State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

plastic trashpatch

  • The Ocean Garbage Patch Is Tiny Compared to Our Carbon Footprint

    The Ocean Garbage Patch Is Tiny Compared to Our Carbon Footprint

    How trash in our oceans can help us conceptualize and reduce our carbon emissions.

  • What You Can Do to Fight Plastic Pollution

    What You Can Do to Fight Plastic Pollution

    Plastic pollution can feel overwhelming, but here are some concrete actions we can all take to make a difference.

  • Urban Design Lab: Plastic TrashPatch

    How much is your trash worth?  Using various visualization instruments, design ideas, engineering, and environmental science research, a team of designers, engineers, and scientists at the Urban Design Lab (UDL) are trying to find out. A new initiative for 2010, Plastic TrashPatch, seeks to raise awareness of ”trashpatches,” thick areas of concentrated marine debris that…

Overhead view of Columbia campus with text Columbia Climate School Class Day 2026: Congratulations Graduates

Congratulations to our Columbia Climate School Class of 2026 and all of our 2026 Columbia University graduates! Learn more about our May 15 Climate School Class Day celebration. 💙 #Columbia2026 #ColumbiaClimate2026

  • The Ocean Garbage Patch Is Tiny Compared to Our Carbon Footprint

    The Ocean Garbage Patch Is Tiny Compared to Our Carbon Footprint

    How trash in our oceans can help us conceptualize and reduce our carbon emissions.

  • What You Can Do to Fight Plastic Pollution

    What You Can Do to Fight Plastic Pollution

    Plastic pollution can feel overwhelming, but here are some concrete actions we can all take to make a difference.

  • Urban Design Lab: Plastic TrashPatch

    How much is your trash worth?  Using various visualization instruments, design ideas, engineering, and environmental science research, a team of designers, engineers, and scientists at the Urban Design Lab (UDL) are trying to find out. A new initiative for 2010, Plastic TrashPatch, seeks to raise awareness of ”trashpatches,” thick areas of concentrated marine debris that…