State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

ecology3

  • So Much Depends on a Tree Guard

    So Much Depends on a Tree Guard

    Adding protective barriers around street trees could reduce load on city sewers, study finds.

  • Columbia Landscape Architect Named MacArthur ‘Genius’

    Columbia Landscape Architect Named MacArthur ‘Genius’

    Kate Orff designs urban environments for the future by combining ecology, climate dynamics, and community.

  • Cleaning Up New York City’s Waters and Beyond: Q&A with Kartik Chandran

    Cleaning Up New York City’s Waters and Beyond: Q&A with Kartik Chandran

    Kartik Chandran, an environmental engineer at Columbia, will discuss some of his urban wastewater treatment projects at a panel discussion Friday following the screening of a new film about Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay.

  • Earth Institute Spring 2017 Internships

    This spring, The Earth Institute is offering students opportunities to work as interns within various departments and research centers at the institute. All full-time Columbia and Barnard students are eligible to apply.

  • Beyond the Classroom: Field Visit to Rockefeller State Park

    Beyond the Classroom: Field Visit to Rockefeller State Park

    As part of the course on The Business and Ecology of Sustainable Forestry with Professor Ralph Schmidt, students visited the Rockefeller State Park in October 2016.

  • Where Trees Meet Tundra, Decoding Signals of Climate Change

    Where Trees Meet Tundra, Decoding Signals of Climate Change

    In northern Alaska’s Brooks Range, the earth as most of us know it comes to an end. The northern tree line-a boundary that circles all of earth’s northern landmasses for more than 8,300 miles, and forms the planet’s biggest ecological transition zone–runs through here. Scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are studying how climate…

  • Drought and Fire Activity: What’s Climate Change Got to Do with It?

    Drought and Fire Activity: What’s Climate Change Got to Do with It?

    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientist Park Williams, recipient of a Center for Climate and Life Fellowship, is investigating the influence of climate change on droughts and wildfires.

  • Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Big Mac, Pepperoni, Billie Jo, Birdy Sanders, Bertie, Journey, Hippy and Twitter flew an average of about 1,215 km. “Paul,” named for a teacher who had passed away, traveled 3,220 km.

  • How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    The new global environmental report card is out. The 2016 Environmental Performance Index graded 180 countries on how well they are protecting human health and their ecosystems. While the world is making progress in some areas, it is seriously falling behind in others.

Earth Month Graphic Collage: "Our Power, Our Planet - April 2025"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. This Earth Month, 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.

  • So Much Depends on a Tree Guard

    So Much Depends on a Tree Guard

    Adding protective barriers around street trees could reduce load on city sewers, study finds.

  • Columbia Landscape Architect Named MacArthur ‘Genius’

    Columbia Landscape Architect Named MacArthur ‘Genius’

    Kate Orff designs urban environments for the future by combining ecology, climate dynamics, and community.

  • Cleaning Up New York City’s Waters and Beyond: Q&A with Kartik Chandran

    Cleaning Up New York City’s Waters and Beyond: Q&A with Kartik Chandran

    Kartik Chandran, an environmental engineer at Columbia, will discuss some of his urban wastewater treatment projects at a panel discussion Friday following the screening of a new film about Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay.

  • Earth Institute Spring 2017 Internships

    This spring, The Earth Institute is offering students opportunities to work as interns within various departments and research centers at the institute. All full-time Columbia and Barnard students are eligible to apply.

  • Beyond the Classroom: Field Visit to Rockefeller State Park

    Beyond the Classroom: Field Visit to Rockefeller State Park

    As part of the course on The Business and Ecology of Sustainable Forestry with Professor Ralph Schmidt, students visited the Rockefeller State Park in October 2016.

  • Where Trees Meet Tundra, Decoding Signals of Climate Change

    Where Trees Meet Tundra, Decoding Signals of Climate Change

    In northern Alaska’s Brooks Range, the earth as most of us know it comes to an end. The northern tree line-a boundary that circles all of earth’s northern landmasses for more than 8,300 miles, and forms the planet’s biggest ecological transition zone–runs through here. Scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory are studying how climate…

  • Drought and Fire Activity: What’s Climate Change Got to Do with It?

    Drought and Fire Activity: What’s Climate Change Got to Do with It?

    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientist Park Williams, recipient of a Center for Climate and Life Fellowship, is investigating the influence of climate change on droughts and wildfires.

  • Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Wonder Where Pepperoni Went? Now We Know

    Big Mac, Pepperoni, Billie Jo, Birdy Sanders, Bertie, Journey, Hippy and Twitter flew an average of about 1,215 km. “Paul,” named for a teacher who had passed away, traveled 3,220 km.

  • How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    The new global environmental report card is out. The 2016 Environmental Performance Index graded 180 countries on how well they are protecting human health and their ecosystems. While the world is making progress in some areas, it is seriously falling behind in others.