Featured Projects

What does resilience sound like?

Using soundscapes data collected between March 2017 and January 2018, a Purdue-led research team studied the impact of Hurricane Maria on coral reef and dry forest ecosystems in Puerto Rico.

Indigenous Peoples' efforts to impact global climate agreements

A new paper co-authored by Professor Laura Zanotti explores how and in what ways Indigenous Peoples, as marginalized actors in international politics, influence global environmental governance from inside international political arenas.

Relocation, retreat, and rising sea level

Purdue researchers found that in the years following a major flood, households in Escambia County, Florida with high perceived flood risk are more likely to move from their homes, and that the destination of those that do move varies in systematic ways by income and race.

Protecting the Grid

By putting climate physics into engineering risk models, a Purdue-led interdisciplinary team of researchers is helping to protect our electrical grid against major storms.

The opportunity in the COVID-19 crisis

Professor Tom Hertel and colleagues explore the potential outcomes arising from the unprecedented changes in human activity brought on by months of widespread sheltering, shutdowns, and border closures orders due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Deadly combination of heat and humidity increasing worldwide

It is often assumed that humans would be able to adapt to any possible warming. However, a growing body of research led by Professor Matthew Huber and colleagues shows that adaptation has its limits and the consequences are deadly.

Is conservation tillage economical for farmers?

Compared to conventional soil tillage practices, conservation tillage can help improve soil and water health and may help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A new interdisciplinary study evaluated the economics of conservation tillage under current and projected future climate to determine if adopting this land management practice makes financial sense for farmers.

How does this century's warming in the Arctic compare to the past?

Glaciers in the Eastern Canadian Arctic are rapidly retreating as the region warms. New research using radiocarbon dating evaluates just how unprecedented this warming is compared to ancient times.

Twitter ‘fingerprint’ provides a measure of a community’s resilience to disasters

Graduate student Benjamin Rachunok has developed an algorithm that analyzes tweets to understand people’s responses to natural disasters, offering a new way to inform decisions on disaster management.

Water recycling in agricultural landscapes

Midwestern landscapes are increasingly stressed by too much and too little water, creating management challenges for agricultural production. Research by Jane Frankenberger and colleagues evaluate the potential benefits of capturing and storing water drained from fields and using the stored water to irrigate crops when there is a soil water deficit.

Emissions trading: auctioning vs grandfathering permits

Emissions trading programs are increasingly used as market based climate policy tools to cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A new study by Professor Timothy Cason explores how different program approaches can in turn affect a companies' willingness to invest in research and development of advanced emissions control technologies.

Global change is impacting important plant-fungi associations

U.S. forests are experiencing unprecedented change due to a combination of stressors including climate change, nitrogen deposition, habitat fragmentation, invasive species and fire suppression. Professor Songlin Fei and colleagues used data from more than 3 million trees to understand how these changes affect critical tree-fungi interactions.

Policy priorities for achieving China's mitigation goals

Reducing CO2 emissions can be achieved by fuel substitution, improved energy efficiency, and/or shifting towards less energy-intensive industries. Professor Hua Cai and colleagues look at these options to determine which could have the largest impact.

Arctic cloud formation

The Arctic is rapidly changing as global temperatures warm. New international research involving Professor Laskin provides new insight on Arctic cloud formation, with important implications to climate in the region.

Making influence visible at the Paris Climate Summit

Professor Zanotti and colleagues used innovative ethnographic methods to understand how Indigenous Peoples access, navigate and cultivate power to help shape global environmental governance.

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Purdue Climate Change Research Center