State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

sustainable development46

  • The Earth Institute and the University of Iceland Sign Agreement to Promote Research Cooperation and Academic Exchange

    The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the University of Iceland signed an agreement on June 13, 2006 endorsing increased academic exchange, scholarly collaboration and research between the two institutions. The agreement sets the stage for future cooperation on global climate change, sustainable development and technological responses to climate change. The Memorandum of Understanding was…

  • Working with Rural Communities in India: Q & A with Nirupam Bajpai

    Q & A with Nirupam Bajpai

  • Movement to End Poverty Goes Urban in Africa

    Sustainable development demands that two disparate systems — urban and rural — equally meet the needs of their inhabitants without overburdening natural resources. The sustainability of agriculturally based villages, for example, depends on the health and well being of cities for access to large markets and services. Put simply, the sustainable development of one requires…

  • Tough Environmental Policy Question? Bring in the MPAs

    One hundred million personal computers were disposed of in 2004, and they are not benign — computers contain hazardous materials harmful to human health and the environment, and no policy exists to manage this e-waste. Is anyone working on this problem? Bring in the MPAs. This semester, a group studying to get their Masters’ in…

  • Scaling Up Services in Rural India

    Earth Institute adviser delivers recommendations to India’s Prime Minister

  • Urban Design Lab to Help Promote Sustainability and Environmental Justice in New York City

    New Earth Institute center will provide practical assistance to community groups working to improve and develop their neighborhoods

  • The IRI Becomes The International Research Institute for Climate and Society

    In October 2005, the Trustees of Columbia University changed the name of the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction to better reflect the work of the Institute. The IRI develops and implements strategies to reduce society’s vulnerability to climate risk. It partners with local institutions to best understand needs, risks and possibilities. The IRI supports…

  • Emerging Scientists Set Sights on Fixing World’s Problems

    In 2002, Christian Webersik spent months on and off in war-torn Somalia, conducting interviews with both the elite and the layperson for his research on the link between armed conflict and natural resources. “You can see how different political sides tried to monopolize natural resources to finance their militia,” says Webersik. His work suggests it…

  • How an Ecologist Moved to the Center of Sustainable Development

    Economists, physicians and a range of social scientists have long found an easy place at the table when it comes to promoting sustainable development in the poorest areas of the world. But an agroecologist? “Agroecologists always feel a little outcast when working on development issues,” says Fabrice De Clerck, an Earth Institute Fellow with the…

Earth Month Graphic Collage: "Our Power, Our Planet - April 2025"

The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. This Earth Month, 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.

  • The Earth Institute and the University of Iceland Sign Agreement to Promote Research Cooperation and Academic Exchange

    The Earth Institute at Columbia University and the University of Iceland signed an agreement on June 13, 2006 endorsing increased academic exchange, scholarly collaboration and research between the two institutions. The agreement sets the stage for future cooperation on global climate change, sustainable development and technological responses to climate change. The Memorandum of Understanding was…

  • Working with Rural Communities in India: Q & A with Nirupam Bajpai

    Q & A with Nirupam Bajpai

  • Movement to End Poverty Goes Urban in Africa

    Sustainable development demands that two disparate systems — urban and rural — equally meet the needs of their inhabitants without overburdening natural resources. The sustainability of agriculturally based villages, for example, depends on the health and well being of cities for access to large markets and services. Put simply, the sustainable development of one requires…

  • Tough Environmental Policy Question? Bring in the MPAs

    One hundred million personal computers were disposed of in 2004, and they are not benign — computers contain hazardous materials harmful to human health and the environment, and no policy exists to manage this e-waste. Is anyone working on this problem? Bring in the MPAs. This semester, a group studying to get their Masters’ in…

  • Scaling Up Services in Rural India

    Earth Institute adviser delivers recommendations to India’s Prime Minister

  • Urban Design Lab to Help Promote Sustainability and Environmental Justice in New York City

    New Earth Institute center will provide practical assistance to community groups working to improve and develop their neighborhoods

  • The IRI Becomes The International Research Institute for Climate and Society

    In October 2005, the Trustees of Columbia University changed the name of the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction to better reflect the work of the Institute. The IRI develops and implements strategies to reduce society’s vulnerability to climate risk. It partners with local institutions to best understand needs, risks and possibilities. The IRI supports…

  • Emerging Scientists Set Sights on Fixing World’s Problems

    In 2002, Christian Webersik spent months on and off in war-torn Somalia, conducting interviews with both the elite and the layperson for his research on the link between armed conflict and natural resources. “You can see how different political sides tried to monopolize natural resources to finance their militia,” says Webersik. His work suggests it…

  • How an Ecologist Moved to the Center of Sustainable Development

    Economists, physicians and a range of social scientists have long found an easy place at the table when it comes to promoting sustainable development in the poorest areas of the world. But an agroecologist? “Agroecologists always feel a little outcast when working on development issues,” says Fabrice De Clerck, an Earth Institute Fellow with the…