Sun Journal quotes Birkel in report on local effects of climate crisis
The Sun Journal quoted Sean Birkel, Maine state climatologist and a research assistant professor at the University of Maine Climate Change Institute, in the article “The climate crisis hits home in Central and Western Maine.” One visible effect of climate change in Maine is that ticks are becoming more common. Birkel said deer ticks have “become entrenched” in Maine in the past two decades, partly due to warmer weather that allows more deer to survive the winter, and partly because ticks are suited to the way Maine summers have changed. According to Birkel, “there is a sense of despair” for some people, but if they make good choices in their personal lives, including voting for candidates who will take the climate crisis seriously, the worst can be avoided, the article states. “We shouldn’t lose hope,” said Birkel. Giving in to the “dire and bleak” outlook isn’t the answer, he said, and it’s much better for everyone to do what they can to minimize their impact on the environment and consider what it takes to adapt to a warmer world. “We do need to work toward both,” he said. Portland Press Herald published the Sun Journal article.