State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

climate science34

  • An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    Earth Institute scientists explore how the physical world works on every continent — over and under the arctic ice, in the grasslands of Mongolia, on volcanoes in Patagonia, over subduction zones in Papua New Guinea, and on the streets of New York City.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/08

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/08

    EU CO2 law could scupper global climate talks, Reuters, Apr 11 A European Union law that charges airlines for carbon emissions is “a deal-breaker” for global climate change talks, India’s environment minister said, hardening her stance on a scheme that has drawn fierce opposition from non-EU governments. U.S. airlines have said they would grudgingly comply,…

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/01

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/01

    EPA to impose first greenhouse gas limits on power plants, Washington Post, Mar 27 The US EPA issued its first regulations addressing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The regulation is a New Source Performance Standard, meaning that it applies only to new power plants that are not yet permitted or under construction. The standard…

  • Plugging the Leaks in Climate Models

    Plugging the Leaks in Climate Models

    Independent quality controls for climate models are crucial for the quality of future climate change predictions. Not all models are equally good and should be utilized in climate impact studies for such things as crop yield and hydrology that are produced for far-reaching decision-making.

  • Fixing Climate: Beyond Carbon Dioxide

    Fixing Climate: Beyond Carbon Dioxide

    Climate scientists at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this week were elated to hear that the United States and five other countries had agreed to work toward cutting pollutants other than carbon dioxide thought to cause about a third of current human-influenced global warming. After all, many of them…

  • Global Climate Modeling for the Masses: You Can Try This at Home

    Global Climate Modeling for the Masses: You Can Try This at Home

    Since 2005, the Educational Global Climate Modeling Project has been downloaded 50,000 times, and adopted for teaching and research at hundreds of universities and other institutions.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 2/6

    Three States to Require Insurers to Disclose Climate-Change Response Plans, New York Times 2/2 California, New York and Washington have announced a new requirement for insurance companies to disclose their plans for responding to climate change risks. The new regulation expands a requirement already in place for the largest insurers in those states. While insurance companies…

  • Fast & Cheap: Shortcuts to Curb Global Warming

    Fast & Cheap: Shortcuts to Curb Global Warming

    Relatively cheap, simple steps using existing technologies could cut projected global warming by one degree Fahrenheit – a substantial amount — by focusing on sources of methane and soot, concludes a new study by an international team of scientists.

  • Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    The last major drought to hit the northeastern U.S. lasted three years and shrunk New York City’s reservoirs by nearly three quarters. But as bad as that drought was, the region has seen at least three dry spells in the last 6,000 years that were far worse, says Dorothy Peteet, a climate scientist at Columbia…

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.

  • An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    An Interactive Map of Scientific Fieldwork

    Earth Institute scientists explore how the physical world works on every continent — over and under the arctic ice, in the grasslands of Mongolia, on volcanoes in Patagonia, over subduction zones in Papua New Guinea, and on the streets of New York City.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/08

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/08

    EU CO2 law could scupper global climate talks, Reuters, Apr 11 A European Union law that charges airlines for carbon emissions is “a deal-breaker” for global climate change talks, India’s environment minister said, hardening her stance on a scheme that has drawn fierce opposition from non-EU governments. U.S. airlines have said they would grudgingly comply,…

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/01

    Climate News Roundup: Week of 4/01

    EPA to impose first greenhouse gas limits on power plants, Washington Post, Mar 27 The US EPA issued its first regulations addressing greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The regulation is a New Source Performance Standard, meaning that it applies only to new power plants that are not yet permitted or under construction. The standard…

  • Plugging the Leaks in Climate Models

    Plugging the Leaks in Climate Models

    Independent quality controls for climate models are crucial for the quality of future climate change predictions. Not all models are equally good and should be utilized in climate impact studies for such things as crop yield and hydrology that are produced for far-reaching decision-making.

  • Fixing Climate: Beyond Carbon Dioxide

    Fixing Climate: Beyond Carbon Dioxide

    Climate scientists at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science this week were elated to hear that the United States and five other countries had agreed to work toward cutting pollutants other than carbon dioxide thought to cause about a third of current human-influenced global warming. After all, many of them…

  • Global Climate Modeling for the Masses: You Can Try This at Home

    Global Climate Modeling for the Masses: You Can Try This at Home

    Since 2005, the Educational Global Climate Modeling Project has been downloaded 50,000 times, and adopted for teaching and research at hundreds of universities and other institutions.

  • Climate News Roundup: Week of 2/6

    Three States to Require Insurers to Disclose Climate-Change Response Plans, New York Times 2/2 California, New York and Washington have announced a new requirement for insurance companies to disclose their plans for responding to climate change risks. The new regulation expands a requirement already in place for the largest insurers in those states. While insurance companies…

  • Fast & Cheap: Shortcuts to Curb Global Warming

    Fast & Cheap: Shortcuts to Curb Global Warming

    Relatively cheap, simple steps using existing technologies could cut projected global warming by one degree Fahrenheit – a substantial amount — by focusing on sources of methane and soot, concludes a new study by an international team of scientists.

  • Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    Ancient Dry Spells, Future Risk?

    The last major drought to hit the northeastern U.S. lasted three years and shrunk New York City’s reservoirs by nearly three quarters. But as bad as that drought was, the region has seen at least three dry spells in the last 6,000 years that were far worse, says Dorothy Peteet, a climate scientist at Columbia…