State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

supreme court

  • A Message on the Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

    A Message on the Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

    Columbia responds to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University.

  • Advancements in Climate Rights in Courts Around the World

    Advancements in Climate Rights in Courts Around the World

    Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in West Virginia. v. EPA, rulings in other countries demonstrate that courts worldwide remain an important forum for potentially advancing climate rights.

  • Pivoting on Greenhouse Gas Regulation

    Pivoting on Greenhouse Gas Regulation

    Action will now need to focus on state and local governments along with powerful corporations and institutions to continue forward motion in the transition to environmental sustainability.

  • Reality and the Court’s Political Reality

    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.

  • Losing a Hectare of Wetlands Could Cost $8,000 Per Year in Flood Damages

    Losing a Hectare of Wetlands Could Cost $8,000 Per Year in Flood Damages

    New findings may help inform discussions as the Supreme Court takes up a case that could limit wetland protections under the Clean Water Act.

  • Young Citizens Lawsuit Seeks to Compel US Action on Climate Change

    A lawsuit filed in April on behalf of citizens too young to vote takes a novel approach in seeking to force the United States government to mitigate the most serious impacts of human-induced climate change. The petitioners argue that, in failing to address climate change, the federal government has abandoned its fiduciary responsibility to affirmatively…

Colorful banner image over Earth with text "Open House Discover Science, October 19, 2024, 10am to 4pm

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

  • A Message on the Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

    A Message on the Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action

    Columbia responds to the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard University.

  • Advancements in Climate Rights in Courts Around the World

    Advancements in Climate Rights in Courts Around the World

    Despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in West Virginia. v. EPA, rulings in other countries demonstrate that courts worldwide remain an important forum for potentially advancing climate rights.

  • Pivoting on Greenhouse Gas Regulation

    Pivoting on Greenhouse Gas Regulation

    Action will now need to focus on state and local governments along with powerful corporations and institutions to continue forward motion in the transition to environmental sustainability.

  • Reality and the Court’s Political Reality

    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.

  • Losing a Hectare of Wetlands Could Cost $8,000 Per Year in Flood Damages

    Losing a Hectare of Wetlands Could Cost $8,000 Per Year in Flood Damages

    New findings may help inform discussions as the Supreme Court takes up a case that could limit wetland protections under the Clean Water Act.

  • Young Citizens Lawsuit Seeks to Compel US Action on Climate Change

    A lawsuit filed in April on behalf of citizens too young to vote takes a novel approach in seeking to force the United States government to mitigate the most serious impacts of human-induced climate change. The petitioners argue that, in failing to address climate change, the federal government has abandoned its fiduciary responsibility to affirmatively…