climate Change

Important climate change reports:

Scientists around the world agree that climate change will affect the way we and wildlife interact with the natural world.  Below are two reports that pull together information from numerous scientific studies.

Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest: Indiana

This report from the Union of Concerned Scientists elaborates on how climate change has and will likely affect Indiana. 

Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States

This report from the United States Global Change Research Program examines how climate change affects different economic sectors and geographic regions of the U.S.

Repower, Refuel, Rebuild, And Restore America

This is an exciting time for those concerned with challenges facing wildlife from a rapidly changing climate.  The Obama administration has made energy development a clear priority, but we need to emphasize wildlife conservation as legislators make progress.  Our affiliate, the National Wildlife Federation, has organized a petition to remind the new administration of this priority by asking for:

• 100% Clean Electricity including no new coal plants without Carbon Capture and Storage, such as the project IWF supports in Edwardsport
• Cutting our foreign oil dependence in half
• Creating 5 million jobs in clean energy
• Reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050

Your signature on the petition reminds the administration that its energy policy should benefit both the economy and the environment.  Please sign here.

Here at IWF, we have a very similar letter reminding Indiana's Representatives and Senators to keep wildlife habitat improvements in mind when crafting the climate change policy that will likely be enacted by Congress this year.  By visting this link, you can support dedicated funding for wildlife habitats for decades to come.

Climate trends

Overall, the frequency of precipitation will increase, with more rain in the winter and spring, resulting in higher stream flows and increased flooding. Heavier rainfall and periodic flooding during planting and harvesting periods may lead to crop losses. Intensive rainfall will lead to more soil erosion and agriculture runoff that will affect Indiana’s natural freshwater resources. Erratic extreme weather events will become more common; the intensity of summer storms with high winds will be amplified; and more frequent summer droughts are expected.

Learn how climate change affects and will continue to affect wildlife...

such as Salmon and Trout, Painted Turtles, and White-tail Deer

Painted Turtles

Female turtles lay their eggs on land; the surface temperature during embryonic development determines the sex of the offspring. Females lay their eggs from May to October, and eggs are hatched between 72-80 days. Warmer temperatures will result in a higher ratio of female to male offspring, which models suggest may lead this species to extinction.

White-tailed deer

As temperatures continue to increase and create drought-like conditions in the summer, deer will seek out water sources. As a result, deer will encounter midge, a disease transmitting insect, more frequently. With later frosts, midges will be a problem longer into the winter thus increasing disease transmission incidences.