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The first Earth Day in 1970 ignited a movement to stop polluting our planet. Today, our scientists and experts are tackling the most pressing challenges to achieve real-world impact: food security, decarbonization, healthy water systems, climate resilient cities, disaster preparedness, and more. This Earth Day, join us in our commitment to realizing a just and sustainable future for our planet.

Our Power, Our Planet

Greeshma Gadikota holds a test tube
Science for the Planet: Turning Waste Into Critical Materials

Greeshma Gadikota and her team explore how materials that might otherwise be landfilled can be transformed into products needed for solar energy and other critical technologies.

Illustration of a variety of appliances connected via a power cord that spells the word "unplug"
The Energy Vampires Haunting Your Home

Here are some of the devices and appliances that might be secretly costing you money and energy, and how to save on both.

Michael Flanigan, Louise Yeung, Christine Osuji, Peggy Shepard, Sheila Foster, Daniel Zarrilli, and Yusef Salaam at Earth Day 2026: Climate and Environmental Justice in New York City. Credit: Leonard McKenzie
Partnering for Environmental Justice in Harlem

Now in its fifth year, the annual conference was created to highlight the critical climate-driven health and environmental impacts affecting our shared community.

Colorful icons representing nature, sustainable living, and renewable energy with text Earth Day 2026
Make Every Voice Count This Earth Day

We all have the power to protect our planet, this month and beyond.

Science for the Planet is our short explainer series about how Columbia Climate School scientists and scholars are trying to understand the effects of climate change and help contribute to solutions.

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#COLUMBIABEAUTIFULPLANET

Enjoy some stunning photographs from a few of our many Columbia projects around the world.

Eastern screech owl in an apple tree on Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory campus. Credit: Timothy Trimble, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

To help advance our work, please consider supporting Columbia Climate School and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory today.