News
Bubbling methane emissions caused by ice-free days in Arctic lakes
Monday, July 6th, 2020
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Although the Arctic is best known for frozen tundra, it also has a number of freshwater lakes that are covered in ice most of the year. But the length of time they are ice-covered is decreasing, and this is allowing methane to bubble into the atmosphere. Globally, lakes are responsible for…
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Providing a local perspective on global climate change
Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
By Abby Leeds How important is climate change to you personally? This question is guaranteed to produce a wide range of opinions across America. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication groups the American public into six audiences – alarmed, concerned, cautious, disengaged, doubtful and dismissive. Considering the range of opinions and sometimes misguided information,…
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Forests in Europe and Asia at greater risk of damaging cold snaps
Tuesday, May 12th, 2020
ETH researchers find climate change is increasing the risk of late-spring frost in areas where plants are not adapted to this kind of temperature swing, putting some forests of Europe and Asia at higher risk of damage. Climate change is putting temperate trees in Europe and Asia at greater risk to late-spring cold snaps—which threatens…
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Balancing impacts of range-shifting species: Invasives vs biodiversity
Friday, May 1st, 2020
Ecologists urge greater discussion on consequences of range-shifting species AMHERST, Mass. – For many years, the conservation community has embraced the idea that improving connectivity, that is, creating corridors so species can follow their preferred climate, will benefit biodiversity, says Toni Lyn Morelli at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Climate Adaptation Science Center. But, she…
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Analysis: Wind energy expansion would have $27 billion economic impact
Thursday, April 16th, 2020
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Wind, which generates less greenhouse gas emission than burning fossil fuels, is making up an increasing share of the energy production portfolio in the United States. But wind is not as efficient as coal or natural gas, causing some concern about its economic impact. A Purdue University study that models increased…
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Model to better predict how much heat waves will make Americans crank up the AC
Wednesday, April 15th, 2020
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — During heat waves, people tend to crank up their home’s air conditioning not only because it got hotter outside, but also because it feels too humid. To more accurately predict how climate change will affect home electricity use during the summer, researchers have developed a model that takes into consideration how…
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PCCRC staff recognized as Hoosier Resilience Hero for commitment to preparing state for environmental change
Tuesday, April 14th, 2020
WEST LAFAYETTE — In advance of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Melissa Widhalm, the operations manager for the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, has been named a Hoosier Resilience Hero by Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI). Widhalm is responsible for coordinating the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (IN CCIA), a series of scientific…
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Purdue study downgrades Arctic methane emissions thanks to soil microbes
Monday, March 30th, 2020
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Rising global temperatures are expected to thaw Arctic permafrost, reinvigorating the microorganisms that live in the region’s carbon-rich soils. When that happens, those microbes will begin consuming the carbon stored in the permafrost and emitting massive amounts of methane, one of the most powerful greenhouse gases on the planet. This injection…
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More accurate climate change model reveals bleaker outlook on electricity, water use
Monday, March 9th, 2020
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — By 2030, global warming alone could push Chicago to generate 12% more electricity per person each month of the summer. If the city generated any less electricity, it would be risking a power shortage that may require drastic measures to avoid rolling blackouts, according to projections from a model designed by…
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2019 PCCRC Annual Report
Friday, February 28th, 2020
A message from the Purdue Climate Change Research Center Director, Jeff Dukes, about the 2019 PCCRC Annual Report. As we enter the 2020s – hopefully a great decade for climate solutions – this report looks back on the PCCRC’s activities during 2019. The center now has 92 faculty affiliates across 29 departments. We highlight just…
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