The Earth Institute was established at Columbia
University in 1995.
The research institute's stated mission is
to address complex issues facing the planet
and its inhabitants, with a focus on sustainable
development.
With an interdisciplinary approach this includes
research in climate change, geology, global
health, economics, management, agriculture,
ecosystems, urbanization, energy, hazards,
and water.
The Earth Institute's activities are guided
by the idea that science and technological
tools that already exist could be applied
to greatly improve conditions for the world's
poor, while preserving the natural systems
that support life on Earth.
== Description ==
The Earth Institute supports pioneering projects
in the biological, engineering, social, and
health sciences, while actively encouraging
interdisciplinary projects—often combining
natural and social sciences—in pursuit of
solutions to real world problems and a sustainable
planet.
In its work, the Earth Institute remains mindful
of the staggering disparities between rich
and poor nations, and the tremendous impact
that global-scale problems—such as the HIV/AIDS
pandemic, climate change and extreme poverty—have
on all nations.
== Research Units ==
=== Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO)
===
Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory was established
in 1949 and is a world-class research institution
specializing in the Earth sciences.
LDEO conducts research on all aspects of the
planet both above and below ground, on land
and sea, with topics that include earthquakes,
volcanoes, global climate change, resources,
and environmental hazards.
The current director of Lamont is Sean Solomon.
=== Center for Climate Systems Research (CCSR)
===
Established in 1994, the Center for Climate
Systems Research is a key Earth Institute
center that has 25+ scientists and staff researching
the Earth's climate.
As Columbia's Gateway to NASA and Beyond,
the center has a special relationship with
the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies,
as it is co-located with GISS in Columbia
University's Armstrong Hall above Tom's Restaurant
in New York City.
Here, Columbia and NASA scientists jointly
work together to gain a greater understanding
of climate sensitivity and variability including
the forcing and feedback mechanisms that influence
climate, particularly with regard to how this
can impact humanity and environmental stability.
The director of CCSR is Dr. Michael J. Puma.
=== Columbia Water Center (CWC) ===
The Columbia Water Center was founded in 2008
and is looking into the assessment, understanding
and resolution of the global crisis of water
scarcity.
The Center aims to design reliable, sustainable
models of water management and development
that can be implemented on local, regional
and global levels.
The Columbia Water Center conducts projects
both domestically and internationally, with
projects currently underway in India, Mali,
Brazil, and China.
The current director of CWC is Upmanu Lall.
=== Center for Rivers and Estuaries ===
The Center for River and Estuaries is focused
on the better understanding of rivers and
estuaries worldwide.
This includes the distribution, transport,
and flux of contaminants, sediments, nutrients,
organic material, carbon, and aerosols.
The center also studies the evolution and
linkage of marshes and wetlands.The Center
is divided into three main areas of research:
maintenance of the Hudson River and New York
Harbor, finding solutions to use the water
system without harming the ecosystems of the
watershed, and maintaining the diverse estuary
fisheries for commercial and recreational
use.
=== Earth Institute Center for Environmental
Sustainability (EICES) ===
The Earth Institute Center for Environmental
Sustainability (EICES), formerly known as
the Center for Environmental Research and
Conservation (CERC), has been actively involved
in protecting biodiversity and ecosystems.
The Earth Institute Center for Environmental
Sustainability is dedicated to the development
of a rich, robust and vibrant world within
which we can secure a sustainable future.
Through a diverse array of strategic partners
in science, education and outreach, the center
builds unique programs that promote human
well-being through the preservation, restoration
and management of biodiversity and the services
our ecosystems provide.
=== The Earth Engineering Center (EEC) ===
The Earth Engineering Center was established
in 1996 and serves as the principal engineering
unit of the Earth Institute.
The EEC aims to find solutions to achieve
sustainable development of Earth's resources
including water, energy, minerals, materials,
and the environment at large.
It includes over 20 members of the Engineering
School faculty at Columbia and specialists
from other Columbia schools as well as environmental
organizations and other universities.
