State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Tag: Water Quality

  • Coronavirus Is Improving Water Quality — For Now, At Least

    Coronavirus Is Improving Water Quality — For Now, At Least

    With less pollution entering the air, our waterways are getting cleaner. Whether or not they stay that way is up to us.

  • Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Researchers at the Columbia Water Center have been analyzing trends in drinking water quality violations. A critical lesson is that water quality violations extend well beyond the problem of lead in Flint’s drinking water.

  • How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    The new global environmental report card is out. The 2016 Environmental Performance Index graded 180 countries on how well they are protecting human health and their ecosystems. While the world is making progress in some areas, it is seriously falling behind in others.

  • Putting Knowledge to Work in the Real World: The Capstone Projects

    Putting Knowledge to Work in the Real World: The Capstone Projects

    The study of sustainability management and environmental policy is put to the test when applied to solving real world problems. Students in Columbia University’s Master of Science in Sustainability Management and Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy programs presented their final capstone projects done for real clients.

  • After Sandy, Testing the Waters

    After Sandy, Testing the Waters

    During Hurricane Sandy the seas rose a record 14-feet in lower Manhattan. Water flooded city streets, subways, tunnels and even sewage treatment plants. It is unclear how much sewage may have been released as plants lost power or were forced to divert untreated wastewater into the Hudson River. Four days after Sandy, the environmental group…

  • The Fairytale of “Organic” Water

    The Fairytale of “Organic” Water

    Time and time again, marketing teams have proven that people will buy pretty much anything. So many examples exist that the topic was enough for Brooks Jackson to write an entire book about it. One of the more recent flim-flam schemes is selling organic water. Wait a tick, did I just say that? Yes, I…

  • Recruiting Tiny Organisms to Detect Water Pollution

    Recruiting Tiny Organisms to Detect Water Pollution

    Climate change has huge implications for water pollution, so with increasing climate change effects and the concern that many regions on the planet are approaching peak water, timely water pollution detection is critical.

  • Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs (part 2)

    Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs (part 2)

    Patricia J. Culligan is a professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics at Columbia University and the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for Columbia Engineering. In part two of this interview she talks about the challenge of quantifying the economic benefits of green roofs, the potential for rooftop agriculture, and what it means to “solve…

  • Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs

    Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs

    Patricia J. Culligan, professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics, discusses her work with the Columbia University Green Roof Consortium to quantify the benefits of green roofs.

Science for the Planet: In these short video explainers, discover how scientists and scholars across the Columbia Climate School are working to understand the effects of climate change and help solve the crisis.
  • Coronavirus Is Improving Water Quality — For Now, At Least

    Coronavirus Is Improving Water Quality — For Now, At Least

    With less pollution entering the air, our waterways are getting cleaner. Whether or not they stay that way is up to us.

  • Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Water Quality Concerns Extend Well Beyond Flint

    Researchers at the Columbia Water Center have been analyzing trends in drinking water quality violations. A critical lesson is that water quality violations extend well beyond the problem of lead in Flint’s drinking water.

  • How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    How Well is the World Protecting Ecosystems and Human Health?

    The new global environmental report card is out. The 2016 Environmental Performance Index graded 180 countries on how well they are protecting human health and their ecosystems. While the world is making progress in some areas, it is seriously falling behind in others.

  • Putting Knowledge to Work in the Real World: The Capstone Projects

    Putting Knowledge to Work in the Real World: The Capstone Projects

    The study of sustainability management and environmental policy is put to the test when applied to solving real world problems. Students in Columbia University’s Master of Science in Sustainability Management and Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy programs presented their final capstone projects done for real clients.

  • After Sandy, Testing the Waters

    After Sandy, Testing the Waters

    During Hurricane Sandy the seas rose a record 14-feet in lower Manhattan. Water flooded city streets, subways, tunnels and even sewage treatment plants. It is unclear how much sewage may have been released as plants lost power or were forced to divert untreated wastewater into the Hudson River. Four days after Sandy, the environmental group…

  • The Fairytale of “Organic” Water

    The Fairytale of “Organic” Water

    Time and time again, marketing teams have proven that people will buy pretty much anything. So many examples exist that the topic was enough for Brooks Jackson to write an entire book about it. One of the more recent flim-flam schemes is selling organic water. Wait a tick, did I just say that? Yes, I…

  • Recruiting Tiny Organisms to Detect Water Pollution

    Recruiting Tiny Organisms to Detect Water Pollution

    Climate change has huge implications for water pollution, so with increasing climate change effects and the concern that many regions on the planet are approaching peak water, timely water pollution detection is critical.

  • Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs (part 2)

    Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs (part 2)

    Patricia J. Culligan is a professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics at Columbia University and the Vice Dean of Academic Affairs for Columbia Engineering. In part two of this interview she talks about the challenge of quantifying the economic benefits of green roofs, the potential for rooftop agriculture, and what it means to “solve…

  • Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs

    Solving Urbanization Challenges by Design – The Science of Green Roofs

    Patricia J. Culligan, professor of civil engineering and engineering mechanics, discusses her work with the Columbia University Green Roof Consortium to quantify the benefits of green roofs.