Our goal is to raise public awareness of  climate change science and its impacts.  Communities that understand and prepare for ongoing energy and climate changes will be more prosperous and enjoy a better quality of life.  Our climate literacy outreach efforts are endorsed by scientists at Indiana University, IUPUI, Purdue University, Butler University and Ball State University. (see endorsements below)

If you would like to learn more or help raise awareness in our community, please contact  Leslie Webb .

• Climate scientists confirm extreme weather events across the U.S. (floods battered New England, then Nashville, then Arkansas, then Oklahoma, DC’s scorching summer & damaging storms, heat waves  roast Indy) — and around the world (Pakistan deluge, heat waves in Africa, eastern Asia, Russia, and China) are occurring with greater frequency, and in many cases with greater intensity, consistent with how the climate responds to increasing global warming pollution. Read AP and NYT articles.

• NASA has confirmed that the first six months of 2010 have set a global temperature record and the National Snow and Ice Data Center shows the Arctic ice extent in June was the lowest in the satellite data record and continues to decline at a rapid pace. Arctic sea ice reflects sunlight, keeping the polar regions cool and moderating global climate.

• According to the Union of Concerned Scientists 2009 report, if our dependence on fossil fuels continues unabated, summers in Indianapolis are projected to experience more than 80 days above 90 ^oF and 28 days above 100 ^oF.

• According to a new study conducted at the Purdue Climate Change Research Center, hot weather extremes across much of the U.S. could increase significantly sooner than previously expected.  The researchers used multiple precise climate models using middle-of-the-road assumptions about population growth and fossil fuel use.  The study will be published in an upcoming issue of Geophysical Research Letters. In the meantime, here’s the manuscript.

• The National Acadamy of Sciences report on Climate Stabilization Targets makes clear the long-term impact of 21st Century carbon emissions.  This 4-page brief provides a scientific evaluation of the implications of various target levels of atmospheric CO₂.  Certain levels of CO₂ would lock the Earth's climate into very large impacts for hundreds of years.  Lower targets could avoid such changes. See also National Academies Press.

• 350.org -  350 ppm refers to the parts per million of CO₂ in the atmosphere and is the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for  in our atmosphere. CO₂ levels have exceeded the safe limit and continue to rise.  Click here to view current CO₂ level.  Click here to learn more about 350.

• EPA Climate change indicators are a key tool for evaluating existing and future impacts of climate change.
  

• The climate impacts report prepared by the U.S. Global Change Research Program summarizes climate impacts that are happening now and are projected to occur in the future depending on actions we take today.  The report describes climate changes by region and provides an overview of Climate Impacts in the Midwest

• To help you navigate the extensive USGCRP website, we have provided a summary with links to the appropriate web pages for your convenience. CGI Summary of Impacts Report

See upcoming climate education events

Union of Concerned Scientists

• Global Warming
• Climate Change in Indiana
• Confronting Climate Change in Indiana

PEW

• Global Warming Website
• Global Warming Impacts on Indiana
• Human Health Impacts of Global Warming Impacts on Indiana

• Indiana Wildlife Federation
• Global Warming and Indiana

Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force Interim Progress Report

The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force this week released a report outlining the Task Force’s advancement so far and recommending key components to  include in a national strategy on climate change adaptation.  The Task Force has already found that:

• Climate change is affecting, and will continue to affect, nearly every aspect of our society and the environment.  Some of the impacts are increased severity of floods, droughts, and heat waves, increased wildfires, and sea level rise.

•  Climate change impacts are pervasive, wide-ranging and affect the core systems of our society: transportation, ecosystems, agriculture, business, infrastructure, water, and energy, among others.

•   Climate change already is affecting the ability of Federal agencies to fulfill their missions.

As a result of these changes, the Task Force notes that U.S. government interests, missions and operations must adapt to climate change and build resilience.   The report also states that it is imperative that adaptation to climate change and building resilience both help to manage climate change risks to human well-being and ecosystems and take advantage of the opportunities created by climate change.

