Kates Quoted in Press Herald Article on Federal Climate Change Report

Robert Kates, Presidential Professor of Sustainability Science at the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, was interviewed for a Portland Press Herald article about the newly released National Climate Assessment report, which found global warming is already affecting life in Maine and other New England states. Kates, who is a coauthor of the report’s northeastern states section, told the Press Herald many people see beach erosion as the most pressing threat for Maine’s coastal communities, while officials are often more concerned about aging or inadequate culverts to deal with the increasing number of severe storms. “The culvert problem is real,” said Kates, who has worked with UMaine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative to help communities develop long-term culvert plans.