State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate change99

  • Antarctica’s Ice: the Big Picture

    Antarctica’s Ice: the Big Picture

    The impacts of climate change are being felt around the world, but the changes in the polar regions have been more pronounced. The world began to take notice to these changes when an ice shelf roughly the size of Rhode Island collapsed into the ocean in 2002.

  • Using LiDAR to Shine a Light on Ross Ice Shelf

    Using LiDAR to Shine a Light on Ross Ice Shelf

    LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technique that uses light to develop an elevation image of the surface of the Earth. It is sensitive enough to image small items such as seals lying on the ice surface.

  • Cities Face Up to the Climate Challenge

    Cities Face Up to the Climate Challenge

    Millions of people living in cities around the world already feel the impacts of climate change: Heat waves, flooded streets, landslides and storms. All of these affect important infrastructure such as transportation and water supplies, ports and commerce, public health and people’s daily lives. And it is cities that are at the forefront of the…

  • American Geophysical Union 2015: Key Earth Institute Events

    American Geophysical Union 2015: Key Earth Institute Events

    Scientists at Columbia University’s Earth Institute will present important findings at the American Geophysical Union fall 2015 meeting, Dec. 14-18–the world’s largest gathering of earth and space scientists.

  • India Steps Up on Climate Change

    India Steps Up on Climate Change

    As a nation still in its developing phase, with 1.25 billion citizens and counting, India can’t afford to forego even part of its industrial progress. But we also cannot go on developing without taking into account the emissions produced by industries that are major contributors to global warming.

  • From Good Intentions to Deep Decarbonization

    From Good Intentions to Deep Decarbonization

    The most important issue is whether countries will achieve their 2030 targets in a way that helps them to get to zero emissions by 2070. If they merely pursue measures aimed at reducing emissions in the short term, they risk locking their economies into high levels of emissions after 2030. The critical issue, in short,…

  • Six Tough Questions About Climate Change

    Six Tough Questions About Climate Change

    People often ask certain tough questions about climate change— about the costs of cutting carbon emissions, the feasibility of transitioning to renewable energy, and whether it’s already too late to do anything about climate change. Laura Segafredo, manager of the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, answers these questions.

  • Conversations with a Climatologist

    Conversations with a Climatologist

    Tony Barnston, a scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, took a few hours out of his day and answered questions on a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session.

  • Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change

    Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change

    With new data, scientists can track back what glaciers did in the past, and how it is related to climate change. This provides a link to predict what could be happening in the next 100, 200, 500 years.

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

  • Antarctica’s Ice: the Big Picture

    Antarctica’s Ice: the Big Picture

    The impacts of climate change are being felt around the world, but the changes in the polar regions have been more pronounced. The world began to take notice to these changes when an ice shelf roughly the size of Rhode Island collapsed into the ocean in 2002.

  • Using LiDAR to Shine a Light on Ross Ice Shelf

    Using LiDAR to Shine a Light on Ross Ice Shelf

    LiDar (Light Detection and Ranging) is a remote sensing technique that uses light to develop an elevation image of the surface of the Earth. It is sensitive enough to image small items such as seals lying on the ice surface.

  • Cities Face Up to the Climate Challenge

    Cities Face Up to the Climate Challenge

    Millions of people living in cities around the world already feel the impacts of climate change: Heat waves, flooded streets, landslides and storms. All of these affect important infrastructure such as transportation and water supplies, ports and commerce, public health and people’s daily lives. And it is cities that are at the forefront of the…

  • American Geophysical Union 2015: Key Earth Institute Events

    American Geophysical Union 2015: Key Earth Institute Events

    Scientists at Columbia University’s Earth Institute will present important findings at the American Geophysical Union fall 2015 meeting, Dec. 14-18–the world’s largest gathering of earth and space scientists.

  • India Steps Up on Climate Change

    India Steps Up on Climate Change

    As a nation still in its developing phase, with 1.25 billion citizens and counting, India can’t afford to forego even part of its industrial progress. But we also cannot go on developing without taking into account the emissions produced by industries that are major contributors to global warming.

  • From Good Intentions to Deep Decarbonization

    From Good Intentions to Deep Decarbonization

    The most important issue is whether countries will achieve their 2030 targets in a way that helps them to get to zero emissions by 2070. If they merely pursue measures aimed at reducing emissions in the short term, they risk locking their economies into high levels of emissions after 2030. The critical issue, in short,…

  • Six Tough Questions About Climate Change

    Six Tough Questions About Climate Change

    People often ask certain tough questions about climate change— about the costs of cutting carbon emissions, the feasibility of transitioning to renewable energy, and whether it’s already too late to do anything about climate change. Laura Segafredo, manager of the Deep Decarbonization Pathways Project, answers these questions.

  • Conversations with a Climatologist

    Conversations with a Climatologist

    Tony Barnston, a scientist at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, took a few hours out of his day and answered questions on a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session.

  • Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change

    Shrinking Glaciers: A Chronology of Climate Change

    With new data, scientists can track back what glaciers did in the past, and how it is related to climate change. This provides a link to predict what could be happening in the next 100, 200, 500 years.