Columbia Professors Answer the Planet’s Climate Questions

Can solar panels on city rooftops keep India’s farms running? What happens if our oceans can’t absorb any more heat? Do carbon credits really pay local communities — and at what cost?

These are some of the questions tackled in the Columbia Knowledge Series, an ongoing video collaboration between Columbia Global Center Mumbai and The Free Press Journal in India. In these bite‑size interviews, Columbia University professors and researchers share first‑hand insights on the big questions behind climate resilience.

Below are the latest interviews on climate challenges that echo worldwide.

• What does a 55‑day voyage tell us about ocean heat?
  Tiny phytoplankton run Earth’s biggest heat‑exchange system — until warming waters push them to the brink. Ajit Subramaniam, research professor at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, returns from 55 days at sea with data that could rewrite climate‑model assumptions. Watch Ajit’s interview 
• Can see‑through electronics drive the next clean‑tech leap?
  Picture solar cells you can stick on windows or medical sensors that flex like skin. John Kymissis, professor of electrical engineering, demos ultrathin, transparent circuits poised to disrupt energy, health care, and beyond. Watch John’s interview
• Do carbon credits pay off for local communities?
  Carbon credit offset projects promise win‑wins but can drain land rights, revenue, and voice from local communities. Ruth DeFries, professor of sustainable development, unpacks how smarter rules could flip the balance toward genuine community gain. Watch Ruth’s interview
• Will carbon risk hurt businesses' bottom line?
  Climate shocks are already slicing profits, shifting valuations, and triggering lawsuits around the globe. Shivaram Rajgopal, professor of accounting and auditing, shows why embedding carbon risk is boardroom basics. Watch Shivaram’s interview
• Does capitalism blind us to nature?
  Our bond with the living world needs a cultural reset before real climate solutions can stick and scale. Akeel Bilgrami, professor of philosophy, explains how re‑enchanting nature rewires values, policies, and markets. Watch Akeel’s interview
• Why is private money still missing from climate finance?
  Trillions sit on the sidelines while frontline projects scramble for cash and time ticks away. Gautam Jain, senior research scholar at the Center on Global Energy Policy, pinpoints the choke points — and how India can flip the flow of investments. Watch Gautam’s interview
• Can rooftop solar power India’s farms?
  India has the sunshine; now it needs the wiring. Vijay Modi, professor of mechanical engineering and of earth and environmental engineering, explains a rooftop‑to‑pump plan to light every home and irrigate every acre. Watch Vijay’s interview