Domenic Purdy

No soil? No problem: Hydroponic farming could help combat climate change and food insecurity

7Jul

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Science, Technology

No soil? No problem: Hydroponic farming could help combat climate change and food insecurity

A hydroponic system being used to grow livestock feed for British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. This project was conducted and funded by the Food and Agriculture Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Photo Courtesy of Lenore Newman By Domenic Purdy As the world population nears 10 billion by 2050, overall food demand is expected to increase by over 50%, according to the World Resources Institute. Climate change will make feeding that population more difficult in some regions. Increased heat stress, rainfall intensity, flooding and drought could reduce crop yields and leave once arable land unusable, leading to food insecurity, according to the Environmental Protection Agenc...

The American Conservation Coalition and the ‘conservative answer to the Green New Deal’

29Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Policy

The American Conservation Coalition and the ‘conservative answer to the Green New Deal’

American Climate Coalition founder Benji Backer speaks at the Conservative Climate Rally on June 5. Backer founded the ACC in 2017. Photo Courtesy of Maxim Podhaisky By Domenic Purdy The American Conservation Coalition, a conservative-minded environmental advocacy group, hosted their first annual American Conservative Climate Rally on June 5 in Miami, Florida, following the release of their American Climate Contract—the “conservative answer to the Green New Deal.” Founded in 2017 by a group of Millennials led by activist Benji Backer, the ACC is “dedicated to mobilizing young people around environmental action through common-sense, market-based, and limited-government ideals.” The event highlighted Republican leadership in the field of...

Young Republicans take up fight against climate change

29Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Louisiana State University, Loyola Marymount University, Policy

Young Republicans take up fight against climate change

Courtney Hope speaks at the Conservative Climate Rally in Miami, Florida, on June 5, 2021. Hope is running for national chairperson of the College Republican National Committee. Courtesy of Courtney Hope. By Domenic Purdy, Sami Beekman, Veronica Backer-Peral Republicans are three times less likely than Democrats to believe that addressing climate change should be a top priority of government. But change may be coming. Young Republicans — under age 39 — are twice as likely as their Baby Boomer elders to support climate action, according to the Pew Research Center. Young Republicans have taken a more active role than previous conservative generations in the fight against climate change, distancing themselves from former President Donal...

22Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

AUTHOR

Content Producer, LSU My name is Domenic Purdy (he/him) and I’m a 20-year-old junior at Louisiana State University. I am currently studying journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication with minors in screen arts, political science and history. As an opinion columnist at The Daily Reveille—LSU’s award-winning student newspaper—I learned the power of writing. Writing has the ability to shift a conversation in one direction or another and for an important topic like climate change, the conversation needs to be guided now more than ever. Our generation is facing a flashpoint in the climate crisis and with the right words, us at Project Citizen can advocate for a better world and solutions to the climate crisis.

Southern Louisiana at risk of more severe hurricanes, heavier rainfall as planet warms

16Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Louisiana State University, Science

Southern Louisiana at risk of more severe hurricanes, heavier rainfall as planet warms

Broken tree limbs and debris sit aside a road in Lake Charles, Louisiana, after Hurricane Laura brought up to 137 mph winds to the City. Photo by Rob Perillo. By Josh Archote, Domenic Purdy LAKE CHARLES, LA – The last year of extreme weather in Louisiana has been devastating. Two back-to-back major hurricanes, an ice storm and a spring flood have left the region, especially Southwestern Louisiana, in a perpetual state of recovery.  The state’s fifth largest city, Lake Charles, has suffered greatly from each catastrophe, leading the Weather Channel to call it the “most weather-battered city” in America.  Today, as the state enters what’s projected to be another active hurricane season, residents are still battling with insurance compani...

Algal blooms brought on by climate change and nutrient runoff a danger to fishing, coastal communities

8Jun

By Climate 360 NewsNo Comments

Community, Kent State University, Louisiana State University

Algal blooms brought on by climate change and nutrient runoff a danger to fishing, coastal communities

By Domenic Purdy, Spencer Hayes and Madison Ledyard-King An active algal bloom consumes Lake Erie where summer blooms have impacted fishing and recreational activities. “You have to adapt with time,” said longtime fisherman David Koch, founder of Sandusky’s Whites Landings Fisheries in Ohio.Photo credit: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Summer is here. That means mouth-watering barbecues, sunscreen and fun on the water. But thanks in part to rising temperatures due to climate change, vacationers may run into unwanted guests as summers become warmer: algal blooms. Waterways separated by thousands of miles are experiencing a dangerous buildup of algae, not just ruining family fun, but threatening people’s livelihoods. For blue co...