State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

New York City transit

  • Q&A With Sustainable Engineering Expert Tom Abdallah

    Q&A With Sustainable Engineering Expert Tom Abdallah

    The chief environmental engineer for the MTA New York City Transit is currently teaching the Capstone Workshop in the Sustainability Management masters program.

  • Going Electric Adds up to a Good Idea for NYC Buses

    Going Electric Adds up to a Good Idea for NYC Buses

    New York City Transit is considering adding electric buses to its fleet. The purchase price of electric buses is higher than for diesel buses-, but using them would reduce harmful emissions. So is this a good idea?

  • We Need to Finance and Subsidize Mass Transit

    While it would be nice to see a mass transit financing solution included in an effort to rebuild the nation’s depleted highway trust fund, a nation that refuses to tax itself to repair deteriorating roads and bridges appears unlikely to provide funding for mass transit. Still, no effort to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse…

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.

  • Q&A With Sustainable Engineering Expert Tom Abdallah

    Q&A With Sustainable Engineering Expert Tom Abdallah

    The chief environmental engineer for the MTA New York City Transit is currently teaching the Capstone Workshop in the Sustainability Management masters program.

  • Going Electric Adds up to a Good Idea for NYC Buses

    Going Electric Adds up to a Good Idea for NYC Buses

    New York City Transit is considering adding electric buses to its fleet. The purchase price of electric buses is higher than for diesel buses-, but using them would reduce harmful emissions. So is this a good idea?

  • We Need to Finance and Subsidize Mass Transit

    While it would be nice to see a mass transit financing solution included in an effort to rebuild the nation’s depleted highway trust fund, a nation that refuses to tax itself to repair deteriorating roads and bridges appears unlikely to provide funding for mass transit. Still, no effort to increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse…