State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate science23

  • Photo Essay: High in the Hills, Climate May Challenge Forests

    Photo Essay: High in the Hills, Climate May Challenge Forests

    Forests in the south-central United States are some of the country’s most productive and diverse. They also sit in a warming “hole”—an area where the progressive rise in temperature affecting most of the continent hasn’t yet taken hold. A team from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is studying how these forests might shift—or even disappear—when…

  • Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    A new study that looked at the feasibility of lowering sea levels by pumping water onto icy Antarctica offers a warning about the costs today’s greenhouse gas emissions may be creating for future generations.

  • Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Sometime soon, a flock of “Climate Birds” could be ascending from a former NATO base in northeast France to take the measure of climate change around the world.

  • In a Vast Ocean, Studying Impact of the Tiniest Creatures

    In a Vast Ocean, Studying Impact of the Tiniest Creatures

    Vast portions of the oceans contain low levels of the nutrients that normally sustain life. Yet these areas are not devoid of life. Once thought to be biological deserts, recent research has shown that such nutrient-poor marine systems could significantly contribute to the amount of carbon dioxide that is trapped into the deep ocean, influencing…

  • Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    The global trend toward hotter summers could make parts of the Middle East and tropics “practically uninhabitable” by the end of the century, new research published this week contends.

  • A New Tool for Coastal Planners Preparing for Sea Level Rise

    A New Tool for Coastal Planners Preparing for Sea Level Rise

    Globally, the tool estimates at least 11 inches of sea level rise this century with ambitious efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions and as much as 52 inches if greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow unchecked.

  • A Prize-Winner Explains His Work

    A Prize-Winner Explains His Work

    Nicolás Young studies glaciers and ice sheets, and how they’ve changed in the past. His work earned him the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists last fall, which came with a $30,000 prize. You can hear him talk about his research in this new video, produced by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

  • Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    That change would have affected the monsoons, today relied on to feed over half the world’s population, and could have helped tip the climate system over the threshold for deglaciation.

  • What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    Scientists at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society took a moment from their work (a very brief moment) to answer the question, “What does El Niño mean?”

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • Photo Essay: High in the Hills, Climate May Challenge Forests

    Photo Essay: High in the Hills, Climate May Challenge Forests

    Forests in the south-central United States are some of the country’s most productive and diverse. They also sit in a warming “hole”—an area where the progressive rise in temperature affecting most of the continent hasn’t yet taken hold. A team from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is studying how these forests might shift—or even disappear—when…

  • Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    Pump Meltwater Back on Antarctica? Do You Have 850,000 Wind Turbines?

    A new study that looked at the feasibility of lowering sea levels by pumping water onto icy Antarctica offers a warning about the costs today’s greenhouse gas emissions may be creating for future generations.

  • Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Scientists Prepare ‘Climate City’ for Take-Off

    Sometime soon, a flock of “Climate Birds” could be ascending from a former NATO base in northeast France to take the measure of climate change around the world.

  • In a Vast Ocean, Studying Impact of the Tiniest Creatures

    In a Vast Ocean, Studying Impact of the Tiniest Creatures

    Vast portions of the oceans contain low levels of the nutrients that normally sustain life. Yet these areas are not devoid of life. Once thought to be biological deserts, recent research has shown that such nutrient-poor marine systems could significantly contribute to the amount of carbon dioxide that is trapped into the deep ocean, influencing…

  • Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    Climate May Make Some Regions ‘Uninhabitable’ by End of Century

    The global trend toward hotter summers could make parts of the Middle East and tropics “practically uninhabitable” by the end of the century, new research published this week contends.

  • A New Tool for Coastal Planners Preparing for Sea Level Rise

    A New Tool for Coastal Planners Preparing for Sea Level Rise

    Globally, the tool estimates at least 11 inches of sea level rise this century with ambitious efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions and as much as 52 inches if greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow unchecked.

  • A Prize-Winner Explains His Work

    A Prize-Winner Explains His Work

    Nicolás Young studies glaciers and ice sheets, and how they’ve changed in the past. His work earned him the Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists last fall, which came with a $30,000 prize. You can hear him talk about his research in this new video, produced by the Blavatnik Family Foundation.

  • Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    Study Tracks an Abrupt Climate Shift as Ice Age Glaciers Began to Retreat

    That change would have affected the monsoons, today relied on to feed over half the world’s population, and could have helped tip the climate system over the threshold for deglaciation.

  • What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    What Does El Niño Mean, in 3.4 Seconds

    Scientists at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society took a moment from their work (a very brief moment) to answer the question, “What does El Niño mean?”