Columbia Climate School

Today, Columbia University's interim president Katrina Armstrong has announced the appointment of Alexis Abramson as the next dean of the Columbia Climate School.

An expert in sustainable energy technology and advanced energy research with extensive experience in academic administration, Abramson is currently dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth.

Abramson will begin her tenure at Columbia on January 1, 2025.

Learn more: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/08/19/alexis-abramson-appointed-next-dean-of-the-columbia-climate-school/

📷 Courtesy of Dartmouth

During Columbia Climate School's Earth Month Showcase, students shared their research projects on climate, environment, and sustainability. Among the areas of focus:

Vanshika Goel (MA Climate + Society '24) mapped climate information services available to public health practitioners in the resource-constrained settings of Ethiopia and Indonesia.

Harrison Gerson (Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, Columbia University) created an interactive map on intricate relationships between geology, tourism, and environmental justice in Barbados.

Jithamanyu Thoppey Muralidharan (Columbia University M.S. in Sustainability Management Program '24) assessed human-elephant conflict in Asia.

Learn more via State of the Planet.

From India to Barbados: Insights from the Climate School’s Earth Month Research Showcase Three students reflect on their research experience in climate and health, environmental justice mapping and sustainable coffee practices.

A Columbia Climate School summer class taught by climate scientist Kai Kornhuber explores how climate events can amplify consequences when they happen at the same time, in close succession, or in the same region.

"My hope is that students will leave class with a comprehensive idea of what climate risks are, how they act, and how they are driven by climate change, as well as how societies can prepare for them," says Kornhuber. "The task of science should be to educate students to become climate literate and put their knowledge into practice wherever their careers might take them," he adds.

Learn more via State of the Planet.

Learning About Complex Climate Risks This Climate School summer class teaches students that climate impacts do not impact the environment or society in isolation.

During 's Climate and Environmental Justice in Harlem, local researchers, elected officials, and community leaders discussed how to create a safer, healthier future for communities disproportionately affected by climate change, pollution, and other substantial challenges.

"The impacts that Harlem and the Bronx and parts of Brooklyn experience are not just heat and flooding and climate impacts—they actually intersect with a number of other challenges that these communities face. The quality of their housing, lack of jobs… We know from academic studies that formerly redlined communities in every city across the country are many degrees warmer during heat waves than communities that were not redlined. We also know from studies that those communities have much of the same demographics that they did in the 1940s, when the federal government drew a line around these communities, denied them mortgages and paved the way for decades of disinvestment," said Sheila Foster, Columbia Climate School professor of climate.

Learn more via State of the Planet.

Highlights from “Climate and Environmental Justice in Harlem” On August 7, a diverse group of practitioners and community leaders gathered to discuss environmental justice in Harlem and other historically disadvantaged communities.

Are ancient grains the future of food?

Ruth DeFries, professor of ecology and sustainable development, investigates how climate-resilient crops can contribute to strengthening our global food systems in a changing climate.

Her team found that using millets—gluten-free, highly nutritious, small grains able to grow with less water—consistently improved outcomes for priorities like nutritional quality, climate resilience, and greenhouse gas emissions.

"Millets are just one crop alternative. Indigenous crops like sweet potatoes, cowpeas, and chickpeas are among many other options. The critical need is to understand which crops work in specific contexts, especially in a changing climate," says DeFries.

Learn more via Wellcome Trust: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ancient-grains-future-food-wellcome-trust-yf6ac/

Welcome to five new Columbia Climate School faculty members from our centers and programs: Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory climate scientists Suzana Camargo and Gisela Winckler, Center for Climate Systems Research director Michael Puma, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment director Lisa Sachs, and National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University director Jeff Schlegelmilch!

"Part of the mission of the Columbia Climate School is to prepare the workforce of tomorrow to tackle the complex issues presented by the changing climate and other sustainability challenges. A strong faculty will help us achieve this," says Columbia Climate School interim dean Jeffrey Shaman.

