State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

toxic chemicals

  • The False Trade-off Between Green Energy and Toxic Chemical Regulation

    The False Trade-off Between Green Energy and Toxic Chemical Regulation

    The long and tortuous effort to regulate toxic chemicals in America has now come up against an ironic obstacle: anti-environmental lobbying by the manufacturers of batteries and other renewable energy technologies that rely on toxic substances.

  • Regulating Forever Chemicals

    Regulating Forever Chemicals

    We are an ingenious species, and when properly motivated, we can build an economy that doesn’t poison people and the planet.

  • Pesticides and Industrial Pollutants Found in Snow Atop Arctic Glaciers

    Pesticides and Industrial Pollutants Found in Snow Atop Arctic Glaciers

    The long journey of these compounds — likely originating in the United States and Eurasia — points to the near-global reach of industrial and agricultural pollution.

  • After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    This is an opportunity to reengineer and reimagine the way toxic materials are managed.

  • The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    We need to ensure that our air, water and soil is free of poisons and to do that we need to take pollution control more seriously than we do today. Many industries have found that environmental regulation is compatible with long term production and profits.

  • Houston’s Post-Harvey Toxic Mess

    Houston’s Post-Harvey Toxic Mess

    If we are to maintain the way of life we enjoy while maintaining a safe and healthy environment, we need to require more careful management of toxic substances.

  • The World Trade Center Disaster And Our Toxic World

    The World Trade Center Disaster And Our Toxic World

    In a dangerous world we must be vigilant in the face of evil, but we must also do our best to reduce self-inflicted wounds. We can do a better job of detoxifying our technology, and of helping those who are victims of attacks and disasters. We owe it to our children and the planet they…

  • Revising the Toxic Substances Out-of-Control Act

    An unregulated chemical industry is an invitation for disaster. Fortunately, there is at least one place in America where regulation of toxic chemicals is taken seriously—California (of course).

  • Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    We live in a world filled with synthetic chemicals, many with known or suspected health hazards. Can green chemistry, the design of chemical products without hazardous substances, provide a solution?

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

  • The False Trade-off Between Green Energy and Toxic Chemical Regulation

    The False Trade-off Between Green Energy and Toxic Chemical Regulation

    The long and tortuous effort to regulate toxic chemicals in America has now come up against an ironic obstacle: anti-environmental lobbying by the manufacturers of batteries and other renewable energy technologies that rely on toxic substances.

  • Regulating Forever Chemicals

    Regulating Forever Chemicals

    We are an ingenious species, and when properly motivated, we can build an economy that doesn’t poison people and the planet.

  • Pesticides and Industrial Pollutants Found in Snow Atop Arctic Glaciers

    Pesticides and Industrial Pollutants Found in Snow Atop Arctic Glaciers

    The long journey of these compounds — likely originating in the United States and Eurasia — points to the near-global reach of industrial and agricultural pollution.

  • After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    After Florence: Improving the Management of Toxic Materials

    This is an opportunity to reengineer and reimagine the way toxic materials are managed.

  • The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    The Human and Financial Cost of Pollution

    We need to ensure that our air, water and soil is free of poisons and to do that we need to take pollution control more seriously than we do today. Many industries have found that environmental regulation is compatible with long term production and profits.

  • Houston’s Post-Harvey Toxic Mess

    Houston’s Post-Harvey Toxic Mess

    If we are to maintain the way of life we enjoy while maintaining a safe and healthy environment, we need to require more careful management of toxic substances.

  • The World Trade Center Disaster And Our Toxic World

    The World Trade Center Disaster And Our Toxic World

    In a dangerous world we must be vigilant in the face of evil, but we must also do our best to reduce self-inflicted wounds. We can do a better job of detoxifying our technology, and of helping those who are victims of attacks and disasters. We owe it to our children and the planet they…

  • Revising the Toxic Substances Out-of-Control Act

    An unregulated chemical industry is an invitation for disaster. Fortunately, there is at least one place in America where regulation of toxic chemicals is taken seriously—California (of course).

  • Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    Toxic Chemicals All Around Us: Is Green Chemistry the Answer?

    We live in a world filled with synthetic chemicals, many with known or suspected health hazards. Can green chemistry, the design of chemical products without hazardous substances, provide a solution?