State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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  • Faculty Profile: Rohit Aggarwala

    Faculty Profile: Rohit Aggarwala

    MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) faculty member Rohit “Rit” Aggarwala works on cities, transportation, and the environment, from the perspectives of formal public official, policy expert, and historian. In addition to his position at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Rit is the Special Advisor to the Chair of the C40…

  • MPA Students Leave Their Mark on New York City Rooftops

    MPA Students Leave Their Mark on New York City Rooftops

    “It was a great opportunity to apply concepts we learned in class to the real world,” said Katie Edmond, a member of the ESP Class of 2014. “Instead of just discussing albedo … we’re actively increasing New York City’s albedo.”

  • ESP Alum Pursues Career in International Sustainable Development

    ESP Alum Pursues Career in International Sustainable Development

    Since graduating from the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA ESP) program in 2007, Carolina Jaramillo has forged a path in international sustainable development through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and most recently, through the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Currently, as a Green Growth Program Manager for…

  • MS Alum Banks on Sustainability Management Skills

    MS Alum Banks on Sustainability Management Skills

    While a part-time student in the program, M.S. in Sustainability Management alum Lizzette Butkiewicz (’12), was working full-time at a boutique trade finance firm with the hope of merging her interest in sustainability with her background in finance. Now, as the Manager of Community Investments in the Corporate Sustainability team at HSBC, Lizzette is doing…

  • MS Students Implement Energy Management Initiatives as EDF Climate Corps Fellows

    MS Students Implement Energy Management Initiatives as EDF Climate Corps Fellows

    14 M.S. in Sustainability Management (MSSM) students were selected to be a part of the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Climate Corps Fellowship program this summer. Through this 10-week fellowship, over 100 graduate students from around the country are placed within leading organizations including companies, cities, and universities to serve as organizational change agents for energy…

  • A Fellow’s Story: Crossing Oceans, Breaking Boundaries

    A Fellow’s Story: Crossing Oceans, Breaking Boundaries

    After working in tropical forests and coastal areas throughout college and graduate school, Manhattan did not seem like a natural place to migrate after completing my PhD. But pursuing an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship was was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

  • Columbia Aquanauts Hope Passion for Water Issues Has Ripple Effect

    Columbia Aquanauts Hope Passion for Water Issues Has Ripple Effect

    Last spring, the pressing issue of water prompted a passionate group of Columbia graduate students across a variety of disciplines to band together and form the Columbia Aquanauts. As the only club on campus focusing on water management, the Aquanauts aim to build a space where students can not only discuss their views and knowledge…

  • M.S. Students Develop Communication Platform for Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment

    M.S. Students Develop Communication Platform for Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment

    Prior to completing the M.S. in Sustainability Management program in spring 2013, MSSM alum Nick Turchak and current MSSM student Sally Paridis developed a corporate communication platform for sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) data as part of their independent project. Both students drew on skills learned from the Industrial Ecology course, taught by adjunct…

  • ESP Students Present Research Results at Final Presentations

    ESP Students Present Research Results at Final Presentations

    On Wednesday, August 14, students in the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy program presented their final workshop briefings for their class: Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis. The summer workshop projects allowed ESP students to gain experience tackling tough environmental problems by working with real-world clients while creating the collaborative…

Banner with images representing environmental issues and text "You Asked: Our Scientists and Experts Answer Your Burning Questions."

You Asked invites you to share your most pressing questions about climate, science, and sustainability. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School experts will respond with clear, evidence-based answers. Pose your questions and story ideas!

  • Faculty Profile: Rohit Aggarwala

    Faculty Profile: Rohit Aggarwala

    MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) faculty member Rohit “Rit” Aggarwala works on cities, transportation, and the environment, from the perspectives of formal public official, policy expert, and historian. In addition to his position at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Rit is the Special Advisor to the Chair of the C40…

  • MPA Students Leave Their Mark on New York City Rooftops

    MPA Students Leave Their Mark on New York City Rooftops

    “It was a great opportunity to apply concepts we learned in class to the real world,” said Katie Edmond, a member of the ESP Class of 2014. “Instead of just discussing albedo … we’re actively increasing New York City’s albedo.”

  • ESP Alum Pursues Career in International Sustainable Development

    ESP Alum Pursues Career in International Sustainable Development

    Since graduating from the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA ESP) program in 2007, Carolina Jaramillo has forged a path in international sustainable development through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and most recently, through the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Currently, as a Green Growth Program Manager for…

  • MS Alum Banks on Sustainability Management Skills

    MS Alum Banks on Sustainability Management Skills

    While a part-time student in the program, M.S. in Sustainability Management alum Lizzette Butkiewicz (’12), was working full-time at a boutique trade finance firm with the hope of merging her interest in sustainability with her background in finance. Now, as the Manager of Community Investments in the Corporate Sustainability team at HSBC, Lizzette is doing…

  • MS Students Implement Energy Management Initiatives as EDF Climate Corps Fellows

    MS Students Implement Energy Management Initiatives as EDF Climate Corps Fellows

    14 M.S. in Sustainability Management (MSSM) students were selected to be a part of the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Climate Corps Fellowship program this summer. Through this 10-week fellowship, over 100 graduate students from around the country are placed within leading organizations including companies, cities, and universities to serve as organizational change agents for energy…

  • A Fellow’s Story: Crossing Oceans, Breaking Boundaries

    A Fellow’s Story: Crossing Oceans, Breaking Boundaries

    After working in tropical forests and coastal areas throughout college and graduate school, Manhattan did not seem like a natural place to migrate after completing my PhD. But pursuing an Earth Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship was was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

  • Columbia Aquanauts Hope Passion for Water Issues Has Ripple Effect

    Columbia Aquanauts Hope Passion for Water Issues Has Ripple Effect

    Last spring, the pressing issue of water prompted a passionate group of Columbia graduate students across a variety of disciplines to band together and form the Columbia Aquanauts. As the only club on campus focusing on water management, the Aquanauts aim to build a space where students can not only discuss their views and knowledge…

  • M.S. Students Develop Communication Platform for Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment

    M.S. Students Develop Communication Platform for Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment

    Prior to completing the M.S. in Sustainability Management program in spring 2013, MSSM alum Nick Turchak and current MSSM student Sally Paridis developed a corporate communication platform for sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) data as part of their independent project. Both students drew on skills learned from the Industrial Ecology course, taught by adjunct…

  • ESP Students Present Research Results at Final Presentations

    ESP Students Present Research Results at Final Presentations

    On Wednesday, August 14, students in the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy program presented their final workshop briefings for their class: Workshop in Applied Earth Systems Policy Analysis. The summer workshop projects allowed ESP students to gain experience tackling tough environmental problems by working with real-world clients while creating the collaborative…