Climate School Appoints Five New Faculty Members New faculty members from a variety of disciplines will add to the breadth of Climate School education programs.

On Aug 5 11am ET, join us at the Forum at Columbia University or via livestream for our 2024 MA in Climate + Society Capstone Presentations where our students share their work for clients, applying the skills and knowledge they have gained to real-world climate challenges.

RSVP: https://www.climate.columbia.edu/events/ma-climate-society-final-capstone-presentations

Clients include Earthjustice, American Farmland Trust, C40 Cities, Environmental Defense Fund, NYC Emergency Management, Brooklyn Navy Yard, CohnReznick LLP, Energy Justice Law and Policy Center, Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Trees grow fastest in NYC neighborhoods that need them most, the case for climate-resilient infrastructure, a collaborative approach to understanding glacial retreat, plus lots more research and education news from Columbia Climate School and State of the Planet!

➡️ Explore our latest newsletter: http://eepurl.com/iUmCpk

📷: A false-color satellite image of New York City. Vegetated land surface is green, paved urban areas are a whitish blue, and water is dark blue. Credit: NASA

☀️🧊 Summer fieldwork in Greenland!

Polar scientist Marco Tedesco of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory / Columbia Climate School and research scientist Paolo Colosio (left) are back in Greenland, here on the west side near the town of Kangerlussuaq, using drones and machine learning to reveal the processes behind the melting of ice sheets, currently one of the biggest contributors to sea-level rise.

🎥 Watch Science for the Planet: Uncovering the Mysteries of Greenland’s Melting Ice Sheets to learn more:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/02/14/greenland-melting-ice-sheets-tedesco/

As climate change makes weather harder to predict, most infrastructure will need to be retrofitted or redesigned and rebuilt with future climate resilience in mind.

We need to think about the way infrastructure of the past has contributed to our global climate crisis by locking us into fossil-fuel dependent lifestyles, while exacerbating inequality, says Thaddeus Pawlowski, director of Columbia University's Center for Resilient Cities and Landscapes.

Low-income communities not only need access to adequate housing, but also to mobility within the housing market that allows them to look for homes in areas that are less risky or less prone to flooding, says Hugo Sarmiento, assistant professor in the Urban Planning Program at Columbia GSAPP.

Natural systems are in various stages of decline. In order to repair them, we have to think and design systemically to tie the pieces back together. These intact landscape systems can protect and sustain us, says Kate Orff, professor and director of the Urban Design program at Columbia GSAPP and professor of climate at Columbia Climate School.

Learn more via State of the Planet:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/07/22/the-case-for-climate-resilient-infrastructure/

📷: Rapidan Dam: Intense rainfall resulted in the partial collapse of the Minnesota dam. Credit: Wikideas1

In a powerful new iteration of the Coal + Ice exhibit, on display at the Asia Society in New York through August 11, the immersive works of over 30 photographers highlight the causes and consequences of climate change through a people-focused lens.

"The more art and science are done together, the better. We need to engage people's hearts and minds through connection and community," says glaciologist, educator, artist, and PhD student Elizabeth Case of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Learn more via GlacierHub on State of the Planet.

‘Coal + Ice’ Exhibit Reflects the Interconnected Challenges of Climate Change The Asia Society’s new immersive exhibit explores the vivid impacts of climate change on humans through art.

How do growing climate risks and environmental injustice affect communities like Harlem? What are the opportunities to achieve a cleaner, safer, and healthier future?

On Aug 7 5:30-8:30pm ET, join us for 's Climate & Environmental Justice in Harlem. RSVP today! https://events.columbia.edu/go/harlemweekclimatechange

Remarks from:
* Patricia Ramsey, president, Medgar Evers College, CUNY
* Ydanis Rodriguez, commissioner, NYC DOT
* Peggy Shepard, co-founder & executive director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Panel discussion moderated by Daniel A. Zarrilli, chief climate & sustainability officer, Columbia University with:
* Elijah Hutchinson, director, NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice
* Sheila Foster, professor of climate, Columbia Climate School
* Curtis Archer, president, Harlem Community Development Corporation
* Michael Sutton, CEO, Infrastructure Engineering Incorporated

Hosted by The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and Columbia Climate School.

