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The Purdue Climate Change Research Center provides science-based, interdisciplinary research for people and our planet.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Indiana Water Resources Center (IWRRC) officially launched the State of Indiana Waters website. The website provides a single source of information for the general public regarding the status of Indiana’s water resources including ground and surface waters. “Water resources in Indiana are used by everyone including agriculture, industry, residents and […]
