Politics Archives - State of the Planet

Aaron Stockel: From Byzantine History to Modern Politics

A soon-to-be graduate of the M.A. in Climate and Society program discusses his roundabout journey to climate science and politics.

by |May 17, 2023

Reality and the Court’s Political Reality

The political agenda-setting process and the ensuing political reality cannot be divorced from economic, social, and cultural forces. The Supreme Court will find its legitimacy reduced if it does not accommodate that reality.

by |June 27, 2022
Map of COVID deaths and social vulnerability by U.S. countie

Irwin Redlener on COVID, Politics, and Social Vulnerability

The director of the Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative discusses how inequality, politics and misinformation worsened COVID’s impact in communities across the U.S.

by |February 23, 2022
Massive protest in Santiago, Chile

Environmentalists and Glacier Activists Are Poised to Rewrite Chile’s Constitution

A newly elected constitutional assembly is charged with rewriting Chile’s constitution from scratch, with strong representation from Indigenous peoples and environmentalists, including glacier activists.

by |July 9, 2021

Can We Escape the Vortex of Polarization?

A new book explores the complex reasons why Americans have become starkly divided into warring camps—and delves deep into how we may start pulling ourselves from the morass.

by |May 17, 2021

The U.S. Is Back in the Paris Agreement. Now What?

What progress has been made and what could change with the U.S.’s reentry?

by |February 4, 2021
joe biden speaking in front of american flag

What the Biden Presidency Could Mean for Climate Change

Unlike his predecessors, the president-elect has vowed to make climate change a priority starting on his very first day in the Oval Office.

by |November 10, 2020

Institutionalizing Sustainability in New York City Government

Since the city’s term-limited mayor will be replaced by someone else, how do we assure that sustainability policy will continue to be implemented?

by |May 28, 2019

The Politics of Authenticity

When corporate and public interests are in alignment, the political agenda can respond to people’s needs. But when they are not in alignment, the corporate sector increasingly seeks to define reality itself.

by |April 1, 2019

Columbia Students Join Youth Climate Strike to Demand Action

Joining the worldwide protests, students gathered on campus to push for politicians to take large-scale climate action.

by |March 15, 2019