of Hazard Risk Perception”; and visiting research scholar Diana Reckien will present a poster entitled “Realities…

  • Predicting the Future of Soy in South America

    Predicting the Future of Soy in South America

    In this Q&A, Arthur M. Greene discusses improving climate and agricultural modeling in South America using a new stochastic simulation of future climate.

  • Visualizing Malaria from Space

    Visualizing Malaria from Space

    Public health professionals are increasingly concerned about the impact climate variability and change can have on infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and bacterial meningitis. However, in order to study the relationships between climate and …

  • If You’re Not Going to San Francisco

    If You’re Not Going to San Francisco

    Keep an eye on State of the Planet over the next week for updates on the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

  • Earth Institute Science in Spotlight

    Earth Institute Science in Spotlight

    Research presented by Earth Institute scientists at the 2011 American Geophysical Union fall conference generated a lot of attention from the media. Much of it came from a press conference held to discuss findings by Steve Goldstein from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and his colleagues on the potential for future drying up of the Dead…

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

  • Clues from Last Ice Age May Hint at Drying Ahead for Some Regions

    Clues from Last Ice Age May Hint at Drying Ahead for Some Regions

    In the spectacular collapse of ice sheets as the last ice age ended about 18,000 years ago scientists hope to find clues for what regions may grow drier from human caused global warming. In a talk Thursday at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting, Aaron Putnam, a postdoctoral scholar at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, painted a…

  • Huge Landslide Linked to Glacier Surge in Tajikstan’s Pamir Mountains

    Huge Landslide Linked to Glacier Surge in Tajikstan’s Pamir Mountains

    Glaciers advance in colder temperatures, but sometimes a big rock avalanche can also make a glacier grow, new research results presented at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting suggests.

  • Tree Rings and Teachable Moments

    Tree Rings and Teachable Moments

    Nicole Davi, a postdoctoral scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society and the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, thinks tree rings are an ideal way to motivate students to collect and analyze data as well as to learn about climate change.

  • Improving the Water Outlook in the Himalayas

    Improving the Water Outlook in the Himalayas

    Andrew Robertson, a climate scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, discusses his research on helping reservoir managers in northern India make better planning decisions by improving their ability to predict how climate change will influence water availability.

  • Managing Hazard Risk and Weather Extremes at AGU

    Managing Hazard Risk and Weather Extremes at AGU

    Researchers from the Earth Institute’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions will present their work at the 2012 American Geophysical Union Conference in San Francisco this week. Psychology doctoral candidate Katherine Thompson will present a poster entitled “The Psychology of Hazard Risk Perception”; and visiting research scholar Diana Reckien will present a poster entitled “Realities…

  • Predicting the Future of Soy in South America

    Predicting the Future of Soy in South America

    In this Q&A, Arthur M. Greene discusses improving climate and agricultural modeling in South America using a new stochastic simulation of future climate.

  • Visualizing Malaria from Space

    Visualizing Malaria from Space

    Public health professionals are increasingly concerned about the impact climate variability and change can have on infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue fever and bacterial meningitis. However, in order to study the relationships between climate and …

  • If You’re Not Going to San Francisco

    If You’re Not Going to San Francisco

    Keep an eye on State of the Planet over the next week for updates on the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union.

  • Earth Institute Science in Spotlight

    Earth Institute Science in Spotlight

    Research presented by Earth Institute scientists at the 2011 American Geophysical Union fall conference generated a lot of attention from the media. Much of it came from a press conference held to discuss findings by Steve Goldstein from the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and his colleagues on the potential for future drying up of the Dead…