Climate Journalism

Indiana has over six million residents but only a few full-time environmental reporters. What if we doubled that number? Wouldn’t that transform what we’re aware of and act on?

We started with an experiment at Purdue University. Over the past twenty years, their enrollment grew by about 20%. During that same time, however, their independent student newspaper withered on the vine. Its revenue per student descreased by 60%.

What if we paid students to be climate solutions reporters? What if we got the entire Purdue innovation ecosystem more and more focused on decarbonizing the global economy? From scientists discovering solutions to entrepreneurs and engineers implementing them.

Pilot – Fall 2021

So we started with one student, Lucas Bleyle:

Phase 2 – Spring 2022

Then expanded to fund several more climate solutions reporters:

Articles Published So Far

Aug 22, 2021 – How community members change their carbon footprint

Sept 24, 2021 – Changing climate, changing coverage: How The Exponent hopes to improve its climate reporting

Sept 26, 2021 – After years of protesting, high school students announce state legislative initiative

Oct 18, 2021 – Presidential speaker sparks backlash among students and faculty

Oct 19, 2021 – Steve Koonin speaks with Daniels in Presidential Lecture Series

Oct 29, 2021 – Students march for Purdue carbon neutrality

Feb 22, 2022 – IU program aims to help cities address local climate impacts

Mar 28, 2022 – Rethinking the endowment: Faculty seek to shift Purdue’s endowment toward renewable energy

Apr 8, 2022 – Students will release climate action plan for Purdue

Apr 12, 2022 – Purdue’s energy infrastructure contributes to climate change

Apr 14, 2022 – Building better buildings

Apr 19, 2022 – Professors voice concern, confusion over new Duke Energy natural gas plant

Apr 19, 2022 – Personal vehicles create majority of transportation-related emissions

Apr 22, 2022 – Unpacking the Climate Action Plan: Food systems changes can help Purdue reduce emissions

Apr 24, 2022 – Earth Week keynote speaker discusses human dimensions of landscape architecture

More Interviews

The first journalist. Lucas Bleyle, student journalist at the Purdue Exponent.

The newspaper Editor. Joe Duhownik, Editor-in-Chief at the Purdue Exponent.

The Sponsor. David Harting, software engineer and carbon neutral household.

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