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The Purdue Climate Change Research Center provides science-based, interdisciplinary research for people and our planet.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) describe a global resolve to transform the world across 17 related economic, social, and environment thematic areas. However, the challenge is the inevitable set of conflicts and tradeoffs among the competing land- and water-related SDG demands, the impact of these demands at both the […]
By Jeff Dukes This commentary originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune on September 11, 2020. It’s hard to fight something you can’t see. But that’s the unfortunate position that our financial system is in as it faces increasing challenges from climate change. It’s time for the financial system to wake up to the threat. As […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Managing Climate Risk in the U.S. Financial System, unanimously approved by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Climate-Related Market Risk Subcommittee, is the first-of-its-kind effort from a U.S. government entity. The report, which presents 53 recommendations, concludes that climate change poses a major risk to the stability of the U.S. financial […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In 2014, residents of Phoenix were asked to plant drought-tolerant plants to conserve water. But the change in vegetation actually made the air feel hotter, leading to residents using more air conditioning powered by water-generated electricity. The point: Without a better understanding of how climate change affects the connection between energy […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
