This document is an interim communication to the Maine Climate Council and the public about the ongoing work of the scientific community and recent events associated with climate change. It is divided into three sections: (1) current events that reflect the acceleration of extreme weather events in Maine and elsewhere with possible connections to climate change; (2) noteworthy scientific reports with national and international scope released in 2021; and (3) examples of recent peer-reviewed publications from the ongoing work of the scientific community to understand climate change in Maine.
Maine Won’t Wait is a four year climate plan packed with actionable strategies and goals to emit less carbon, produce energy from renewable sources and protect our natural resources, communities and people from worst case scenarios.
This is the first report from the Maine Climate Council’s Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, produced by more than 50 scientists from around the State representing Scientific and Technical Subcommittee members, other co-authors, and contributors. This report is part of the 2020 Maine Climate Action Plan. The report summarizes how climate change has already impacted Maine and how it might continue affecting our State in the future.
Climate change is a global phenomenon, and its effects in Maine must be understood in the context of changes taking place throughout the world. Since 2015 we have witnessed a remarkable escalation in the evidence for a changing planet along with an escalation in the political and social engagement on how to respond. In Maine, we are acutely aware of the importance of our ocean, forests, fields, wetlands, lakes, and rivers to our way of life, our livelihoods, and our economy. Maine's Climate Future 2020 presents the most recent information on Maine's changing climate, impacts to our critical natural resources, adaptation measures, and what we are likely to see in the future. While great challenges lie ahead, significant action today can avoid the worst-case scenarios for our future and build a sustainable society that we owe to future generations.
Climate and weather exert a critical influence on the health of Maine’s people, ecosystems and economy. Across coastal communities, where fishing, forestry, tourism, and agriculture serve as the economic backbone, the changing climate poses near and long-term challenges. This report provides a basis for future planning by developing plausible climate scenarios for the next 20 years – the period 2020–2040. The plausible scenarios follow an examination of historical climate trends, climate–commodity connections, and sources of climate variability that affect Maine. This report was produced with generous support from the Russell Grinnell Memorial Trust.
This update focuses on highlights of our understanding in 2015 of past, present, and future trends in key indicators of a changing climate specific to Maine, and recent examples of how Maine people are experiencing these changes. Sometimes the effects are the direct result of shifting temperature or precipitation. Other times, climate-related changes in other parts of the country and world affect Maine, directly or indirectly. Climate change often acts in concert with other stresses, including a changing chemical climate, rather than being a singular cause of any given change. Sometimes these changes represent a new opportunity.
This report considers past change over geologic time, recent evidence of accelerated rates of change, and the implications of continued climate change in Maine during the 21st century as a result of greenhouse gas emissions and their associated pollutants. Even if a coordinated response succeeds in eliminating excess greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century, something that appears highly unlikely today, climate change will continue because the elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) can persist in the atmosphere for thousands of years to come.
A key component of FCCI is to provide connections among researchers, scientists, stakeholders, legislators, and the interested public on the intersection between climate change of forests. To that effect, we have supported a variety of outreach efforts including fact sheets, reports, and webinar series.
Changes in average and extreme weather are affecting Maine agriculture, bringing both risks and potential opportunities. This two-page document provides some observations of how Maine's weather is now different from the past, what may lie ahead, and examples of farmer choices and actions that can minimize risk and help ensure productivity.
See a selection of summary reports highlighting the scientific contributions made by UMaine Climate Change Institute researchers. Report topics include Understanding the Climate System, Atmospheric Chemistry, El Niño, Mountain Climate and Environmental Variability, New England Weather, Human Impacts on the Landscape, and many others.
The Maine Climate Office is overseen by the Maine State Climatologist, Dr. Sean Birkel, and supported by Cooperative Extension and the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine. The MCO is a resource for climate and weather data, information, research, and educational outreach for Maine citizens.
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