The EEC is a part of the Henry Krumb School
of Mines and linked to the earth and environmental
engineering department.
Its current director is Professor Nickolas
Themelis.
=== Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy
(LCSE) ===
The mission of the Lenfest Center for Sustainable
Energy (LCSE) is to advance science and develop
innovative technologies that provide sustainable
energy for all humanity while maintaining
the stability of the Earth’s natural systems.
Lenfest research areas include advanced fuel
concepts, carbon sequestration, and small
scale energy conversion systems (e.g., Fischer–Tropsch
process).
The current director is Ah-Hyung (Alissa)
Park.
=== The Center for Sustainable Development
(CSD) ===
The Center for Sustainable Development is
a research unit of The Earth Institute of
Columbia University charged with managing
social science activities.
The mission of CGSD is to apply social science
approaches to international development problems.
The center collaborates with the faculty of
the social science departments of Columbia
University and is primarily focused on interdisciplinary
research and policy application.
The center is operated on the principle that
solutions must cross many disciplines because
the problems do as well, including the environment,
public health, disaster preparedness, and
economic planning.
=== The Center for the Study of Science and
Religion (CSSR) ===
The Center for the Study of Science and Religion
is a collaborative forum designed to examine
the
issues "lying at the boundary of scientific
and religious ways of comprehending the world."
CSSR works across disciplines and schools
in an effort to have social scientists incorporate
religion and rituals in the modeling and prediction
of human behavior, particularly in the areas
of social planning, research and policy.
The director is Robert Pollack
=== The Center on Capitalism and Society ===
The Center on Capitalism and Society seeks
to determine the means by which a country
can successfully achieve economic success
through its ability to generate and develop
sound commercial ideas.
The Center's work is based upon a theory of
capitalism where entrepreneurs and financiers
are the key actors and the discovery of viable
ideas is the essential activity.
The director is Professor of Economics and
Nobel-Laureate Edmund Phelps.
=== The Center for Sustainable Urban Development
(CSUD) ===
The Center for Sustainable Urban Development
was established in 2004 by the Volvo Research
and Education Foundations and seeks the creation
of sustainable cities, both physically and
socially.
The center's first project was to develop
land use and transport planning in developing
countries that promote sustainable growth.
The director is Elliott Sclar.
=== Center for International Earth Science
Information Network (CIESIN) ===
The 
Center for International Earth Science Information
Network was established in 1989 as an independent
NGO to research the interaction between man
and the environment.
In 1998, CIESIN became part of the Columbia
University Earth Institute.
Offices are located at the Lamont–Doherty
Earth Observatory in Palisades, New York.
CIESIN provides a large amount of data and
information about the Earth to meet the needs
of both scientists and decision makers by
means of education, consultation, and training.
The Center is focused on applying modern information
technology towards many research problems
to meet this goal.
Specifically CIESIN was one of the first groups
that developed and provided interactive Informatics
tools using the internet.
The current Office of Directors include director
Robert S. Chen, Deputy Directory Marc Levy,
and Communications Coordinator Elisabeth Sydor.
=== International Research Institute for Climate
and Society (IRI) ===
The International Research Institute for Climate
and Society was established in 1996 and became
part of the Earth Institute in 2005.
The IRI's mission is to enhance society's
capability to understand, anticipate and manage
the impacts of climate in order to improve
human welfare and the environment, especially
in developing countries.
The IRI conducts this mission through strategic
and applied research, education, capacity
building, and by providing forecasts and information
products, with an emphasis on practical and
verifiable utility and partnership.
Its director is Lisa Goddard.
=== The Center for Hazards and Risk Research
(CHRR) ===
The Center for Hazards and Risk Research is
focused on hazard assessment and risk management
by advancing predictive capability and integrating
core sciences to that effort.
Physical and social scientists work to reduce
impacts on society from hazards, both natural
and man-made.
Its director is Art Lerner-Lam.
=== 
National Center for Disaster Preparedness
===
The National Center for Disaster Preparedness's
mission is to understand and improve the nation's
ability to prepare for, respond and recover
from disasters with a special interest in
vulnerable populations.
