innovation Archives - State of the Planet

The Mismanagement of New York City’s Government, and the Repeated Delay of Food Recycling

To enhance New York City’s services, local government must focus on management rather than politics and substance and outcomes rather than image and public relations.

by |November 20, 2023
A classroom activity with masked and unmasked participants sitting and standing, looking at a board and presenter

Columbia’s Earth Networks Offer Collaborative and Innovative Opportunities to Address Climate Change

Whether working on plastics, sports, food, or environmental justice, each Earth Network provides a unique approach to a shared challenge.

by Sandra Goldmark |August 29, 2023

The Impact of Regulation on Automobile Innovation

The transition to environmental sustainability in America requires rapid, widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Regulation driving technological innovation may help expedite this process.

by |April 17, 2023

Website Tracks Inflation Reduction Act’s Climate Provisions

IRAtracker.org is a free resource that includes a searchable database of the bill’s climate change-related provisions and actions taken by federal agencies to implement those provisions.

kimono made with bioearth fabric, seen from multiple angles and in motion

Let Them Wear Dirt: Penmai Chongtoua Turns Soil Into Textiles

An artist and alumna of the Climate and Society program, Chongtoua is exploring a variety of ways to wear earth on our bodies. Her work seeks to shape how we view our relationship with the planet.

by |February 14, 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

Technology’s Costs and Benefits

The transformative technologies of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries have brought incredible benefits but also substantial costs. The central issue of our time is understanding and mitigating those costs when we can, and adapting to them when we cannot.

by |December 19, 2022

With Major Prize, a Project to Turn Carbon Emissions to Stone Gains Momentum

With the award of a 2022 Earthshot prize, new technology to remove carbon from the air by speeding up natural underground chemical reactions moves closer to reality.

by |December 12, 2022
people sitting around a table with a board game on it

Columbia Student Presents Climate Change Board Games at COP27

Sustainability Management student Jiangnan Shen co-founded a company that is exploring new ways to teach sustainable development. She tells us about the company’s games and how they can contribute to climate action.

by |November 18, 2022

Sustainability Start-ups: Creativity in the Transition to An Environmentally Sound Society

I am amazed by the work I’ve seen by my students and graduates as they translate their environmental principles into practical sustainability practice in a world desperate for innovation.

by |April 18, 2022