climate matters Archives - State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate Center on the science and impacts of climate change on society as well as environmental public policy analysis.

10 Climate Change Impacts That Will Affect Us All

And how to protect yourself from them. 

by |December 27, 2019

Just Climate Change Action: The Importance and Challenges of Centering Indigenous Wisdom and Perspectives

Indigenous communities are on the frontlines of the climate crisis, leading the way for innovative actions rooted in first-hand experiences of climate disasters and shifts, and knowledge transferred across generations.

Will Trump’s Environmental Policies Send Us Over Climate Tipping Points?

The Trump administration is attempting to rescind almost all the policies to fight climate change proposed or enacted by the Obama administration. Could this send us over the climate tipping points?

by |October 26, 2018

Photo Essay: The Re-Greening of Puerto Rico

Researchers survey the damage to Puerto Rico’s forests in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

by |March 22, 2018

Climate Change May Be Hazardous to Your Health

From 2030 to 2050, climate change impacts may cause 250,000 more deaths globally each year. Here’s why.

by |March 12, 2018

How the U.S. Might Fulfill Its Paris Pledge Without the White House

States, cities, and businesses are trying to pick up the federal government’s slack to fight climate change. How big of a difference can they make?

by |October 17, 2017

Could Climate Change Shut Down the Gulf Stream?

In the 2004 disaster movie “The Day After Tomorrow,”, global warming accelerated the melting of polar ice, disrupting circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean and triggering violent changes in the weather. Could climate change shut down the Gulf Stream?

by |June 6, 2017

The Paris Climate Agreement: What Trump’s Decision to Leave Means

In the wake of the decision by the Trump administration to withdraw from the 2015 Paris climate agreement, several questions have emerged about what withdrawal means for environmental policy, research and innovation.

by |June 1, 2017

How We Know Today’s Climate Change Is Not Natural

Despite the many climate “skeptics” in key positions of power today, 97 percent of climate scientists agree that the warming of Earth’s climate over the last 100 years is mainly due to human activity. Why are they so sure?

by |April 4, 2017

Will China Take the Green Mantle From the U.S.?

While President Trump has promised to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord, China’s President Xi Jinxing has vowed to continue to tackle climate change and honor his country’s obligations. Will China become the global leader in combating climate change?

by |March 3, 2017