The Center is an academic center which focuses
on the areas of research, policy, and practice.
The Center's 20 affiliated faculty represent
a broad range of expertise in multiple disciplines
including, public health, medicine, engineering,
nursing, and The Earth Institute.
The Center is led by Irwin Redlener.
== Joint Units of the Earth Institute ==
The following unites were established jointly
by the Earth Institute and another entity
=== 
Center for Research on Environmental Decisions
(CRED) ===
The Center for Research on Environmental Decisions
was established under the National Science
Foundation's Decision Making Under Uncertainty
(DMUU) program.
CRED serves to research decision making under
climate uncertainty and environmental risk.
The Center's objectives include promoting
scientific information and communication for
a collective response to climate change and
variability.
CRED is also affiliated with the Institute
for Social and Economic Research and Policy
(ISERP).
Its directors are David Krantz, Elke Weber,
Benjamin Orlove, and Kenneth Broad.
=== Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment
(CCSI) ===
The Columbia Centre on Sustainable Investment
is a joint center of the Earth Institute and
Columbia Law School.
CCSI conducts research, performs policy and
advisory work, facilitates multi-stakeholder
dialogues and teaches about issues related
to sustainable investment.
In particular, these issues include the sustainability
of investments in extractive industries, land
and agriculture, their relationship with investment
policy and law, and cross-cutting topics such
as the relationship between sustainable investment
and climate change.
CCSI is led by Lisa Sachs.
=== Cooperative Institute for Climate Applications
and Research (CICAR) ===
The Cooperative Institute for Climate Applications
and Research formalizes a major collaborative
relationship between the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office
of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, (OAR)
and Columbia University.
CICAR research themes include modeling and
prediction of climate variability and change,
collection and analysis of Paleoclimate data,
and providing information for decision makers
in topics that include water resources, agriculture,
health, and policy.
Its director is Yochanan Kushnir.
=== Laboratory of Populations ===
The Laboratory of Populations is a joint venture
between Rockefeller University and Columbia
that researches populations and their changes,
including the spread of disease and social
structures.
Sciences used to that effort include demography,
epidemiology, and statistical modeling to
best measure the various changes in populations
that are always in flux.
Its director is Joel Cohen.
=== The Urban Design Lab ===
The Urban Design Lab, founded by Richard Plunz,
offers a unique approach to helping communities
identify their needs and choose the strategies
that best address those needs.
This approach is driven by applied design
research – including conceptualizing and
prototyping alternatives – that can act
as a catalyst for projects that advance sustainable
development in New York City and the metropolitan
region.
== Affiliates and Consortia ==
The Earth Institute is a member of or closely
affiliated with the below entities.
=== The Black Rock Forest Consortium ===
The Black Rock Forest Consortium is a collection
of universities, schools, and institutions
that operate the 3,750-acre (15.2 km2) Black
Rock Forest in the Hudson Highlands.
The forest acts as a field station for research,
education, and conservation.
Its director is William Schuster.
=== Sabin Center for Climate Change Law ===
The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law develops
legal techniques to fight climate change,
trains law students and lawyers in their use,
and provides the public with up-to-date resources
on key topics in climate law and regulation.
It works closely with the scientists at Columbia
University’s Earth Institute and with governmental,
nongovernmental and academic organizations.
Our activities are spearheaded by Michael
Gerrard, Director of the Sabin Center and
Andrew Sabin Professor of Professional Practice
at Columbia Law School, and Michael Burger,
Executive Director of the Sabin Center.
=== NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
(GISS) ===
The NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies
was established in 1961 as the Goddard Space
Flight Center Institute for Space Studies.
It is a component laboratory of NASA's Goddard
Space Flight Center Earth Sciences Division.
Research at GISS emphasizes a broad study
of global climate change.
Goals include basic research in space sciences
in support of Goddard programs.
Its director is Gavin Schmidt.
== See also ==
SedDB, online database for sediment geochemistry
