News
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 […]
This story originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star on October 27, 2019. Written by Jeffrey Dukes In such a partisan political climate, it can seem like little is getting done in Washington, particularly to solve the challenges posed by the actual climate. However, a recent development in Congress shows that partisanship may not always be […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A rapidly growing global population in the midst of a changing climate had led to serious sustainability issues and choices surrounding water, food and energy. These stresses and the policy responses will vary by locality, but they will have global repercussions that will ultimately affect the success of those choices. The […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The growth of palm oil, the most-consumed vegetable oil in the world, has been fueled by expansion of palm plantings in Malaysia and Indonesia that have contributed to massive deforestation in those countries. The carbon and biodiversity losses there have spurred the European Union and others to call for measures to […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Invasive insects and pathogens have wreaked havoc on ash, elm, chestnut trees and others, wiping some of them almost completely from American forests. In addition to the ecological impact, a Purdue University study shows that the carbon storage lost to these pests each year is the same as the amount of […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Heavy rain can overwhelm municipal infrastructure and lead to flooding that can threaten lives and property. The U.S. alone spends millions – and sometimes billions – of dollars per year on flood recovery, and more is spent around the world. A Purdue University study led by Dev Niyogi, a professor of […]
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – An international collaboration of hundreds of scientists – led in part by the Forest Advanced Computing and Artificial Intelligence (FACAI) Laboratory in Purdue’s Department of Forestry and Natural Resources – has developed the world’s first global map of tree symbioses. The map is key to understanding how forests are changing and […]
