State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate change100

  • Without the Montreal Protocol, More Intense Tropical Cyclones

    Without the Montreal Protocol, More Intense Tropical Cyclones

    Using one of the most advanced atmospheric computer models available, scientists compared our expected future with a scenario in which ozone-depleting substances had never been regulated.

  • With Climate, Fertilizing Oceans Could be Zero-Sum Game

    In Pacific, Added Iron May Not Pull Carbon From Air as Thought

  • 2015: The Hottest Year

    2016 May Be Even Hotter

  • It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    Much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States was balmy on Christmas Day, with high temperatures more than 20°F above average from Texas to Maine. According to NOAA, 789 daily high temperature records were tied or broken on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the continental United States. What’s behind this unusual weather?

  • New App Explores Ice and Sea Level Change Through Time

    Lamont-Doherty Scientists Create ‘Polar Explorer: Sea Level’

  • Electoral Politics and Environmental Sustainability

    The political consensus for sustainability that could emerge might be based on increased funding for the science of renewable energy, battery technology, energy efficiency and smart grids. It could also include incentives for private sector investment to commercialize new energy technologies, and tax expenditures that make it easier for consumers to adopt these new technologies.

  • Listen in: Sachs & Cohen on the Paris Agreement

    Listen in: Sachs & Cohen on the Paris Agreement

    Earth Institute Director Jeffrey Sachs sat down with Brian Lehrer at WNYC on Tuesday to talk about the Paris climate agreement and what happens now.

  • Understanding the Paris Climate Accord and Its Implications

    Understanding the Paris Climate Accord and Its Implications

    On Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, 195 countries reached a history-making agreement to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to avert the direst effects of climate change. Here are some of the best and most reliable resources to help you understand the Paris accord and its implications.

  • What is the U.S. Commitment in Paris?

    What is the U.S. Commitment in Paris?

    The United States has joined 185 countries in promising to curb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, develop other ways to mitigate the impacts and to make communities more resilient to climate change. So what exactly is the United States proposing to do?

Blue banner with kids and Earth photos. Text: "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House, Saturday, October 17, 2026, 10am-4pm.

On Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 10am to 4pm, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House—our biggest, best science fun and discovery event of the year—will take place on our beautiful campus in Palisades, NY. Mark your calendar and join us for this free, family-friendly celebration of science! RSVP Today!

  • Without the Montreal Protocol, More Intense Tropical Cyclones

    Without the Montreal Protocol, More Intense Tropical Cyclones

    Using one of the most advanced atmospheric computer models available, scientists compared our expected future with a scenario in which ozone-depleting substances had never been regulated.

  • With Climate, Fertilizing Oceans Could be Zero-Sum Game

    In Pacific, Added Iron May Not Pull Carbon From Air as Thought

  • 2015: The Hottest Year

    2016 May Be Even Hotter

  • It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    It’s Beginning to Look Not a Lot Like Christmas

    Much of the eastern two-thirds of the United States was balmy on Christmas Day, with high temperatures more than 20°F above average from Texas to Maine. According to NOAA, 789 daily high temperature records were tied or broken on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the continental United States. What’s behind this unusual weather?

  • New App Explores Ice and Sea Level Change Through Time

    Lamont-Doherty Scientists Create ‘Polar Explorer: Sea Level’

  • Electoral Politics and Environmental Sustainability

    The political consensus for sustainability that could emerge might be based on increased funding for the science of renewable energy, battery technology, energy efficiency and smart grids. It could also include incentives for private sector investment to commercialize new energy technologies, and tax expenditures that make it easier for consumers to adopt these new technologies.

  • Listen in: Sachs & Cohen on the Paris Agreement

    Listen in: Sachs & Cohen on the Paris Agreement

    Earth Institute Director Jeffrey Sachs sat down with Brian Lehrer at WNYC on Tuesday to talk about the Paris climate agreement and what happens now.

  • Understanding the Paris Climate Accord and Its Implications

    Understanding the Paris Climate Accord and Its Implications

    On Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, 195 countries reached a history-making agreement to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to avert the direst effects of climate change. Here are some of the best and most reliable resources to help you understand the Paris accord and its implications.

  • What is the U.S. Commitment in Paris?

    What is the U.S. Commitment in Paris?

    The United States has joined 185 countries in promising to curb carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, develop other ways to mitigate the impacts and to make communities more resilient to climate change. So what exactly is the United States proposing to do?