State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate change86

  • Columbia Affirms Commitment to Climate Action

    Columbia Affirms Commitment to Climate Action

    Columbia joins leaders from across higher education, the private sector and state and local governments in affirming their commitment to the Paris Agreement.

  • We’ll Always Have Paris: Trump’s Impact on the Climate Agreement

    We’ll Always Have Paris: Trump’s Impact on the Climate Agreement

    While we still do not know the long-term impact of President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, the short-term impact has been to mobilize a broad segment of the U.S. and global public in support of the agreement.

  • Reactions from Earth Institute Experts on Trump Pulling out of Paris

    Reactions from Earth Institute Experts on Trump Pulling out of Paris

    Experts from across the Earth Institute give their reactions to the news that the U.S. will exit the Paris climate agreement.

  • ‘We are Headed Towards Hostile State of the Climate System’

    ‘We are Headed Towards Hostile State of the Climate System’

    Yochanan Kushnir: “As a climate scientist who directly engages in studying the phenomena and mechanisms of climate variability and change I am convinced that we are headed towards a different, and to many people hostile, state of the climate system, with a worldwide impact including many parts of the U.S.”

  • The Paris Climate Agreement: What Trump’s Decision to Leave Means

    The Paris Climate Agreement: What Trump’s Decision to Leave Means

    In the wake of the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, several questions have emerged about what withdrawal means for environmental policy, research and innovation.

  • In a Warmer World, Expect the Wet to Get Wetter, and the Dry, Drier

    In a Warmer World, Expect the Wet to Get Wetter, and the Dry, Drier

    As the world warms due to human-induced climate change, many scientists have been projecting that global rainfall patterns will shift. In the latest such study, two leading researchers map out how seasonal shifts may affect water resources across the planet.

  • Trump’s Relevance on Climate Change

    Trump’s Relevance on Climate Change

    While Fortune 500 companies, our state and local governments, and foreign countries are all beginning the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the current U.S. federal government refuses to see the danger of climate change or the economic opportunities presented by modernizing our energy system.

  • Richard Seager Sees Hand of Climate Change in Drought

    Richard Seager Sees Hand of Climate Change in Drought

    California’s wet and snowy winter brings welcome relief from a years-long drought that has challenged the state’s water supply and agricultural system. But climate scientist Richard Seager of Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory offers words of caution: Remember what happened, because it will happen again.

  • Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    A new global study has found that the number of lawsuits involving climate change has tripled since 2014, with the United States leading the way.

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!

  • Columbia Affirms Commitment to Climate Action

    Columbia Affirms Commitment to Climate Action

    Columbia joins leaders from across higher education, the private sector and state and local governments in affirming their commitment to the Paris Agreement.

  • We’ll Always Have Paris: Trump’s Impact on the Climate Agreement

    We’ll Always Have Paris: Trump’s Impact on the Climate Agreement

    While we still do not know the long-term impact of President Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, the short-term impact has been to mobilize a broad segment of the U.S. and global public in support of the agreement.

  • Reactions from Earth Institute Experts on Trump Pulling out of Paris

    Reactions from Earth Institute Experts on Trump Pulling out of Paris

    Experts from across the Earth Institute give their reactions to the news that the U.S. will exit the Paris climate agreement.

  • ‘We are Headed Towards Hostile State of the Climate System’

    ‘We are Headed Towards Hostile State of the Climate System’

    Yochanan Kushnir: “As a climate scientist who directly engages in studying the phenomena and mechanisms of climate variability and change I am convinced that we are headed towards a different, and to many people hostile, state of the climate system, with a worldwide impact including many parts of the U.S.”

  • The Paris Climate Agreement: What Trump’s Decision to Leave Means

    The Paris Climate Agreement: What Trump’s Decision to Leave Means

    In the wake of the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, several questions have emerged about what withdrawal means for environmental policy, research and innovation.

  • In a Warmer World, Expect the Wet to Get Wetter, and the Dry, Drier

    In a Warmer World, Expect the Wet to Get Wetter, and the Dry, Drier

    As the world warms due to human-induced climate change, many scientists have been projecting that global rainfall patterns will shift. In the latest such study, two leading researchers map out how seasonal shifts may affect water resources across the planet.

  • Trump’s Relevance on Climate Change

    Trump’s Relevance on Climate Change

    While Fortune 500 companies, our state and local governments, and foreign countries are all beginning the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, the current U.S. federal government refuses to see the danger of climate change or the economic opportunities presented by modernizing our energy system.

  • Richard Seager Sees Hand of Climate Change in Drought

    Richard Seager Sees Hand of Climate Change in Drought

    California’s wet and snowy winter brings welcome relief from a years-long drought that has challenged the state’s water supply and agricultural system. But climate scientist Richard Seager of Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory offers words of caution: Remember what happened, because it will happen again.

  • Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    Climate Change Litigation Growing Rapidly, Says Global Study

    A new global study has found that the number of lawsuits involving climate change has tripled since 2014, with the United States leading the way.