State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate change101

  • Alaska: Hotspot for Oil and Climate Change

    Alaska: Hotspot for Oil and Climate Change

    In September, Shell Oil abandoned its offshore oil drilling projects in the Alaskan Arctic. Why is Arctic drilling so controversial and what impacts will Shell’s announcement have?

  • Declining Snowpacks May Cut Many Nations’ Water

    With Warming, Possible Seasonal Deficits from California to Caucasus

  • The Paris Climate Change Conference – What You Need to Know

    The Paris Climate Change Conference – What You Need to Know

    The United Nations Climate Change Conference, meeting in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, brings together world leaders to craft a new international agreement to keep the average global temperature rise below 2°C by 2100. Here’s what you need to know about it.

  • International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    A live-streamed international conference on El Niño takes place on Nov. 17 and 18 at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

  • New Drought Atlas Maps 2,000 Years of Climate in Europe

    Completes the First Big-Picture View Across Northern Hemisphere

  • How to Have the Climate Change Conversation

    How to Have the Climate Change Conversation

    On Thursday, October 29, the Earth Institute and the School of International of Public Affairs hosted a panel on Sustainability and Climate Change in the 2016 Presidential Race. The panel was moderated by Chuck Todd of NBC’s Meet the Press. The panelists discussed how to frame the climate change conversation in such a polarized political…

  • The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The presidential election of 2016 will determine the United States’ role in confronting the global challenge of climate change, and preparing our nation to manage its impacts for years to come. Where do the presidential candidates stand today on these issues?

  • Cuomo’s Commitment to Addressing Climate Change

    Cuomo’s Commitment to Addressing Climate Change

    New York State has taken a progressive stand on climate change, pushing for renewable energy development and promising to curb greenhouse gas emissions. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined by Vice President Al Gore at Columbia University, announced several new actions to increase New York State’s commitment to fighting climate change.

  • A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    EcoChains: Arctic Crisis is a card game for ages 10 and up that challenges players to strategically manage the Arctic marine ecosystem as climate changes, while they learn about the potential impacts of future changes.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • Alaska: Hotspot for Oil and Climate Change

    Alaska: Hotspot for Oil and Climate Change

    In September, Shell Oil abandoned its offshore oil drilling projects in the Alaskan Arctic. Why is Arctic drilling so controversial and what impacts will Shell’s announcement have?

  • Declining Snowpacks May Cut Many Nations’ Water

    With Warming, Possible Seasonal Deficits from California to Caucasus

  • The Paris Climate Change Conference – What You Need to Know

    The Paris Climate Change Conference – What You Need to Know

    The United Nations Climate Change Conference, meeting in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11, brings together world leaders to craft a new international agreement to keep the average global temperature rise below 2°C by 2100. Here’s what you need to know about it.

  • International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    International Conference on El Niño, Nov. 17-18

    A live-streamed international conference on El Niño takes place on Nov. 17 and 18 at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.

  • New Drought Atlas Maps 2,000 Years of Climate in Europe

    Completes the First Big-Picture View Across Northern Hemisphere

  • How to Have the Climate Change Conversation

    How to Have the Climate Change Conversation

    On Thursday, October 29, the Earth Institute and the School of International of Public Affairs hosted a panel on Sustainability and Climate Change in the 2016 Presidential Race. The panel was moderated by Chuck Todd of NBC’s Meet the Press. The panelists discussed how to frame the climate change conversation in such a polarized political…

  • The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

    The presidential election of 2016 will determine the United States’ role in confronting the global challenge of climate change, and preparing our nation to manage its impacts for years to come. Where do the presidential candidates stand today on these issues?

  • Cuomo’s Commitment to Addressing Climate Change

    Cuomo’s Commitment to Addressing Climate Change

    New York State has taken a progressive stand on climate change, pushing for renewable energy development and promising to curb greenhouse gas emissions. On Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined by Vice President Al Gore at Columbia University, announced several new actions to increase New York State’s commitment to fighting climate change.

  • A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    A Game of Strategy and Survival in the High Arctic

    EcoChains: Arctic Crisis is a card game for ages 10 and up that challenges players to strategically manage the Arctic marine ecosystem as climate changes, while they learn about the potential impacts of future changes.