State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Switzerland

  • Covering Glaciers With Blankets to Hide the Ice — and the Real Problem

    Covering Glaciers With Blankets to Hide the Ice — and the Real Problem

    Glacier-saving campaigns are becoming more popular as ice across the globe disappears at an alarming pace. A new analysis examines the actors, motives, and implications of these campaigns in the fight against climate change.

  • The Matterhorn: Alive With Vibrational Energy

    The Matterhorn: Alive With Vibrational Energy

    In a recent study, researchers found that the Matterhorn is constantly swaying to the seismic energy of earthquakes and ocean tremors felt around the world.

  • Glacier Blankets in Switzerland Highlight Global Disparities in Fighting Climate Change

    Glacier Blankets in Switzerland Highlight Global Disparities in Fighting Climate Change

    Although geotextiles have helped to slow glacier melt in Switzerland, they are a climate change adaptation that’s not affordable or feasible in many developing countries.

  • CO2 Reduction Law Rejected in Swiss Referendum

    CO2 Reduction Law Rejected in Swiss Referendum

    The people of Switzerland narrowly rejected a law that would have curbed greenhouse gas emissions, a win for commercial industries and a blow to environmental activists.

  • Geotextiles Could Slow Glacial Melt, but at What Cost?

    Geotextiles Could Slow Glacial Melt, but at What Cost?

    Swiss ski resorts are using geotextiles to prevent accelerated glacial melting, but researchers have found this strategy too expensive for use in global-scale glacier protection.

  • Timelines Project Paints the Lines of Glacier Retreat

    Timelines Project Paints the Lines of Glacier Retreat

    Artist Fabian Oefner used drones and long-exposure photography to paint light trails on two Swiss glaciers, creating glowing lines that bring the glaciers’ dramatic retreats into high relief.

  • Rhone Glacier Finely Tuned to Climate Changes

    Rhone Glacier Finely Tuned to Climate Changes

    By chiseling hunks of stone from recently exposed bedrock near the edge of the Rhone Glacier, scientists were able to decipher the comings and goings of the ice over the past 11,000 years. That should help predict what will happen to glaciers in the warming world to come.

  • Border Issues Arise from Global Warming

    When people think of global warming and glacial melting, they often think of sea levels rising, coasts moving inland, and cities flooding and disappearing. Something that they rarely think about is the changing of borders between countries. However, this is exactly what is currently occuring in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. In an article…

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

  • Covering Glaciers With Blankets to Hide the Ice — and the Real Problem

    Covering Glaciers With Blankets to Hide the Ice — and the Real Problem

    Glacier-saving campaigns are becoming more popular as ice across the globe disappears at an alarming pace. A new analysis examines the actors, motives, and implications of these campaigns in the fight against climate change.

  • The Matterhorn: Alive With Vibrational Energy

    The Matterhorn: Alive With Vibrational Energy

    In a recent study, researchers found that the Matterhorn is constantly swaying to the seismic energy of earthquakes and ocean tremors felt around the world.

  • Glacier Blankets in Switzerland Highlight Global Disparities in Fighting Climate Change

    Glacier Blankets in Switzerland Highlight Global Disparities in Fighting Climate Change

    Although geotextiles have helped to slow glacier melt in Switzerland, they are a climate change adaptation that’s not affordable or feasible in many developing countries.

  • CO2 Reduction Law Rejected in Swiss Referendum

    CO2 Reduction Law Rejected in Swiss Referendum

    The people of Switzerland narrowly rejected a law that would have curbed greenhouse gas emissions, a win for commercial industries and a blow to environmental activists.

  • Geotextiles Could Slow Glacial Melt, but at What Cost?

    Geotextiles Could Slow Glacial Melt, but at What Cost?

    Swiss ski resorts are using geotextiles to prevent accelerated glacial melting, but researchers have found this strategy too expensive for use in global-scale glacier protection.

  • Timelines Project Paints the Lines of Glacier Retreat

    Timelines Project Paints the Lines of Glacier Retreat

    Artist Fabian Oefner used drones and long-exposure photography to paint light trails on two Swiss glaciers, creating glowing lines that bring the glaciers’ dramatic retreats into high relief.

  • Rhone Glacier Finely Tuned to Climate Changes

    Rhone Glacier Finely Tuned to Climate Changes

    By chiseling hunks of stone from recently exposed bedrock near the edge of the Rhone Glacier, scientists were able to decipher the comings and goings of the ice over the past 11,000 years. That should help predict what will happen to glaciers in the warming world to come.

  • Border Issues Arise from Global Warming

    When people think of global warming and glacial melting, they often think of sea levels rising, coasts moving inland, and cities flooding and disappearing. Something that they rarely think about is the changing of borders between countries. However, this is exactly what is currently occuring in the Alps between Italy and Switzerland. In an article…