State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate change and decision making

  • The Intergenerational Ethics of Climate Change

    The Intergenerational Ethics of Climate Change

    We owe the young climate activists our attention and support.

  • Understanding GHG emissions: Stock vs. Flows

    Understanding GHG emissions: Stock vs. Flows

    In discussing climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a key distinction must be made between the stock of GHGs in the atmosphere, and the flow of GHGs, primarily emissions. Understanding this difference is crucial for designing and implementing policies to effectively address the problem. Because a bathtub is something that most of us are…

  • Understanding the Mind as the Temperature Climbs

    Understanding the Mind as the Temperature Climbs

    Warnings of potentially cataclysmic climate change have reached nearly every newspaper front page and legislative chamber around the globe since the 1990s. So why has the human response been so limited?

  • Do I Want It in My Backyard? Yes I Do!

    Coining a new phrase is a great way to change an old attitude, was my initial thought when I first read about “YIMFY” or “yes in my front yard”, a phrase introduced in a report from the International Energy Agency.It is a play on the well-known negative “not in my back yard”, but in reverse…

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

  • The Intergenerational Ethics of Climate Change

    The Intergenerational Ethics of Climate Change

    We owe the young climate activists our attention and support.

  • Understanding GHG emissions: Stock vs. Flows

    Understanding GHG emissions: Stock vs. Flows

    In discussing climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a key distinction must be made between the stock of GHGs in the atmosphere, and the flow of GHGs, primarily emissions. Understanding this difference is crucial for designing and implementing policies to effectively address the problem. Because a bathtub is something that most of us are…

  • Understanding the Mind as the Temperature Climbs

    Understanding the Mind as the Temperature Climbs

    Warnings of potentially cataclysmic climate change have reached nearly every newspaper front page and legislative chamber around the globe since the 1990s. So why has the human response been so limited?

  • Do I Want It in My Backyard? Yes I Do!

    Coining a new phrase is a great way to change an old attitude, was my initial thought when I first read about “YIMFY” or “yes in my front yard”, a phrase introduced in a report from the International Energy Agency.It is a play on the well-known negative “not in my back yard”, but in reverse…