LOGANSPORT Ind. (WLFI)- The community of Logansport might be a smaller community, but Mayor Dave Kitchell is planning to make a big impact on the state of Indiana when it comes to climate change.
"As I see it, our state lacks any kind of infrastructure plan that addresses any kind of global impact from climate change," said Dave Kitchell the Mayor of Logansport.
Creating an infrastructure sustainability plan is a problem that climate experts say needs to be addressed. Especially since impacts from climate change are already being felt, literally.
"We are already seeing changes,” said Jeff Dukes the Director of Purdue Climate Change Research. “Indiana is already more than a degree warmer than it used to be historically and it's much wetter we are already getting five and a half inches more rain across the state than we used to."
Those rainfall increases are what communities like Logansport and surrounding areas should be most worried about.
"If the Mississinewa Reservoir, which is now over 50 years old, if there is a breach in that downtown Logansport would be underwater in about a half an hour," added Mayor Kitchell.
Infrastructure upgrades are not the only issues communities should be concerning themselves with. Experts say renewable energy should be embraced or cooling costs will hurt the future of commercial businesses.
"For commercial spaces, in particular, the cooling cost is expected to go up more than the heating costs will come down,” said Dukes. So, businesses can expect to pay more for energy to cool their spaces in the future."
Logansport is adding two new solar fields in the near future which will help bring down energy costs. Which is just one way the town is doing its part in the fight against climate change. Mayor Kitchell says he plans on working with other politicians on the state level to help them put together a plan that will prepare the Hoosier state for any impacts it may feel from climate change.
