State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

impact stories2

  • Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    The Earth Institute hosted a panel focused on how New York City, and other cities like it, can take steps to become stronger and more resilient in the face of climate change.

  • How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    What began as research at Columbia University became the catalyst for improving the sustainability of an airline, as JetBlue recently forged a 10-year deal to buy 330 million gallons of jet fuel made partially from plants.

  • What Happens to Ecosystems When Antarctica’s Ice Melts?

    What Happens to Ecosystems When Antarctica’s Ice Melts?

    A special section in the October issue of BioScience featuring research by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists examines the effects of intense melting on two Antarctic ecosystems, tracking impacts all the way from microbial food webs to shifting penguin populations.

  • ESP Alumni Gabe Cowles: the MPA ESP Investment

    ESP Alumni Gabe Cowles: the MPA ESP Investment

    Recognized as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star on the Albany 2016 list, Gabriel Cowles, Masters in Public Administration Environmental Science and Policy alumnus (2009), is the program manager for Build Smart NY, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s initiative to improve energy efficiency in state facilities by 20 percent by 2020. In just the first year, state…

  • How Does the Ocean Drive Weather and Climate Extremes?

    How Does the Ocean Drive Weather and Climate Extremes?

    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists Ryan Abernathey and Richard Seager are investigating how processes in the ocean create extreme weather and climate conditions over land.

  • Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Until recently, too little data existed about the distribution of trace elements and nutrients in the oceans to provide a global picture. In 2002, a group of scientists connected with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory set out to fill those gaps.

  • Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    A new project, SERVIR-West Africa, will use space-based climate, weather land cover, and other NASA satellite data to address issues such as food security and the availability of fresh water in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Niger.

  • Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    A new project combines cutting edge climate science and mobile soil labs for African farmers and service providers.

  • Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    To tackle the challenge of how to effectively educate important stakeholders about ground water in the United States, 11 graduate students from the Earth Institute and School of International and Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program were asked to recommend a strategy to improve scientific literacy among policymakers and investors.

  • Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    Lessons of Climate Resilience in New York City

    The Earth Institute hosted a panel focused on how New York City, and other cities like it, can take steps to become stronger and more resilient in the face of climate change.

  • How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    How a Student Project Helped to Change JetBlue’s Course

    What began as research at Columbia University became the catalyst for improving the sustainability of an airline, as JetBlue recently forged a 10-year deal to buy 330 million gallons of jet fuel made partially from plants.

  • What Happens to Ecosystems When Antarctica’s Ice Melts?

    What Happens to Ecosystems When Antarctica’s Ice Melts?

    A special section in the October issue of BioScience featuring research by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists examines the effects of intense melting on two Antarctic ecosystems, tracking impacts all the way from microbial food webs to shifting penguin populations.

  • ESP Alumni Gabe Cowles: the MPA ESP Investment

    ESP Alumni Gabe Cowles: the MPA ESP Investment

    Recognized as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star on the Albany 2016 list, Gabriel Cowles, Masters in Public Administration Environmental Science and Policy alumnus (2009), is the program manager for Build Smart NY, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s initiative to improve energy efficiency in state facilities by 20 percent by 2020. In just the first year, state…

  • How Does the Ocean Drive Weather and Climate Extremes?

    How Does the Ocean Drive Weather and Climate Extremes?

    Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory scientists Ryan Abernathey and Richard Seager are investigating how processes in the ocean create extreme weather and climate conditions over land.

  • Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Project Maps the Chemistry of the World’s Oceans

    Until recently, too little data existed about the distribution of trace elements and nutrients in the oceans to provide a global picture. In 2002, a group of scientists connected with Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory set out to fill those gaps.

  • Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    Connecting Space to Village in West Africa

    A new project, SERVIR-West Africa, will use space-based climate, weather land cover, and other NASA satellite data to address issues such as food security and the availability of fresh water in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Niger.

  • Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    Linking Climate Forecasts, Soil Testing for Smarter Farming

    A new project combines cutting edge climate science and mobile soil labs for African farmers and service providers.

  • Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    To tackle the challenge of how to effectively educate important stakeholders about ground water in the United States, 11 graduate students from the Earth Institute and School of International and Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program were asked to recommend a strategy to improve scientific literacy among policymakers and investors.