State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate change122

  • Forest Razing by Ancient Maya Worsened Droughts, Says Study

    Human-Influenced Climate Change May Have Contributed to Society’s Collapse

  • The New Climate Dice: The Odds Have Shifted to Hot

    The New Climate Dice: The Odds Have Shifted to Hot

    This year’s Midwest heat wave and some other recent extreme weather events are no fluke of nature, but a consequence of a warming planet, according to an analysis of climate data by NASA scientists.

  • Tropical Plankton Invade Arctic Waters

    Researchers See Natural Cycle; But Questions Arise on Climate Change

  • Pulling CO2 From Air Vital To Curb Global Warming, Say Researchers

    But Lower-Cost Technology a Stumbling Block So Far

  • Taking Steps (Together) in the Right Direction

    Taking Steps (Together) in the Right Direction

    The latest 2012 Climate Change Policy Tracker report released by Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors in partnership with the Columbia Climate Center shows that while current policies lead to emissions reductions, there is significant distance to go to reach “safe” levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2020.

  • Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    With the incidence of extreme weather on the increase, concern about global warming is also growing. This concern needs to be turned into action—whether local, regional or national. Here are a dozen ways to take action.

  • Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Research on decadal prediction—what the climate is going to be like a decade or two from now—is still relatively new and experimental. It’s also in high demand by planners and decision makers interested in building dams and other large-scale development projects. In a new paper, IRI’s Lisa Goddard and colleagues discuss how decadal prediction research…

  • Connecting the Dots: Extreme Weather and Climate Change

    Connecting the Dots: Extreme Weather and Climate Change

    Professor Ben Orlove, anthropologist and co-director of the Earth Institute’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions discusses the connection between extreme weather and global warming, and public perception of climate change.

  • Emissions from the Cement Industry

    Emissions from the Cement Industry

    A single industry accounts for around 5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It produces a material so ubiquitous it is nearly invisible: cement. It is the primary ingredient in concrete, which in turn forms the foundations and structures of the buildings we live and work in, and the roads and bridges we drive…

Overhead view of Columbia campus with text Columbia Climate School Class Day 2026: Congratulations Graduates

Congratulations to our Columbia Climate School Class of 2026 and all of our 2026 Columbia University graduates! Learn more about our May 15 Climate School Class Day celebration. 💙 #Columbia2026 #ColumbiaClimate2026

  • Forest Razing by Ancient Maya Worsened Droughts, Says Study

    Human-Influenced Climate Change May Have Contributed to Society’s Collapse

  • The New Climate Dice: The Odds Have Shifted to Hot

    The New Climate Dice: The Odds Have Shifted to Hot

    This year’s Midwest heat wave and some other recent extreme weather events are no fluke of nature, but a consequence of a warming planet, according to an analysis of climate data by NASA scientists.

  • Tropical Plankton Invade Arctic Waters

    Researchers See Natural Cycle; But Questions Arise on Climate Change

  • Pulling CO2 From Air Vital To Curb Global Warming, Say Researchers

    But Lower-Cost Technology a Stumbling Block So Far

  • Taking Steps (Together) in the Right Direction

    Taking Steps (Together) in the Right Direction

    The latest 2012 Climate Change Policy Tracker report released by Deutsche Bank Climate Change Advisors in partnership with the Columbia Climate Center shows that while current policies lead to emissions reductions, there is significant distance to go to reach “safe” levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases by 2020.

  • Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    Turning Concern into Action: 12 Ways to Combat Climate Change

    With the incidence of extreme weather on the increase, concern about global warming is also growing. This concern needs to be turned into action—whether local, regional or national. Here are a dozen ways to take action.

  • Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Decadal Prediction: The New Kid On the Block

    Research on decadal prediction—what the climate is going to be like a decade or two from now—is still relatively new and experimental. It’s also in high demand by planners and decision makers interested in building dams and other large-scale development projects. In a new paper, IRI’s Lisa Goddard and colleagues discuss how decadal prediction research…

  • Connecting the Dots: Extreme Weather and Climate Change

    Connecting the Dots: Extreme Weather and Climate Change

    Professor Ben Orlove, anthropologist and co-director of the Earth Institute’s Center for Research on Environmental Decisions discusses the connection between extreme weather and global warming, and public perception of climate change.

  • Emissions from the Cement Industry

    Emissions from the Cement Industry

    A single industry accounts for around 5 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. It produces a material so ubiquitous it is nearly invisible: cement. It is the primary ingredient in concrete, which in turn forms the foundations and structures of the buildings we live and work in, and the roads and bridges we drive…