Eco Matters

IUCN Red List for Ecosystems Steps Up Biodiversity Conservation

May 13, 2013

Orphaned ship in former Aral Sea, near Aral, Kazakhstan. Photo Credit: Staecker.This week in PLoS One, a group of researchers coordinated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), published a new framework for assessing threats to ecosystems. This study offers the theoretical foundation for the Red List criteria for ecosystems, which like its predecessor, the Species Red List, will aim to inform government and society about the current status of biodiversity and provide the data necessary to develop strategies and priorities for conservation.

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Mysterious Honeybee Deaths Remain Unsolved

May 10, 2013

Since 2006, millions of bees have been dying in a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder. There are now 2.5 million honeybee colonies in the United States, down from 6 million several decades ago. Photo Credit: Steve EvansAccording to a comprehensive federal study, the collapse of American honeybee colonies stems from a complex slew of factors, including pesticides, parasites, poor nutrition and a lack of genetic diversity.

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Certificate Student Builds Green Roofs

April 15, 2013

EricEric Dalski, a student in the Earth Institute Executive Education Certificate Program in Conservation and Environmental Sustainability is building vegetative layers grown on a rooftop. Learn more about his perspectives on the Certificate Program.

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Spring Courses in Conservation, Ecology & Policy

March 13, 2013

ExecutiveThe Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) at Columbia University provides executive training in environmental sustainability through courses in science, economics and policy. We invite you to join our leading experts and practitioners, strengthen your understanding of human-ecosystem interactions, and become an effective environmental leader and decision-maker.

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Author: Haiti Relief Lacking in Long-Term Solutions

February 21, 2013 | 1 Comment

The 2010 earthquake in the Port au Prince environs caused an estimated of $8 to $14 billion in damage and caused a death toll of over 200,000 people. The international community donated an estimated $7.5 billion dollars in aid and recovery funds.  Photo Credit: Alex Fischer, CIESIN.Haiti Dialog Series: Author Jonathan M. Katz joined the Haiti Research and Policy Program's dialogue series to discuss his new book and two years reporting on the Haitian recovery after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Katz argues within his book that the international aid money has become a missed opportunity to address core development challenges in Haiti and that the country remains equally vulnerable today as it did prior to January 10th, 2010.

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Coral Reef Ecology: Bermuda – Spring Break Course

January 23, 2013

coral_reef_2-540x359Bermuda is a world leader in marine conservation and the perfect place to experience the wonder of coral reefs. Let the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability (EICES) and the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) be your guides to the world of corals through lectures, labs, and fieldwork.

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Rosario’s Farm: Rising Tides, Shrimp from the Forest

January 23, 2013

Amazon, Rosario's farm, BrazilRosario Costa-Cabral and her brothers harvest hundreds of fruits, oils and wood products from the stream-laced forest of the Amazon River delta. But the climate here is changing: Tides rise higher, and seasonal floods are growing worse.

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Explore Field Ecology in Puerto Rico

January 2, 2013

View from the top of El YunqueThe Earth Institute's Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates (SEE-U) program provides undergraduate students of all majors from all accredited colleges or universities with a global understanding of ecology and environmental sustainability.

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New Spring 2013 Courses in Conservation & Sustainability

December 21, 2012

ExecutiveThe Earth Institute provides executive training in environmental sustainability through science, policy, and economics; we invite you to learn from our leading experts and practitioners to become an effective environmental leader and decision-maker.

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A New Mission — Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability

December 17, 2012

Chobe_River_Front_Botswana_2624707919The Center for Environmental Research and Conservation has grown into two institutions—and now it has a new name: the Earth Institute Center for Environmental Sustainability.

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