State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

water matters30

  • Another Superfund Site in New York City: Newtown Creek to Get a Makeover

    Another Superfund Site in New York City: Newtown Creek to Get a Makeover

    The March designation of the Gowanus Canal in New York City as a SuperFund clean up site was an important step forward, and is now being followed by another leap: on Monday Newtown Creek, which runs between Queens and Brooklyn received the same designation.

  • Fear and Thirst in Las Vegas (and Phoenix, and Los Angeles . . .)

    Fear and Thirst in Las Vegas (and Phoenix, and Los Angeles . . .)

    Unless the 11-year drought that has parched the southwestern United States suddenly ends, emergency water provisions may have to be put in place to reduce water deliveries to Nevada and Arizona.

  • Cyprus: A Case Study in Water Challenges

    One tends to think of islands as wet places (surrounded as they are by water) but the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean sea belies that characterization. Among many childhood memories I have of that place, some of the most vivid are of the wide-open, piercing blue of cloudless skies and the sun-scorched, dusty…

  • ImagineH2O’s 2010 Water Energy Nexus Prize Announced

    ImagineH2O’s 2010 Water Energy Nexus Prize Announced

    ImagineH2O’s 2010 Water Energy Nexus Prize is a global competition for water businesses that save energy. Possible areas of innovation include energy efficient transport, treatment and use of water.

  • Keeping New York City Water Safe

    Keeping New York City Water Safe

    Everyday, New York City’s 8 million residents consume over one billion gallons of water; 80,000 gallons a year for your average family. What sort of assurances are provided that the water is safe from the reservoir to the tap?

  • What is the Benefit of Privatizing Water?

    What is the Benefit of Privatizing Water?

    A recent Wall Street Journal article reports on what seems to be an accelerating trend: cities privatizing their water supplies. According to the article, the Indianapolis city-county council voted last month to sell its water and sewer utilities to a charitable trust; San Jose and Pittsburgh are considering selling their water systems as well, while…

  • In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association built the first public drinking fountain in London in 1859, as an answer to some of the pressing problems of their times. Drinking fountains are also part of the answer to some of our own problems.

  • Rolling a 13: Global Warming and Regional Water Management in Pakistan and Russia

    Rolling a 13: Global Warming and Regional Water Management in Pakistan and Russia

    On July 28th in Peshawar, Pakistan, it rained more in one day than it had ever previously rained for the entire month. In the face of that kind of event, it’s hard not to think that we are entering unprecedented times. (It is still raining, with forecasts of more to come, with 1,600 people dead—at…

  • Privatizing Responsibility on Water Use

    Privatizing Responsibility on Water Use

    I would like to say congratulations to the Environmental Protection Agency for it’s recent “We’re for Water” campaign to promote responsible water use (after all, who can argue with low-flow toilets and efficient showerheads?) but I am seriously concerned about the campaign’s underlying message. “We’re for Water” features families competing with each other to see…

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.

  • Another Superfund Site in New York City: Newtown Creek to Get a Makeover

    Another Superfund Site in New York City: Newtown Creek to Get a Makeover

    The March designation of the Gowanus Canal in New York City as a SuperFund clean up site was an important step forward, and is now being followed by another leap: on Monday Newtown Creek, which runs between Queens and Brooklyn received the same designation.

  • Fear and Thirst in Las Vegas (and Phoenix, and Los Angeles . . .)

    Fear and Thirst in Las Vegas (and Phoenix, and Los Angeles . . .)

    Unless the 11-year drought that has parched the southwestern United States suddenly ends, emergency water provisions may have to be put in place to reduce water deliveries to Nevada and Arizona.

  • Cyprus: A Case Study in Water Challenges

    One tends to think of islands as wet places (surrounded as they are by water) but the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean sea belies that characterization. Among many childhood memories I have of that place, some of the most vivid are of the wide-open, piercing blue of cloudless skies and the sun-scorched, dusty…

  • ImagineH2O’s 2010 Water Energy Nexus Prize Announced

    ImagineH2O’s 2010 Water Energy Nexus Prize Announced

    ImagineH2O’s 2010 Water Energy Nexus Prize is a global competition for water businesses that save energy. Possible areas of innovation include energy efficient transport, treatment and use of water.

  • Keeping New York City Water Safe

    Keeping New York City Water Safe

    Everyday, New York City’s 8 million residents consume over one billion gallons of water; 80,000 gallons a year for your average family. What sort of assurances are provided that the water is safe from the reservoir to the tap?

  • What is the Benefit of Privatizing Water?

    What is the Benefit of Privatizing Water?

    A recent Wall Street Journal article reports on what seems to be an accelerating trend: cities privatizing their water supplies. According to the article, the Indianapolis city-county council voted last month to sell its water and sewer utilities to a charitable trust; San Jose and Pittsburgh are considering selling their water systems as well, while…

  • In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    In Support of the Neglected Drinking Fountain

    The Metropolitan Drinking Fountain and Cattle Trough Association built the first public drinking fountain in London in 1859, as an answer to some of the pressing problems of their times. Drinking fountains are also part of the answer to some of our own problems.

  • Rolling a 13: Global Warming and Regional Water Management in Pakistan and Russia

    Rolling a 13: Global Warming and Regional Water Management in Pakistan and Russia

    On July 28th in Peshawar, Pakistan, it rained more in one day than it had ever previously rained for the entire month. In the face of that kind of event, it’s hard not to think that we are entering unprecedented times. (It is still raining, with forecasts of more to come, with 1,600 people dead—at…

  • Privatizing Responsibility on Water Use

    Privatizing Responsibility on Water Use

    I would like to say congratulations to the Environmental Protection Agency for it’s recent “We’re for Water” campaign to promote responsible water use (after all, who can argue with low-flow toilets and efficient showerheads?) but I am seriously concerned about the campaign’s underlying message. “We’re for Water” features families competing with each other to see…