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Stories of Change: Climate + Soil
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According to third-generation farmer Chris Mulkey, rainfall is on the rise and threatening his most precious resource, the soil. Mulkey shares what he's doing to leave this land in better shape for his kids, and their kids.
WATCH THE VIDEO
SHARE YOUR STORY
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Connecting with Policymakers
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Thank you to Rep. Don Lehe (R-Brookston) & Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) for inviting the Purdue Climate Change Research Center (PCCRC) to speak at the Indiana Rural Caucus Lunch on January 7, 2020. PCCRC Director Jeff Dukes shared a summary of key findings from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment, including a look at past trends and future impacts. There were lots of great questions from legislators, and we look forward to continuing these productive conversations.
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Above: Dukes speaking to the Indiana Rural Caucus on January 7, 2020 |
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New Tools Using IN CCIA Data
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The HRI draws from a wide range of federal and state datasets -- including the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Environmental Protection Agency -- to provide communities with information about extreme heat and precipitation projections, flood plain and land use maps, and demographic information of vulnerable neighborhoods. A self-guided Readiness Assessment then helps local officials evaluate their community's climate preparedness and identify actions to help increase their readiness.
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Story Map:
Indiana's Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan
Each state is required by federal law to periodically update their multi-hazard mitigation plan. A newly released story map developed by The Polis Center provides highlights from Indiana's Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (MHMP) 2019 update. One of the key changes to Indiana's MHMP was the addition of past climate trends and future climate impacts based on the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment.
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January 28, 2020 | Indianapolis, IN
Several IN CCIA co-authors and partners will be attending the Youth Climate Action Day at the Indiana Statehouse. This event will take place from 12-3 PM and is open to all ages. (Learn more)
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January 28, 2020 | Danville, IN
PCCRC director Jeff Dukes will be speaking about building resilience for tomorrow's climate at the Hendricks County Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Meeting. (Learn more)
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February 3, 2020 | Rochester, IN
PCCRC director Jeff Dukes will be speaking about building resilience for tomorrow's climate at the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Meeting. (Learn more)
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February 4, 2020 | Radio Show
PCCRC director Jeff Dukes will be a guest on the statewide radio show "All IN" where he'll be talking about climate change and flooding. You can listen online at 1 PM (Eastern) at https://www.wfyi.org/programs/all-in.
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February 4, 2020 | Blackford County, IN
Purdue Extension educator Austin Pearson will be talking about Indiana's changing climate at the Blackford County Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Meeting. (Learn more)
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February 18, 2020 | White County, IN
IN CCIA coordinator Melissa Widhalm will share information about climate change and agricultural impacts at a soil health workshop hosted by Purdue Extension.
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February 20, 2020 | Hamilton County, IN
IN CCIA coordinator Melissa Widhalm will be speaking about building resilience for tomorrow's climate at the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District Annual Meeting. (Learn more)
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February 26, 2020 | Angola, IN
IN CCIA coordinator Melissa Widhalm will be speaking at the 73th annual Great Lakes Park Training Institute about the impacts of climate change on Midwestern tourism and parks. (Learn more)
FIND MORE EVENTS
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Climate Facts
Did you know?
One of the key findings from the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (IN CCIA) is that conditions across our state are already changing. Specifically, Indiana is getting warmer and wetter, and recent analysis shows our pace of change has accelerated.
With 2019 in the books and with the close-out of the decade, we've updated two important graphics from the IN CCIA--Indiana's annual average temperature and Indiana's annual total precipitation--to give us a full 125 years of observations. This updated analysis shows that Indiana has warmed 1.3°F and precipitation has increased 6.5 inches.
Most notable from this analysis is how much the precipitation trend has changed in recent years. When we last conducted this analysis in 2016, the linear trend showed Indiana's precipitation had risen 5.6 inches since 1895. Just three years later, that trend now shows the Hoosier State has 6.5 inches more annual rainfall than it did 125 years ago.
Annual precipitation in both 2018 and 2019 measured about 10 inches above the 20th century average. Since the year 2000, only two years saw precipitation below normal (2010 and 2012). Five of the seven wettest years on record have occurred since 2006.
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Above: Indiana's statewide annual temperature from 1895 to 2019 is shown on the left and annual precipitation on the right. The black line shows the 5-year running average and the dashed line shows the linear trend across the full period of record. The climate trend noted on the graphic is based on the linear trend. Data source: NCEI Climate at a Glance
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About Us:
Led by the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, the Indiana Climate Change Impacts Assessment (IN CCIA) is a statewide effort that brings the best available climate change research together into a series of reports designed to help Hoosiers better understand climate change-related risks so they can prepare for challenges and capitalize on opportunities.
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