State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Sustainability5

  • Olivia Smith: Changing the Way We Look at Food Systems and the Environment

    Olivia Smith: Changing the Way We Look at Food Systems and the Environment

    A soon-to-be graduate of the M.A. in Climate and Society program hopes to influence policy that makes food systems more sustainable and equitable.

  • Land Subsidence in the Netherlands

    Land Subsidence in the Netherlands

    At a symposium on land subsidence, I learned about how the Dutch transformed their country so that about a quarter of it is below sea level and how they cope with it.

  • RSVP for the 2023 Earth Month Student Research Showcase

    RSVP for the 2023 Earth Month Student Research Showcase

    An April 28 poster session will highlight student projects pertaining to sustainability, climate, and the environment, and will include updates on the state of “Plan 2030,” Columbia’s 10-year plan outlining its sustainability goals.

  • Exploring the Sundarbans and Back to Dhaka

    Exploring the Sundarbans and Back to Dhaka

    Our group of 24 Americans and Bangladeshis continued to explore the Sundarbans mangrove forest, rice farming in embanked low-lying islands, and heritage sites of Bangladesh.

  • Viewing Urban Geography and History Through an Environmental Justice Lens

    Viewing Urban Geography and History Through an Environmental Justice Lens

    A Q&A with John Williams, who studies the historical links between the built environment and racial injustice in U.S. cities.

  • Across the Ganges to Southwest Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

    Across the Ganges to Southwest Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

    Our group of 23 American and Bangladeshi students and professors traveled from the Jamuna River to the Ganges and Gorai Rivers, and then down to an island on the edge of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

  • Taking My Class to Bangladesh

    Taking My Class to Bangladesh

    My undergraduate Sustainable Development course is in Bangladesh for a Spring Break trip to see what they have been learning about. We will be touring the country by bus and boat to learn about the environment and people of Bangladesh.

  • Faculty Spotlight: John Williams

    Faculty Spotlight: John Williams

    He’s teaching “Geographies of Environmental Justice and Sustainability” in the Sustainability Management program this fall.

  • Sylhet City, Geology, and Packing Up

    Sylhet City, Geology, and Packing Up

    We finished our electromagnetic survey and mini-field school in northern Sylhet, Bangladesh, with lectures and field trips to see the geology by car and boat.

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text "Earth Day 2026"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet. Visit our Earth Day website for ideas, resources, and inspiration.

  • Olivia Smith: Changing the Way We Look at Food Systems and the Environment

    Olivia Smith: Changing the Way We Look at Food Systems and the Environment

    A soon-to-be graduate of the M.A. in Climate and Society program hopes to influence policy that makes food systems more sustainable and equitable.

  • Land Subsidence in the Netherlands

    Land Subsidence in the Netherlands

    At a symposium on land subsidence, I learned about how the Dutch transformed their country so that about a quarter of it is below sea level and how they cope with it.

  • RSVP for the 2023 Earth Month Student Research Showcase

    RSVP for the 2023 Earth Month Student Research Showcase

    An April 28 poster session will highlight student projects pertaining to sustainability, climate, and the environment, and will include updates on the state of “Plan 2030,” Columbia’s 10-year plan outlining its sustainability goals.

  • Exploring the Sundarbans and Back to Dhaka

    Exploring the Sundarbans and Back to Dhaka

    Our group of 24 Americans and Bangladeshis continued to explore the Sundarbans mangrove forest, rice farming in embanked low-lying islands, and heritage sites of Bangladesh.

  • Viewing Urban Geography and History Through an Environmental Justice Lens

    Viewing Urban Geography and History Through an Environmental Justice Lens

    A Q&A with John Williams, who studies the historical links between the built environment and racial injustice in U.S. cities.

  • Across the Ganges to Southwest Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

    Across the Ganges to Southwest Bangladesh and the Sundarbans

    Our group of 23 American and Bangladeshi students and professors traveled from the Jamuna River to the Ganges and Gorai Rivers, and then down to an island on the edge of the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest.

  • Taking My Class to Bangladesh

    Taking My Class to Bangladesh

    My undergraduate Sustainable Development course is in Bangladesh for a Spring Break trip to see what they have been learning about. We will be touring the country by bus and boat to learn about the environment and people of Bangladesh.

  • Faculty Spotlight: John Williams

    Faculty Spotlight: John Williams

    He’s teaching “Geographies of Environmental Justice and Sustainability” in the Sustainability Management program this fall.

  • Sylhet City, Geology, and Packing Up

    Sylhet City, Geology, and Packing Up

    We finished our electromagnetic survey and mini-field school in northern Sylhet, Bangladesh, with lectures and field trips to see the geology by car and boat.