State of the Planet

Kaplan studies the ways ice sheets, mountain glaciers, climates and landscapes changed in the past.

Annika Bellot focuses on international law and decarbonization efforts to help save small island states like Dominica, where she grew up.

Laramie Jensen’s interest in inorganic and analytical chemistry led her to the ocean. And then to the North Pole.

On a beautiful spring day last week, the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and the Columbia Climate School hosted “Earth Day 2026: Climate and Environmental Justice in New York City” at Columbia University’s Faculty House. Now in its fifth year, the annual conference was created to highlight the critical climate-driven health and environmental impacts affecting […]

Aynsley Kretschmar, a soon-to-be graduate of the M.A. in Climate and Society program, reflects on the skills she’s gained from her time at Columbia, as well as what she’s most excited about for her future.

M.A. in Climate and Society student Erin Frank shoots film around New York City. She says her camera and climate coursework have more in common than she expected.

Caine’s new book depicts a small community in the glacier-fed Peruvian Highlands as it navigates climate change and social pressures.

At a recent Climate School event, speaker Memphis Washington discussed the Waterfront Alliance's climate resilience and environmental justice efforts in Coney Island.

Researchers have found that Earth’s underlying crust in the Turkana Rift region has been significantly thinned, presaging Africa’s eventual breakup—and with that finding, the researchers offer a new perspective on Turkana’s fossil record of human evolution.

Once again, we honor Earth Day by sharing some amazing photos celebrating the beauty and magic of our planet, as captured by the Columbia community.

Greeshma Gadikota and her team explore how materials that might otherwise be landfilled can be transformed into products needed for solar energy and other critical technologies.

Congestion pricing: Yea or nay? Climate School experts weigh in on the success of the program.