http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu Tapping experts in climate, geology, oceanography, ecology, sustainable development, global health, energy, food and water, State of the Planet captures stories of how the Earth works and how we can sustainably make our lives better. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:23:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/22/the-boom-of-hydraulic-fracturing/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/22/the-boom-of-hydraulic-fracturing/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 14:51:19 +0000 Cassie Xu http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=36913 Experts discuss the rise and boom of unconventional hydrocarbon extraction in the final Sustainable Development Seminar Series of the 2012-2013 academic year.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/22/the-boom-of-hydraulic-fracturing/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/17/national-grid-joins-the-corporate-circle/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/17/national-grid-joins-the-corporate-circle/#comments Fri, 17 May 2013 15:15:43 +0000 Catherine Fullerton http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=36756 The Earth Institute is pleased to welcome National Grid into the Corporate Circle, a collective partnership of leading corporations from across the globe committed to pursuing sustainable development objectives. Through a generous gift, National Grid will support sustainable energy research at the Earth Institute. ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/17/national-grid-joins-the-corporate-circle/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/15/the-microgrid-solution/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/15/the-microgrid-solution/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 16:15:10 +0000 Lakis Polycarpou http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=36594 Last October, Superstorm Sandy provoked widespread frustration and fear after it left more than 7.5 million people in the New York Metro area without power. In the hardest hit areas, outages lasted two weeks or more. These failures led many observers to wonder if America’s aging electrical grid was up to dealing with emerging climate and other challenges.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/15/the-microgrid-solution/feed/ 1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/15/of-cow-dung-cook-stoves-and-sustainability-in-practice/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/15/of-cow-dung-cook-stoves-and-sustainability-in-practice/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 15:35:02 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=36585 When the Environmental Defense Fund asked me to measure how biogas cook stoves were changing the lives of farmers in rural India, there wasn’t a word in that question with which I was comfortable. Having just graduated from the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, I had never done fieldwork; and the concept of a biogas digester, which turns cow dung into natural gas through anaerobic digestion, was itself a mystery. I had no idea that this was the beginning of a steep learning curve into low-carbon development at a large scale. But even more, that it would provide a window into the lives of families whose existences have permanently improved thanks to the clean cooking stoves.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/15/of-cow-dung-cook-stoves-and-sustainability-in-practice/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/13/climate-and-conquest-how-did-genghis-khan-rise/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/13/climate-and-conquest-how-did-genghis-khan-rise/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 18:29:08 +0000 Kevin Krajick http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=33146 Eight hundred years ago, relatively small armies of mounted warriors suddenly exploded outward from the cold, arid high-elevation grasslands of Mongolia and reshaped world geography, culture and history in ways that still resound today. How did they do it? ]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/05/13/climate-and-conquest-how-did-genghis-khan-rise/feed/ 3 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/15/fossil-fuels-do-far-more-harm-than-nuclear-power/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/15/fossil-fuels-do-far-more-harm-than-nuclear-power/#comments Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:30:02 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=35606 Pushker Kharecha and James E. Hansen write about their recent paper on the long-term health effects of nuclear power versus fossil fuels, and argue that nuclear power needs to be part of the solution to climate change.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/15/fossil-fuels-do-far-more-harm-than-nuclear-power/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/09/bright-lights-big-city/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/09/bright-lights-big-city/#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:44:29 +0000 Center for International Earth Science Information Network http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=35469 Researchers using nighttime lights data to ask questions about economic development in sub-Saharan Africa have findings counter to expectation.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/04/09/bright-lights-big-city/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/13/pedaling-to-power-a-movement-an-invitation-to-join-climate-ride-2013/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/13/pedaling-to-power-a-movement-an-invitation-to-join-climate-ride-2013/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:52:46 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=34951 Student Scott Miller, who raised $3,000 for the Earth Institute last year on a 300-mile bike ride from New York to Washington, plans to do it again, and he’s inviting you to join him.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/13/pedaling-to-power-a-movement-an-invitation-to-join-climate-ride-2013/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/12/ghg-emissions-from-the-comfort-of-home/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/12/ghg-emissions-from-the-comfort-of-home/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:36:23 +0000 Guest Blogger http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=34968 The residential home sector is the third largest contributor to GHG emissions when energy use is included. As the housing market is showing signs of recovery and new home construction is beginning to increase, there is opportunity to address the emissions from residential homes with green building techniques that will have the added benefit of reduced energy costs and increased comfort.]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/12/ghg-emissions-from-the-comfort-of-home/feed/ 1 http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/06/discussing-climate-cities-and-food/ http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/06/discussing-climate-cities-and-food/#comments Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:14:54 +0000 Brian Kahn http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/?p=34840 Last week, the Earth Institute and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society hosted a discussion on cities, food and climate. What were people saying? Find out in this Storify recap of reactions from across Twitter!]]> http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2013/03/06/discussing-climate-cities-and-food/feed/ 0