Trees grow fastest in New York City neighborhoods that need them the most, finds a new study by Barnard College, Columbia Engineering, Columbia Public Health researchers and colleagues. This new understanding can help inform decisions about street tree planting as a nature-based solution to threats like urban heat islands and flooding in vulnerable neighborhoods.

Learn more via State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/07/12/amid-a-sweltering-summer-a-new-study-finds-street-trees-thrive-in-nyc

📷: A false-color satellite image of New York City. Vegetated land surface is green, paved urban areas are a whitish blue, and water is dark blue. Credit: NASA

🔥🌡️Our Extreme Heat Workshop has brought together researchers and practitioners from multiple disciplines to advance knowledge, identify community needs, and develop an interdisciplinary framework with a cross-cutting focus on climate justice.

Learn more: https://www.climate.columbia.edu/extreme-heat-workshop

📷: Extreme Heat Workshop July 2024 Group Photo at The Forum at Columbia University

Hurricane season has taken off with a ferocious, ominous start thanks to Beryl, the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded, which rapidly increased in intensity likely linked to climate change.

Our experts explain via State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/07/09/beryl-sets-off-alarm-bells-among-hurricane-experts/

📷: Hurricane Beryl during the morning of July 2, 2024. Courtesy U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

With the approach of the hurricane season, the Columbia Climate School has experts like Suzana Camargo, Andrew Kruczkiewicz, Radley Horton, Mona Hemmati, Jason Smerdon, Kai Kornhuber, Jeff Schlegelmilch, Chia-Ying Lee, Adam Sobel, Mingfang Ting, Michela Biasutti, Lorenzo Polvani, Klaus Jacob, and more who can help journalists cover the story.

Via State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2016/10/06/hurricane-experts-earth-institute-resources-for-journalists/

📷: Satellite image of Hurricane Matthew. Credit: NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University

R/V Marcus G. Langseth's return to New York City, Jerry Paros' life of invention and philanthropy, leading climate justice scholar Sheila Foster appointed professor of climate, reflections from professor of climate and new National Academy of Sciences member Jessica Fanzo, plus lots more research and education news from Columbia Climate School!

➡️ Explore our latest newsletter: http://eepurl.com/iO2Dbw

📷: The R/V Marcus G. Langseth, docked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Credit: Francesco Fiondella

🗽 For the first time in almost nine years, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory's R/V Marcus G. Langseth is back in New York City, stationed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for some much-needed TLC before setting sail toward Iceland to track deep-water circulation in the North Atlantic.

🗺️ On the way from Cape Town, South Africa to New York City, the Langseth collected ~154,000 square kilometers of EM-122 multibeam data to contribute to Seabed 2030 Project, which aims to map the entire ocean floor by the end of the decade.⁠

🚢 Take a tour of this impressive seismic vessel, learning how it can help researchers forecast earthquakes and save lives in the process via State of the Planet:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/06/27/only-270-million-square-kilometers-to-go-the-r-v-marcus-g-langseth-maps-the-worlds-oceans/

📷: R/V Marcus G. Langseth in the East River with the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan skyline in the background. Credit: Jesus Gaytan

The Climate Imaginarium on Governors Island—an initiative of the Columbia Climate School's Climate Imaginations Network—brings together diverse organizations and individuals to engage the public through climate storytelling and interdisciplinary arts, reimagining a just and regenerative future.

Joshua Nodiff (Climate and Society MA '23) founded and developed the idea for the Imaginarium in collaboration with Ben Mylius (Political Science PhD '23), Yumi Rodriguez (Climate and Society MA '24), and the Climate Imaginations Network community. The team is supported by the efforts of a community of curators, community leaders, advisors, partners, artists, storytellers and collaborators.

