featured story Archives - State of the Planet

Flooding in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Should We Stop Using the Term ‘Natural Disaster’?

The words we use to describe events matter. Would a different term elicit more substantial change?

by Ella Jacobs |March 14, 2023
a tick on a stalk of grass

Tick Tock: CDC Takes Its Time Treating Chronic Lyme Disease

A student’s long and painful journey toward diagnosis and treatment shows the urgent need for chronic Lyme disease awareness and funding.

by Grace Burns |March 10, 2023
rising water levels submerging the family's belongings

Flooding in Jakarta: A Call to Increase Climate Change Awareness

Despite being frequent victims of climate-driven disasters, Indonesians are largely unaware of climate change and its impacts. Education, media attention, and conversations could be key to shifting those perceptions.

by Sharah Yunihar Saputra |March 3, 2023

Q&A With French Geophysicist and 2020 Vetlesen Prize Winner Anny Cazenave

For the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, world-renowned geophysicist Anny Cazenave discusses her research journey, the Vetlesen Prize, and her hopes for younger women scientists entering the field.

by |February 10, 2023

Maprooms Turn ‘Shapeless’ Climate Data Into Powerful Tools of Action

‘Maprooms’ are freely accessible, online analytical and visualization tools to make climate data more usable. Developed at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, they are now being tailored and scaled to support adaptation in African agriculture.

by Amanda Grossi |February 9, 2023
cassidy childs headshot

From Columbia to COP27 in Six Months: Cassidy Childs

Inspired into action by the Tubbs Fire in 2017, this Environmental Science and Policy alum is helping to bring justice and equity issues into environmental policy.

by Deanna Coleman |February 8, 2023
map showing different color markers for stations on different networks

Digital Innovation Harnesses Power of Real-time Weather Data

A new tool is helping national meteorological services and regional climate centers across Africa harness real-time weather data for decision-making in agriculture.

by Amanda Grossi and Francesco Fiondella |February 6, 2023

Human Activity Has Degraded More Than a Third of the Remaining Amazon Rain Forest

A new study finds that an area 10 times the size of the United Kingdom has been affected by some form of human disturbance, contributing to biodiversity loss and carbon emissions.

by |January 26, 2023

Letting Enchantment Lead the Way: Iceland’s Hidden Folk and Environmental Protection

A new book explores the world of wonder contained in Icelandic myth, and considers how it might spill out of storybook pages and into real life.

by Gísli Pálsson |January 19, 2023

2022 Tied for Fifth Warmest Year

Last year saw a continuation of the long-term rise in the planet’s average temperature.

by |January 13, 2023