News

An ongoing study finds that 92 percent of private yards in Greenpoint may have unsafe levels of lead in their soil.

Ancient humans migrated out of Africa to escape a drying climate, says a new study—a finding that contradicts previous suggestions that ancient people were able to leave because a then-wet climate allowed them to cross the generally arid Horn of Africa and Middle East.

A team of scientists has found new evidence to bolster the idea that the Permian Extinction, which occurred 252 million years ago, was caused by massive volcanic eruptions in what is now Siberia.

The annual Open House promises a day of science-filled fun.

If a serious cyclone were to strike Mumbai, the results could be catastrophic, says a study underway at Columbia.

The rise of the Vikings was not a sudden event, but part of a long continuum of human development in the harsh conditions of northern Scandinavia. How did the Vikings make a living over the long term, and what might have influenced their brief florescence? Today, their experiences may provide a kind of object lesson on how changing climate can affect civilizations.

A thousand years ago, powerful Viking chieftans flourished in Norway’s Lofoten Islands, above the Arctic Circle. In an environment frequently hovering on the edge of survivability, small shifts in climate or sea level could mean life or death. People had to constantly adapt, making their living from the land and the sea as best they could.

Three scientists explain what they’re learning about the ocean’s changing conditions. These discoveries will contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of marine resources, helping to secure food for current and future generations.

The better climate models become, the harder it is to use them. One team of researchers is working to fix that.

The Earth Institute has extended the internship application deadline for positions in a variety of administration, communications and research roles. Undergraduate, graduate and PhD students are eligible to apply for the opportunity to work on a sustainability-focused project.

The Earth Institute has extended the application deadline for applications to undergraduate research assistant positions for the fall 2017 semester. Undergraduates from Columbia and Barnard will be able to serve as research assistants on research projects related to sustainable development and the environment with distinguished faculty and researchers at the cutting edge of this burgeoning field.

It’s too soon to say there’s a connection, but searching for the fingerprints of climate change shouldn’t take too long.