Behind a podium and in front of dozens of city officials from around Indiana, Purdue University Professor Jeff Dukes spoke about the dire environmental conditions Hoosiers are facing now and will face in the near future. He cited research indicating the new normal in Indiana, which will feature more extreme heat, more flooding, and less fruitful harvests. Climate change, he said, is spurring the changes.
One of the resources unveiled at the summit was the Environmental Resilience Institute Toolkit, or ERIT, an interactive database that helps local governments stay informed about the effects of climate change, adaptation strategies, case studies, and funding opportunities. Janet McCabe, the ERI’s assistant director of policy and implementation, says ERIT is especially useful because of its focus on problems specific to Indiana.
