State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

water matters7

  • Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities are leading the fight against climate change. Here’s what some of the most forward-looking ones are doing.

  • Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Researchers at the Columbia Water Center have been analyzing trends in drinking water quality violations. A critical lesson is that water quality violations extend well beyond the problem of lead in Flint’s drinking water.

  • Dammed Funding for U.S. Dams

    Dammed Funding for U.S. Dams

    Across the nation, large-scale water infrastructure such as dams have provided a multitude of services, from electric power and water reservoirs to flood control and containment of pollution. But federal investments in large water infrastructure projects have largely been curtailed over the past few decades.

  • Comments to SEC Encourage Environmental Risk Disclosure

    Comments to SEC Encourage Environmental Risk Disclosure

    Earlier this summer, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed changes to their disclosure requirements for publicly listed mining companies. The Columbia Water Center was among those submitting comments on the proposed new rules.

  • Climate Week: Why Does It Matter?

    Climate Week: Why Does It Matter?

    Climate Week NYC 2016, Sept. 19 to 35, features over 70 events bringing together business, societal and government leaders to share ideas, technologies, resources and success stories that are helping to curb climate change and transition to a low-carbon society.

  • Construction in the Swamp

    Construction in the Swamp

    Despite the miserable weather and ongoing rain, we constructed a wooden structure to hold the GPS receivers, solar panels and other electronic equipment between the three wells. We worked out how and where to mount the antennas and had parts made to accomplish it. Although I had to leave before it was completed, the team…

  • Rules Would Require More Environmental Risk Disclosure in Mining

    Rules Would Require More Environmental Risk Disclosure in Mining

    The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed changes to its disclosure requirements for mining companies that could increase the liability potential of companies that fail to accurately disclose environmentally related risks to their investors.

  • Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Lawsuits based on corporate misrepresentations to investors are gaining attention from those who want to see companies held more accountable for environmental damage–including risks associated with climate change.

  • Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    To tackle the challenge of how to effectively educate important stakeholders about ground water in the United States, 11 graduate students from the Earth Institute and School of International and Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program were asked to recommend a strategy to improve scientific literacy among policymakers and investors.

  • Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities: the Vanguard Against Climate Change

    Cities are leading the fight against climate change. Here’s what some of the most forward-looking ones are doing.

  • Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Researchers at the Columbia Water Center have been analyzing trends in drinking water quality violations. A critical lesson is that water quality violations extend well beyond the problem of lead in Flint’s drinking water.

  • Dammed Funding for U.S. Dams

    Dammed Funding for U.S. Dams

    Across the nation, large-scale water infrastructure such as dams have provided a multitude of services, from electric power and water reservoirs to flood control and containment of pollution. But federal investments in large water infrastructure projects have largely been curtailed over the past few decades.

  • Comments to SEC Encourage Environmental Risk Disclosure

    Comments to SEC Encourage Environmental Risk Disclosure

    Earlier this summer, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed changes to their disclosure requirements for publicly listed mining companies. The Columbia Water Center was among those submitting comments on the proposed new rules.

  • Climate Week: Why Does It Matter?

    Climate Week: Why Does It Matter?

    Climate Week NYC 2016, Sept. 19 to 35, features over 70 events bringing together business, societal and government leaders to share ideas, technologies, resources and success stories that are helping to curb climate change and transition to a low-carbon society.

  • Construction in the Swamp

    Construction in the Swamp

    Despite the miserable weather and ongoing rain, we constructed a wooden structure to hold the GPS receivers, solar panels and other electronic equipment between the three wells. We worked out how and where to mount the antennas and had parts made to accomplish it. Although I had to leave before it was completed, the team…

  • Rules Would Require More Environmental Risk Disclosure in Mining

    Rules Would Require More Environmental Risk Disclosure in Mining

    The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed changes to its disclosure requirements for mining companies that could increase the liability potential of companies that fail to accurately disclose environmentally related risks to their investors.

  • Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Shareholder Litigation Puts a Spotlight on Environmental Risk

    Lawsuits based on corporate misrepresentations to investors are gaining attention from those who want to see companies held more accountable for environmental damage–including risks associated with climate change.

  • Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    Bridging the Gap Between Science and Policy for Water Security

    To tackle the challenge of how to effectively educate important stakeholders about ground water in the United States, 11 graduate students from the Earth Institute and School of International and Public Affairs MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program were asked to recommend a strategy to improve scientific literacy among policymakers and investors.