The Task Force is made up of the representatives from the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and more the 20 other Federal Agencies.

Individuals and decision-makers across widely diverse sectors – from agriculture to energy to transportation – increasingly are asking NOAA for information about climate change in order to make the best choices for their families, communities and businesses. To meet the rising tide of these requests, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced the intent to create a NOAA Climate Service line office dedicated to bringing together the agency’s strong climate science and service delivery capabilities.  Read article.
Go to new site climate.gov

National Security and Clean Energy Roundtable
Flag Day, Monday June 14, 2010
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
University Place Hotel and Conference Center
850 W Michigan Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Join former adjunct general of Indiana, Major General George Buskirk and local  Veteran leaders for a roundtable on the benefits for Indiana of a clean energy and climate legislation.  Key Speaker:  Eric Dannenmaier, professor at the IU Law School.  Mr. Dannenmaier works internationally on issues related to energy, climate protection and national security. He is a contributor to Pew Research Group on these topics.
Please RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by June 11 
Read more...

Alliance for Climate Education www.acespace.org
In Indy the week of March 15th.
To book a presentation at your high school, please contact Ben Swift, Outreach Coordinator at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
View a 30 second video

The Reality of Global Warming: Cold Facts on a Hot Topic
January 21, 2010   7 p.m.
The Richard G. Lugar Franciscan Center for Global Studies at Marion University will host a presentation on global warming.  Guest speaker Dr. Brian J. Soden is a professor of meteorology and physical oceanography at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science. Soden specializes in the use of satellite observations to test and improve computer model simulations of climate change.  Dr. Soden has published peer-reviewed papers  related to the response of the climate system to global warming and  served as a lead author of the 2007 report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. He has been involved in climate science for more than a decade and his work has been widely featured in scientific journals including Science and Nature.  His awards include the American Meteorological Society's Henry G. Houghton Award, the National Space Club's David S. Johnson Award, and the NASA H.E. Langley award.  Click here for more information.   Register for this free event.

The Debate is Over Among Climate Science Experts

A 2009 University of Illinois study shows a consensus among active publishers on climate change.  Doran and Kendall Zimmerman conclude “..the debate on the authenticity of global warming and the role played by human activity is largely nonexistent among those who understand the nuances and scientific basis of long-term climate processes.”   Read more...

Stolen emails don’t change the fact that nearly every major scientific institution and professional society around the world has concluded that human activity is the main cause of global warming; that 2010 is on track to be the warmest year on record and that this decade will be the warmest on record.

• CLIMATE SCIENCE HISTORY
• HOW CAN A SMALL DIFFERENCE IN CO2 MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN CLIMATE?
• HOW DO WE KNOW CO2 IS ANTHROPOGENIC?
• CLIMATE SCIENTISTS AGREE
• RECENT REGIONAL COOLING DUE TO WEATHER, NOT CLIMATE

Gov. Arnold Schwarsenegger - Climate Action in California

We're happy to announce our efforts to raise public awareness of  climate science and impacts have been endorsed by:

• Gabriel Filippelli, Ph.D. Professor of Geology, Chair of Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis
• Andrew T. Hsu, Ph.D. Director, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Director IUPUI Lugar Center for Renewable Energy, Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis
• Kyle Cline, Business Manager, IUPUI Lugar Center for Renewable Energy
• Kevin Robert Gurney, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Dept of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences & Dept of Agronomy, Purdue University
• J.C. Randolph, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Science, Director, Center for Research in Energy and the Environment, School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University
• William M. Brown, AIA, LEED AP, Director of Sustainability, Indiana University
• Tim Carter, Director, Center for Urban Ecology, Butler University
• Bennet B. Brabson, Ph.D. Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University Bloomington
• Robert Koester AIA, LEED AP, Professor of Architecture, Director, Center for Energy Research. Education, Service, Ball State University
• Albert Ruesink, Professor of Biology, Indiana University

Letters of  Endorsement
IUPUI Lugar Energy Center
IU Center for Research in Energy and the Environment
IU Professor of Physics