LOCAL IMPACT: Sophomores Kian Robinson, Yannik Singh and freshman Brian Yuan participate in the White River Cleanup. Robinson said that information at the conference should be more pertinent to what people can do in their everyday lives to have a greener impact.

Climate change is an accepted theory by most scientists and 70 percent of Americans, according to a recent study by Yale and George Mason universities.  But while those who believe in the phenomenon say they know of its global impact, such as temperature increase and ice melting in the arctic, many do not understand its local impact.

To that end, a group of experts with the Purdue Climate Change Research Center (PCCRC) will come to Carmel next week on invitation from the Carmel Green Initiative, to speak about the local impact of climate change. They will explain its impact on public health, water resources, agriculture, infrastructure and more next Thursday at the Carmel Clay Public Library.

Melissa Widhalm, operations manager at the PCCRC, said the group is trying to expand to events that connect scientists to the public, such as the event in Carmel.

“(The talks) are typically scientific talks, but they are aimed at an audience that is maybe not technical,” Widhalm said.  “We want to be able to show people what the data is saying about past climate and future climate here in Indiana.”

Kian Robinson, Environmental Club member and sophomore, said, “[PCCRC should] relate it to people’s normal lives more, show how it’s going to affect them because that’s what people care about.”

He also said, “[PCCRC should] make sure that everyone is aware on how they can improve their lifestyle to make it greener, not just the standard reduce, reuse, recycle.”

Robinson said he believes relatability is important. “You’re making sure that everyone knows even the small things that they can do. If everyone starts doing that it will create a huge difference,” he said.

Widhalm said she hopes that young people like Robinson come to the talk. She said, “I think that we have our best chance of (educating the future) if young people develop an interest in science and technology from a young age. My hope would be that high school students can attend the talk and really take away some information about what’s most important to our future and our environment…. Maybe that will inspire them to think about a career in one of these fields and really make a difference here and around the world.”