Media Coverage
Media reports, documentaries, and journalism covering the climate crisis
The Irreversible Global Impacts of Earth's Lost Frozen Regions
In June, climate negotiators from around the world met in Bonn, Germany for the annual Subsidiary Body meetings in preparation for the Conference of the Parties.
Study Reveals How Gas Bubbles Shaped Kīlauea's 2018 Lava Flow
New research shows that gas bubbles played a central role in controlling how fast and far the lava traveled, and that lava flow models need to account for bubbles to...
Ugandan Farmers Sue to Halt East Africa Pipeline Before It Goes Online
Four Ugandan farmers have launched a suit in the U.K. High Court against a controversial oil pipeline being built in East Africa. The suit is a last-ditch effort to halt...
Beyond Borders: What It Takes to Build a Climate-Resilient Megalopolis
The Greater Bay Area in China is implementing nature-based solutions to build climate resilience amid rapid urbanization, biodiversity loss and worsening storms.
Columbia Climate School and Sciences Po To Launch Dual Degree Focused on Climate Action
Columbia Climate School and the Paris Climate School at Sciences Po are launching a new dual master’s program at the intersection of climate science and ecological governance.
Beyond Lithium: New Battery Tech Starts to Break Through
As EV sales boom and grids seek more energy storage, researchers are racing to develop batteries that are cheaper, more powerful, and less reliant on hard-to-source materials. Lithium-ion still dominates,...
What Do We Actually Know About the Microplastics Inside Us?
Pervasive plastic contamination and flawed analytical techniques have clouded the science on microplastics in the human body. In an interview, Australian scientist Cassandra Rauert, who built a plastic-free lab to...
Climate Models Show El Niño Is Rapidly Strengthening
The World Meteorological Organization says a strong El Niño could drive extreme weather in many regions.
Collapse of Atlantic Currents May Already Be 'Locked In'
A vast system of Atlantic currents that delivers warmth to northern Europe is at risk of collapse, according to a growing body of research. The latest study to warn of...
Massive Calving Episode in Greenland May Foreshadow More Rapid Ice Sheet Loss
Researchers studying a lake drainage event in Greenland determined that large amounts of meltwater drainage can lead to massive glacier calving events and accelerate ice sheet loss.
In Overfished Adriatic Sea, Dolphins Look to Trawlers for Food
Off the eastern coast of Italy, large numbers of bottlenose dolphins are looking to fishing trawlers as a source of food, a sign that dolphins may be struggling to feed...
Extreme Heat Is Here: What Columbia Climate School Experts Want You to Know
As a dangerous early-summer heat wave covers swaths of the globe, Columbia Climate School experts discuss the impacts of extreme heat.
A powerful argument against the certainty of doom
This July 4 weekend has the potential to be soul-crushing. On the East Coast, a brutal heat wave is reminding everyone that the climate crisis is not some future abstraction,...
New U.N. Resolution Urges Member States to Act for Glacier Preservation
The resolution, spearheaded by Tajikistan (along with Peru and Bhutan), marks a historic first for Central Asia. It emphasizes the importance of Indigenous populations affected by glacier loss.
A Home Battery Revolution Is Reshaping the Power Grid
As residential batteries have become more energy dense, cheaper, and smaller, more households are storing their excess solar power. Now, utilities and energy companies in dozens of countries are buying...
Climate School Alumni Aim for Sustainability Goals in the 2026 World Cup and Beyond
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup plays out in North America, M.A. in Climate and Society graduates are working behind the scenes to drive sustainability efforts in sporting events.
I have plastic chemicals in my pee
By now, you have probably heard that microplastics are everywhere. You may have even heard it at this newsletter.That basic idea is still true: plastic pollution is in a lot...
After a Civil Rights Complaint, Chicago Built Largest Air Monitoring Network in the U.S.
As extreme heat worsens pollution, a network of 277 monitors will identify pollution hot spots.Read more on E360 →
The Loss of Glaciers Is Inflicting a Spiritual Toll on Indigenous People
In mountain regions from the Andes to the Himalayas, Indigenous people see the retreat of glaciers as a sign that they have lost the favor of their gods or ancestors.Read...
Climate Attribution Conference Explores Science, Law and Accountability
Speakers explored how climate attribution research is shaping lawsuits, policy and public health.
Life Aboard the Langseth: A Q&A With Chief Science Officer Cody Bahlau
On Columbia’s global research vessel, the R/V Marcus G. Langseth, Bahlau serves as the key link between scientists, crewmembers and operations on shore.
In East Africa, a Controversial Oil Project Is Poised for Production
Despite years of opposition, a 900-mile crude oil pipeline through East Africa is about to be completed, and its environmental and social risks are coming into focus. Campaigners in Uganda...
An education nonprofit, secretly funded by Big Gas
Source: Getty ImagesAs a science teacher, Helen is trained in practicing skepticism. So perhaps it was only natural that, at this year’s Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers Conference, she detected...
