State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Marco Tedesco2

  • The Paradox of Lithium

    The Paradox of Lithium

    The clean energy transition depends heavily on lithium, but mining this element is not “clean.” We must not fall into the same traps from which we are trying to free ourselves.

  • Marco Tedesco: Snow Man

    Marco Tedesco: Snow Man

    Although his parents wanted him to become an electrical engineer, Tedesco felt drawn to a life of research. Then he fell in love with snow. Now he is among the most well-respected and quoted polar experts in the world.

  • Scientists Harness Satellites to Track Algae Growth on Greenland Ice Sheet

    Scientists Harness Satellites to Track Algae Growth on Greenland Ice Sheet

    To measure algal blooms across large regions of the Greenland ice, and understand their effects on melting over time, scientists are turning to space.

  • The Melting of the Greenland Ice, Seen Up Very Close

    The Melting of the Greenland Ice, Seen Up Very Close

    A small team of scientists ventures out onto the Greenland ice sheet to study the forces large and small that are accelerating the melting of the world’s second-largest ice mass.

  • State of the Arctic: Longer Melting Seasons, Thinning Sea Ice

    State of the Arctic: Longer Melting Seasons, Thinning Sea Ice

    The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and scientists are seeing the effects across ice and ecosystems. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Marco Tedesco describes the changes underway.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • The Paradox of Lithium

    The Paradox of Lithium

    The clean energy transition depends heavily on lithium, but mining this element is not “clean.” We must not fall into the same traps from which we are trying to free ourselves.

  • Marco Tedesco: Snow Man

    Marco Tedesco: Snow Man

    Although his parents wanted him to become an electrical engineer, Tedesco felt drawn to a life of research. Then he fell in love with snow. Now he is among the most well-respected and quoted polar experts in the world.

  • Scientists Harness Satellites to Track Algae Growth on Greenland Ice Sheet

    Scientists Harness Satellites to Track Algae Growth on Greenland Ice Sheet

    To measure algal blooms across large regions of the Greenland ice, and understand their effects on melting over time, scientists are turning to space.

  • The Melting of the Greenland Ice, Seen Up Very Close

    The Melting of the Greenland Ice, Seen Up Very Close

    A small team of scientists ventures out onto the Greenland ice sheet to study the forces large and small that are accelerating the melting of the world’s second-largest ice mass.

  • State of the Arctic: Longer Melting Seasons, Thinning Sea Ice

    State of the Arctic: Longer Melting Seasons, Thinning Sea Ice

    The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and scientists are seeing the effects across ice and ecosystems. Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Marco Tedesco describes the changes underway.