State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

developing countries20

  • Mosquito Traps for the Future

    Mosquito Traps for the Future

    The New York Times reported yesterday on a new, simple approach to mosquito control that—if accurate–could be a game changer in the world’s efforts to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases.

  • To Meghalaya and back

    To Meghalaya and back

    From our return to Jamalganj, we headed east searching for a river to carry us up to the Indian border across the Dauki Fault. Along the way, we celebrated Steve Goodbred’s birthday. However, even the biggest of the rivers proved too shallow for our boat. We switched to the

  • Joining the Kokilmoni

    Joining the Kokilmoni

    After a great field season last winter, we had an extraordinary opportunity this fall, a research cruise on the Bangladeshi rivers collecting geophysical data. We are using the same technique that Lamont uses on its ship, the R/V Marcus Langseth, but a mini version.  The basic idea is to use sound waves from bursts of…

  • Bottled Water – Big Business in Indonesia

    Bottled Water – Big Business in Indonesia

    The movement to challenge the bottled water industry has come a pretty long way in countries like the USA, Australia and Canada. Public education campaigns by organizations like the Council of Canadians, Pacific Institute and Corporate Accountability International, have debunked the myth that bottled water is necessarily cleaner or healthier than tap water, and emphasized…

  • Somali Drought; Harbinger of Hard Times

    Somali Drought; Harbinger of Hard Times

    For all its problems, Southern California has been a wonderful home for a lot of people over the past 100 or so years. It has nice beaches, good roads, plenty of places to eat, and, for now, a reliable supply of drinking water. Now imagine the L.A. riots had spread across the entire region, plunging…

  • Childbearing May Hinder Higher Education for Women

    But Do Findings in Norway Apply to Other Nations?

  • Clean Water for Fiji

    Clean Water for Fiji

    Corporate giant Fiji Water makes millions of dollars every year selling bottled water, but only 47 percent of Fiji Islanders have access to clean drinking water. That may change.

  • How Far Can a Bicycle Take You in Uganda?

    How Far Can a Bicycle Take You in Uganda?

    In rural Uganda a bicycle is the key to many destinations.  It can take you to be an entrepreneur offering delivery and taxi services, it can also increase the revenue from the crops since you will be able to transport your “Matoke” bananas to the nearest town and boost the price. A bicycle here means…

  • 17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference

    17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference

    “We have in the world today two dangerously different views of the future,” the view of natural scientists and the view of economists, says Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute and a keynote speaker at the 17th annual International Sustainable Development Conference.

Colorful banner with city: "MR 2025: Mobility, Adaptation, and Wellbeing in a Changing Climate."
  • Mosquito Traps for the Future

    Mosquito Traps for the Future

    The New York Times reported yesterday on a new, simple approach to mosquito control that—if accurate–could be a game changer in the world’s efforts to eradicate mosquito-borne diseases.

  • To Meghalaya and back

    To Meghalaya and back

    From our return to Jamalganj, we headed east searching for a river to carry us up to the Indian border across the Dauki Fault. Along the way, we celebrated Steve Goodbred’s birthday. However, even the biggest of the rivers proved too shallow for our boat. We switched to the

  • Joining the Kokilmoni

    Joining the Kokilmoni

    After a great field season last winter, we had an extraordinary opportunity this fall, a research cruise on the Bangladeshi rivers collecting geophysical data. We are using the same technique that Lamont uses on its ship, the R/V Marcus Langseth, but a mini version.  The basic idea is to use sound waves from bursts of…

  • Bottled Water – Big Business in Indonesia

    Bottled Water – Big Business in Indonesia

    The movement to challenge the bottled water industry has come a pretty long way in countries like the USA, Australia and Canada. Public education campaigns by organizations like the Council of Canadians, Pacific Institute and Corporate Accountability International, have debunked the myth that bottled water is necessarily cleaner or healthier than tap water, and emphasized…

  • Somali Drought; Harbinger of Hard Times

    Somali Drought; Harbinger of Hard Times

    For all its problems, Southern California has been a wonderful home for a lot of people over the past 100 or so years. It has nice beaches, good roads, plenty of places to eat, and, for now, a reliable supply of drinking water. Now imagine the L.A. riots had spread across the entire region, plunging…

  • Childbearing May Hinder Higher Education for Women

    But Do Findings in Norway Apply to Other Nations?

  • Clean Water for Fiji

    Clean Water for Fiji

    Corporate giant Fiji Water makes millions of dollars every year selling bottled water, but only 47 percent of Fiji Islanders have access to clean drinking water. That may change.

  • How Far Can a Bicycle Take You in Uganda?

    How Far Can a Bicycle Take You in Uganda?

    In rural Uganda a bicycle is the key to many destinations.  It can take you to be an entrepreneur offering delivery and taxi services, it can also increase the revenue from the crops since you will be able to transport your “Matoke” bananas to the nearest town and boost the price. A bicycle here means…

  • 17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference

    17th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference

    “We have in the world today two dangerously different views of the future,” the view of natural scientists and the view of economists, says Lester Brown, founder of the Earth Policy Institute and a keynote speaker at the 17th annual International Sustainable Development Conference.