When Glaciers Disappear, So Do Deities
The loss of glaciers across the Andes and the Himalayas impacts not only water supplies, but also the cultural and spiritual lives of local communities.
Like Humans, Mediterranean Sperm Whales Have Their Own Dialects
Much like human languages, the vocalizations of sperm whales evolve over time, as disparate groups of whales develop distinct dialects. A new study shows how an isolated group of sperm...
Europe Faces Record Heat for Second Month in a Row
Europe is sweltering through an intense heat wave that is setting temperature records in the U.K. and France. It comes on the heels of a record heat wave in May.Read...
June Research Roundup: Select Papers
In this month’s edition of our research roundup, we highlight a new study on African air pollution; deep Earth carbon recycling; and a Pacific cooling mystery.
Amid Iran War, Africa Sees Growing Demand for Electric Motorbikes
As the Iran War has driven up fuel costs in Africa, demand for electric motorbikes has grown.Read more on E360 →
Wildfire season doesn't have to be like this
People say all the time, metaphorically, that the country is on fire. Right now, the country is also actually, literally on fire.There are currently 27 uncontained large wildfires currently burning...
Carbon Dioxide and Water Played Key Roles in Historic Mount Etna Eruptions
Understanding these dynamics can help geologists assess the risk of future eruptions.
West African nations target Eastern Atlantic for early high seas protection
Six months after a landmark treaty to protect the high seas entered into force in January, a group of West African nations is calling for the Eastern Atlantic to be...
AI's Promise Requires Innovation in Governance, Not Technology Alone
New research highlights that without a coordinated global agreement, AI risks accelerating the very crises it could help solve.
A Missing Piece in Climate Models: Nature's Own Emissions
More intense heat is set to drive up emissions from wildfires, fermenting wetlands, and melting permafrost, but these ‘feedback loops’ are poorly captured in climate models. Scientists are racing to...
An EPA Researcher Details the Agency's Assault on Science
In January 2025, the Trump administration began shutting down projects within the EPA’s independent science division that touched on climate change and environmental justice. Air quality researcher Thomas Luben, who...
The AI Revolution Mirrors the Green Transition
The AI buildout and the green transition each present significant and similar opportunities and challenges.
Digital Tools Are Transforming Efforts to Save Plants from Extinction
Researchers are increasingly digitizing plant and fungi specimens and using A.I. to analyze them, work that is transforming conservation science, according to a new report.Read more on E360 →
Albanians Mobilize Against Jared Kushner Plan for Resort on Pristine River Delta
In Albania, a mass protest movement has emerged to challenge a plan, spearheaded by Jared Kushner, to build a sprawling resort along the delta of the last wild river in...
3 facts to ruin your World Cup watch party
Source: MetLife Stadium via Marc Atkins/Getty Images, Debbie Downer via Wikimedia CommonsThis year’s World Cup has something no other World Cup has had before: commercial breaks. This means that each...
New Research Indicates That in the Future, Trees May Store Less Carbon Than Expected
Even as trees photosynthesize late into the year, their growth stops by mid-summer, which impacts their carbon uptake.
Dead Organisms Shape the Living World Long After They Perish, Research Shows
A new paper details how the remnants of dead organisms strongly influence the fate of survivors.Read more on E360 →
What I've Learned From 'The End of Poverty,' 20 Years Later
The author reflects on Jeffrey Sachs, the U.N., and the need to redesign global institutions for a world shaped by climate change, poverty and geopolitical strain.
How Do Glacial Ecosystems Respond to Climate Change?
Microbiologist Arwyn Edwards discusses the complex role of microbial life in glacial ecosystems and the impact of climate change on his field.
Efforts to Save Kelp Forests from Ocean Warming Are Ramping Up
At one time, kelp forests — which shelter fish, slow erosion, and sequester carbon — grew along a third of the world’s coastlines. Now, scientists are working to bolster heat-stressed...
In a U.S. First, Solar Supplied More Power Than Coal Last Month
Last month, for the first time in the U.S., solar generated more electricity than coal, a reflection of both the rapid adoption of renewable power and the declining fortunes of...
Brazil jostles for rare earths share as US-China rivalry heats up
Brazil is rushing to regulate its critical minerals industry and unlock its vast untapped reserves of rare earths, aiming to position itself as a strategic producer with Chinese and US...
COP31 leaders unveil global targets, with spotlight on electrification
The two countries set to lead this year’s COP31 have unveiled three headline goals for November’s UN climate summit – on electrification, waste and buildings – following six months of...
You Asked: What Exactly Is a 'Super' El Niño?
Columbia Climate School experts explain what a strong El Niño could mean for the planet this year.
Geologist Folarin Kolawole Receives 2026 National Geographic Wayfinder Award
Folarin Kolawole is one of 15 recipients of this year’s National Geographic Society’s Wayfinder Award, which recognizes people whose work is expanding our understanding of the planet and helping to...