State of the Planet

Every month, researchers at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and other parts of the Columbia Climate School publish work that deepens our understanding of the planet. This month, we wrote about a unique long-term analysis that suggests methane emissions from landfills may be far higher than previously estimated. We also shared some new research on unexpected trends in extreme rainfall in the U.S. Here are additional studies by our researchers that are worth noting.

Alex de Sherbinin has been named director of the Earth Institute Hub, a new initiative within the Columbia Climate School designed to strengthen university-wide collaboration on issues spanning climate, Earth, society and sustainability. He assumes the role on September 1. Alexander de Sherbinin has been named director of the new Earth Institute Hub.

Earlier this month, climate, policy and community leaders came together for the Harlem Week Climate Change and Environmental Justice Conference to discuss the importance of “Incorporating Community Voices in Environmental Justice Planning.” Harlem Week itself began in 1974 as a single-day event called Harlem Day.

Josie Brooks outside the Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies. (All photos below were taken by Brooks during her museum visit.) As an intern for the Polar Climate Ambassador Program in 2025, I learned about many fascinating topics—from the accelerated rate of climate change in the polar regions to Greenlandic food and hunting culture. I found myself captivated by the Arctic, along with the native people and their customs.

Extreme precipitation events are among the most damaging natural disasters and a major concern in our changing climate. In the U.S., since 1980, the most destructive events alone have caused over 2800 deaths and $700 billion in damages. But what is the total area of the country affected by these events each year? And how have these patterns changed over the last several decades?

The Columbia Climate School is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of its Climate, Earth and Society Distinguished Fellows Program, a new initiative that brings accomplished leaders from across sectors into the Columbia community to share their expertise, engage with students and faculty, and contribute to critical conversations about the future of our planet.

The FIFA World Cup just concluded in New York City’s backyard. Every game up to that point tested the protocols and plans for extreme weather conditions, and the Columbia Climate School was on the pitch. The New York/New Jersey MetLife Stadium hosted eight World Cup games in total, in an open-roof venue that saw torrential downpours, intense wet-bulb globe temperatures (WBGT) and poor air quality conditions.

Lisa Sweetingham sent her 13-year-old daughter to school on January 7, 2025, and crawled back into bed. She was aware of the red flag warnings issued for her Palisades neighborhood but didn’t think much of the fire risk; she was sick and wanted rest. A few hours later, her husband woke her and said there was a fire on the ridge. They needed to leave. “We’d never evacuated before.

The Columbia Climate School is pleased to welcome Garrett Albistegui Adler as lecturer in the Discipline of Climate. Albistegui Adler is an interdisciplinary environmental social scientist whose research examines the political and social impacts of climate change and climate variability. His research focuses on understanding, testing and ultimately preventing the links between climate stress and violent conflict.

Nearly 1.1 billion children worldwide now face at least three climate hazards at once. Imagine a school in a region hit by a drought one season, extreme heat the next and storms that arrive when the building is already damaged. For these children, climate threats are not distant or theoretical. They keep kids out of school. They strain clinics. They dry up drinking water. They wash away homes. The question is not whether children are affected by climate change.