State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

ozone

  • Montreal Protocol Is Delaying First Ice-Free Arctic Summer

    Montreal Protocol Is Delaying First Ice-Free Arctic Summer

    New research from Columbia climate scientists shows that the 1987 ozone treaty, designed to protect the ozone layer, has postponed the occurrence of the first ice-free Arctic by as much as 15 years.

  • By Cutting Ozone Pollution Now, China Could Save 330,000 Lives by 2050

    By Cutting Ozone Pollution Now, China Could Save 330,000 Lives by 2050

    Climate change could worsen China’s already bad ozone pollution problem — but a new study shows that it doesn’t have to be that way.

  • What You Should Know About Air Quality Alerts

    What You Should Know About Air Quality Alerts

    “It’s a code red day for ozone.” If you hear this on your local news, what does it mean? Are you at risk? Do you know what to do?

  • NASA Finds New Way to Track Ozone By Satellite

    NASA Finds New Way to Track Ozone By Satellite

    Ozone pollution near Earth’s surface is one of the main ingredients of summertime smog. But it not directly measurable from space, due to the abundance of ozone higher in the atmosphere, which masks the surface. Now, researchers have devised a way to use satellite measurements of the precursor gases that contribute to ozone formation to…

  • Bad Ozone Days in Western U.S. Linked to Pacific Weather

    Bad Ozone Days in Western U.S. Linked to Pacific Weather

    A new study shows that ozone pollution in the western United States can be increased by La Niña, a natural weather cycle at the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The finding is the first to show that the La Nina-El Nino cycles directly affects pollution.

  • Why is Your Nitrogen Footprint Important?

    Why is Your Nitrogen Footprint Important?

    While most people today are aware of the importance of reducing their carbon footprint, far fewer understand the harmful effects of nitrogen pollution. Yet many scientists believe that man’s disruption of the natural nitrogen cycle is a potential global tipping point and a serious threat to biodiversity.

  • Montreal Protocol Is Delaying First Ice-Free Arctic Summer

    Montreal Protocol Is Delaying First Ice-Free Arctic Summer

    New research from Columbia climate scientists shows that the 1987 ozone treaty, designed to protect the ozone layer, has postponed the occurrence of the first ice-free Arctic by as much as 15 years.

  • By Cutting Ozone Pollution Now, China Could Save 330,000 Lives by 2050

    By Cutting Ozone Pollution Now, China Could Save 330,000 Lives by 2050

    Climate change could worsen China’s already bad ozone pollution problem — but a new study shows that it doesn’t have to be that way.

  • What You Should Know About Air Quality Alerts

    What You Should Know About Air Quality Alerts

    “It’s a code red day for ozone.” If you hear this on your local news, what does it mean? Are you at risk? Do you know what to do?

  • NASA Finds New Way to Track Ozone By Satellite

    NASA Finds New Way to Track Ozone By Satellite

    Ozone pollution near Earth’s surface is one of the main ingredients of summertime smog. But it not directly measurable from space, due to the abundance of ozone higher in the atmosphere, which masks the surface. Now, researchers have devised a way to use satellite measurements of the precursor gases that contribute to ozone formation to…

  • Bad Ozone Days in Western U.S. Linked to Pacific Weather

    Bad Ozone Days in Western U.S. Linked to Pacific Weather

    A new study shows that ozone pollution in the western United States can be increased by La Niña, a natural weather cycle at the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The finding is the first to show that the La Nina-El Nino cycles directly affects pollution.

  • Why is Your Nitrogen Footprint Important?

    Why is Your Nitrogen Footprint Important?

    While most people today are aware of the importance of reducing their carbon footprint, far fewer understand the harmful effects of nitrogen pollution. Yet many scientists believe that man’s disruption of the natural nitrogen cycle is a potential global tipping point and a serious threat to biodiversity.