State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

MPA in Environmental Science and Policy News25

  • ESP Students Showcase Research Results for Clients at Final Presentations

    ESP Students Showcase Research Results for Clients at Final Presentations

    “I know that I will miss being a student in the MPA-ESP program and working on valuable projects, like the Spring Workshop. Having had the experience of working with my team on a real-life project for our non-profit client has definitely made me feel more prepared for life after graduation,” stated Andrew McCornack, a member…

  • MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability: Part II

    MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability: Part II

    At the Institute for Conscious Global Change (ICGC), Andi Broffman has been working specifically on Goal #7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability of the Millennium Earth Project, focusing specifically on Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As a researcher, Andi compiles data for a geographic information systems (GIS) team that puts the data into…

  • MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience: Part II

    MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience: Part II

    MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) Student Josh Garrett puts the memo writing skills he learned in the classroom into practice as an intern focused on hydrofracking policy at Earthjustice. He is doing legal research on how existing environmental policies relate to the practice and identifying ingredients in hydraulic fracturing fluid.

  • ESP Students Present Initial Findings for Clients at Midterm Presentations

    ESP Students Present Initial Findings for Clients at Midterm Presentations

    “The midterm briefings showcase each Workshop’s central analytic challenge and progress to date, but what I like best is the students’ palpable excitement at working for a real world client on a pressing problem,” stated Professor Sara Tjossem, who is the faculty advisor for the Workshop project “Building the First Sustainability Rating System for Local…

  • MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability

    MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability

    “In classes like Adaptation to Climate Change and Climate Change in Africa, the link between social justice issues and climate change became very apparent to me, and I now feel equipped to use both my past work experience, the knowledge I have gained at Columbia and the skills I will acquire through my internship to…

  • MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience

    MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience

    “I had been very interested in hydrofracking before I started the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program, but really became passionate about the negative the environmental impacts of the practice through my workshop, which analyzed and created an implementation plan for the FRAC Act of 2011.” Josh Garrett, MPA-ESP Class of 2012 student,…

  • MPA Student Makes Career Shift to Climate Change Policy

    MPA Student Makes Career Shift to Climate Change Policy

    “I am interested in helping developing countries utilize foreign direct investment as part of their growth strategy to achieve environmentally sustainable growth.” Young Eun Ahn joined the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Class of 2012 to achieve her career goals and because she liked the program’s focus on natural sciences, one year time commitment,…

  • Former UN Negotiator Gains Skills to Reduce Climate Change Impacts

    Former UN Negotiator Gains Skills to Reduce Climate Change Impacts

    From a WTO trade diplomat, to Singapore’s lead climate change negotiator at the UN, to a student at Columbia University, Desmond Tay talks about his experience to date in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program. “The ESP program brings together high-caliber students of diverse backgrounds and great passion.”

  • Road to Rio Event Engages Columbia Community and Local High School Students

    Road to Rio Event Engages Columbia Community and Local High School Students

    In anticipation of Rio+20, two Columbia University master’s programs, MPA in Environmental Science and Policy and MA in Climate and Society, collaborated on an event to discuss how climate change impacts human rights. Global Kids, a local high school group, participated in preparation for attending Rio+20 in June 2012.

Earth Month Graphic Collage: "Our Power, Our Planet - April 2025"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. This Earth Month, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • ESP Students Showcase Research Results for Clients at Final Presentations

    ESP Students Showcase Research Results for Clients at Final Presentations

    “I know that I will miss being a student in the MPA-ESP program and working on valuable projects, like the Spring Workshop. Having had the experience of working with my team on a real-life project for our non-profit client has definitely made me feel more prepared for life after graduation,” stated Andrew McCornack, a member…

  • MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability: Part II

    MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability: Part II

    At the Institute for Conscious Global Change (ICGC), Andi Broffman has been working specifically on Goal #7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability of the Millennium Earth Project, focusing specifically on Haiti and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). As a researcher, Andi compiles data for a geographic information systems (GIS) team that puts the data into…

  • MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience: Part II

    MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience: Part II

    MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) Student Josh Garrett puts the memo writing skills he learned in the classroom into practice as an intern focused on hydrofracking policy at Earthjustice. He is doing legal research on how existing environmental policies relate to the practice and identifying ingredients in hydraulic fracturing fluid.

  • ESP Students Present Initial Findings for Clients at Midterm Presentations

    ESP Students Present Initial Findings for Clients at Midterm Presentations

    “The midterm briefings showcase each Workshop’s central analytic challenge and progress to date, but what I like best is the students’ palpable excitement at working for a real world client on a pressing problem,” stated Professor Sara Tjossem, who is the faculty advisor for the Workshop project “Building the First Sustainability Rating System for Local…

  • MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability

    MPA Student Explores Relationship between Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability

    “In classes like Adaptation to Climate Change and Climate Change in Africa, the link between social justice issues and climate change became very apparent to me, and I now feel equipped to use both my past work experience, the knowledge I have gained at Columbia and the skills I will acquire through my internship to…

  • MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience

    MPA Student Complements Classroom Learning with Hydrofracking Policy Experience

    “I had been very interested in hydrofracking before I started the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy (MPA-ESP) program, but really became passionate about the negative the environmental impacts of the practice through my workshop, which analyzed and created an implementation plan for the FRAC Act of 2011.” Josh Garrett, MPA-ESP Class of 2012 student,…

  • MPA Student Makes Career Shift to Climate Change Policy

    MPA Student Makes Career Shift to Climate Change Policy

    “I am interested in helping developing countries utilize foreign direct investment as part of their growth strategy to achieve environmentally sustainable growth.” Young Eun Ahn joined the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy Class of 2012 to achieve her career goals and because she liked the program’s focus on natural sciences, one year time commitment,…

  • Former UN Negotiator Gains Skills to Reduce Climate Change Impacts

    Former UN Negotiator Gains Skills to Reduce Climate Change Impacts

    From a WTO trade diplomat, to Singapore’s lead climate change negotiator at the UN, to a student at Columbia University, Desmond Tay talks about his experience to date in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program. “The ESP program brings together high-caliber students of diverse backgrounds and great passion.”

  • Road to Rio Event Engages Columbia Community and Local High School Students

    Road to Rio Event Engages Columbia Community and Local High School Students

    In anticipation of Rio+20, two Columbia University master’s programs, MPA in Environmental Science and Policy and MA in Climate and Society, collaborated on an event to discuss how climate change impacts human rights. Global Kids, a local high school group, participated in preparation for attending Rio+20 in June 2012.