"For three years, the Climate Imaginations Earth Network brought artists, storytellers, climate scientists, advocates and change-makers together on the Columbia campus to imagine a shared future. It's wonderful to see this work continue to grow at the Climate Imaginarium," says Sandra Goldmark, senior assistant dean for interdisciplinary engagement at the Columbia Climate School.

Learn more via State of the Planet.

Reimagining the Future: The Climate Imaginarium Opens on Governors Island The Imaginarium brings together diverse organizations and individuals to engage the public through climate storytelling and interdisciplinary arts from May to November.

Jerry Paros (’63GSAS), the prolific inventor of highly sensitive and precise geophysical instruments, has spent decades finding creative scientific methods to address some of humanity's most challenging problems. His inventions have improved the measurements of geophysical phenomena such as tsunamis, and enhance our ability to understand the complex earth, air and ocean processes that produce climate change.

Jerry's philanthropy has been transformative for science, education, and public safety, including a legacy of support to Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and the Columbia Climate School that is powering work on early warning systems for earthquakes and tsunamis, decarbonization monitoring and instrumentation for climate solutions and next generation energy, and other essential research and education in geohazards and climate mitigation.

Learn more about Jerry's life of invention and philanthropy via State of the Planet.

The Measure of a Man: Jerome M. Paros ’63GSAS’ Life of Invention and Philanthropy Jerry Paros' inventions have improved the measurements of geophysical phenomena such as tsunamis, and enhance our ability to understand the complex earth, air and ocean processes that produce climate change.

Led by disease ecologist Maria Diuk-Wasser of the Dept of Ecology Evolution and Environmental Biology - E3B at Columbia University, researchers are heading to New York City and Western Long Island parks to measure the presence of ticks and learn how residents do or don’t take action to protect themselves. Via State of the Planet.

Researchers Head to New York City Parks to Gather Data on Tick Exposure Columbia researchers are conducting a major survey to measure the presence of urban ticks and how humans respond to them.

Treacherously hot temperatures are something we’ll need to contend with for the foreseeable future—and they will only intensify with climate change. Via State of the Planet.

Here Comes the Sun—and the Extreme Heat Learn more about extreme heat on State of the Planet, and check out Columbia Climate School's workshop on extreme heat, at the Forum July 10-12th.

What if the environment could speak for itself? What if we had glaciers telling stories, ice sheets cracking jokes, or polar seas speaking their mind? Would people listen, and what impact could environmental personhood have? Some parody social media accounts are aiming to find out.

"The benefit of parody is for a layman’s audience that might not be familiar with this certain topic; it's an easy connection to make,” says Columbia Climate School director of K12 and continuing education Laurel Zaima.

Learn more via GlacierHub on State of the Planet: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2024/06/07/if-ice-could-talk-environmental-personhood-in-social-media/

📷: Parody account profile of AmundsenSea on X (x.com/AmundsenSea)

(June 19) marks the day when the last enslaved people of the U.S. were told of their freedom on June 19, 1865—nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted.

Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and resilience and a time for reflection on the ongoing struggles for racial equality and justice.

Our Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion Andrea Paredes shares ways to celebrate in the New York Metro area: https://events.columbia.edu/go/Juneteenth2024

Why are extreme weather events worsening? How is climate change contributing? And what measures are we taking to adapt to this new reality?

Columbia Climate School professor and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory climate scientist Radley Horton talks with Bill Loveless, co-host of the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast from the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy, about the outlook for extreme weather events across the globe this summer, and why their intensity and severity are expected to increase.

Via State of the Planet.

Columbia Energy Exchange Podcast: What to Make of Extreme Weather Predictions Why are extreme weather events worsening? How is climate change contributing to this development? And what measures are being taken to adapt to this new reality?