State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

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  • The Technological World and the Risk of Nuclear Power

    The modern economy and our way of life depend on new and advancing technology. It especially depends on energy technology.

  • The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The enormity of these anti-nuclear policy decisions is difficult to exaggerate. Energy consumption is an inescapable requirement of development, and renewable energy sources alone cannot satisfy the energy demands of China and other developing nations. They now have no choice but to burn massive amounts of coal if they wish to raise their living standards.

  • Fossil Fuels Do Far More Harm Than Nuclear Power

    Fossil Fuels Do Far More Harm Than Nuclear Power

    Pushker Kharecha and James E. Hansen write about their recent paper on the long-term health effects of nuclear power versus fossil fuels, and argue that nuclear power needs to be part of the solution to climate change.

  • Indian Point: Safe, Secure and Vital or an Unacceptable Risk?

    Indian Point: Safe, Secure and Vital or an Unacceptable Risk?

    The owners of Indian Point nuclear power plant want to re-license the facility for 20 years. Opponents say the plant is unsafe and we can do without its electricity. Supporters say it’s safe, and we need the power.

  • New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    An analysis and interactive map appearing in Nature News provide new insights and a spatial context for assessing some of the risks associated with nuclear power plants.

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 10/11

    Memo Calls for Reversing Law to Phase Out German Nuclear Plants, The New York Times German Chancellor Angela Merkel moves to reverse legislation that gradually phases out nuclear power by 2022. The proposed reversal, contained in a working document sent to Merkel’s political coalition partner, the Free Democrats, calls nuclear power the crucial “bridge” to…

  • Nuclear Dark Ages? Or Nuclear Renaissance?

    “I know that vibration wasn’t normal” Jack Lemmon famously uttered these words in the 70s blockbuster The China Syndrome in reference to unusual activity taking place at his nuclear reactor. Lemmon, a shift supervisor at the plant, uncovers alarming evidence that the plant is fundamentally unsound and demands that it be shut down. His concerns…

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Join us on Saturday, October 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Open House! Celebrate 75 years of science with us at our beautiful Palisades, NY campus. The event is free and open to everyone, with a suggested $5 donation. Learn More and RSVP

  • The Technological World and the Risk of Nuclear Power

    The modern economy and our way of life depend on new and advancing technology. It especially depends on energy technology.

  • The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The Energy to Fight Injustice

    The enormity of these anti-nuclear policy decisions is difficult to exaggerate. Energy consumption is an inescapable requirement of development, and renewable energy sources alone cannot satisfy the energy demands of China and other developing nations. They now have no choice but to burn massive amounts of coal if they wish to raise their living standards.

  • Fossil Fuels Do Far More Harm Than Nuclear Power

    Fossil Fuels Do Far More Harm Than Nuclear Power

    Pushker Kharecha and James E. Hansen write about their recent paper on the long-term health effects of nuclear power versus fossil fuels, and argue that nuclear power needs to be part of the solution to climate change.

  • Indian Point: Safe, Secure and Vital or an Unacceptable Risk?

    Indian Point: Safe, Secure and Vital or an Unacceptable Risk?

    The owners of Indian Point nuclear power plant want to re-license the facility for 20 years. Opponents say the plant is unsafe and we can do without its electricity. Supporters say it’s safe, and we need the power.

  • New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    New Study Maps Reactor Safety Worldwide

    An analysis and interactive map appearing in Nature News provide new insights and a spatial context for assessing some of the risks associated with nuclear power plants.

  • Climate News Roundup – Week of 10/11

    Memo Calls for Reversing Law to Phase Out German Nuclear Plants, The New York Times German Chancellor Angela Merkel moves to reverse legislation that gradually phases out nuclear power by 2022. The proposed reversal, contained in a working document sent to Merkel’s political coalition partner, the Free Democrats, calls nuclear power the crucial “bridge” to…

  • Nuclear Dark Ages? Or Nuclear Renaissance?

    “I know that vibration wasn’t normal” Jack Lemmon famously uttered these words in the 70s blockbuster The China Syndrome in reference to unusual activity taking place at his nuclear reactor. Lemmon, a shift supervisor at the plant, uncovers alarming evidence that the plant is fundamentally unsound and demands that it be shut down. His concerns…