Climate Change

A photo of an array of solar panels in a field at sunset

UMaine economists developing new resource to help tribal and underserved communities in Maine implement renewable energy 

University of Maine researchers are working with Wabanaki and rural low-income communities to co-develop a new resource for helping them implement renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The Environmental Protection Agency awarded $1.13 million to Sharon Klein and Caroline Noblet, both associate professors of economics, so they can investigate the effectiveness of Local Energy Action […]

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Media features UMaine alpine flora study

The Portland Press Herald, the Bangor Daily News, The Piscataquis Observer, Sun Journal and CentralMaine.com reported on a study led by Jacquelyn Gill, associate professor of paleoecology & plant ecology with the University of Maine School of Biology and Ecology and Climate Change Institute, that will examine 13,000 years’ worth of lake sediment containing ancient plant DNA […]

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Birkel and Climate Reanalyzer featured in Press Herald

The Portland Press Herald published a feature story about Sean Birkel, Maine state climatologist and assistant professor with a joint appointment in University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the UMaine Climate Change Institute, and his work involving the UMaine Climate Change Institute’s Climate Reanalyzer. “It’s a difficult thing to do,” Birkel said. “You have to […]

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Gill speaks to Scientific American about fossils in La Brea tar pits

Scientific American spoke to Jacquelyn Gill, associate professor of paleoecology and plant ecology with the University of Maine School of Biology and Ecology and Climate Change Institute, about new research into the famed La Brea Tar Pits published on Aug. 17 in Science. “We know that in modern systems, extinction is very rarely unicausal. You […]

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Gill speaks to Maine Public about Montana climate decision

Maine Public interviewed Jacquelyn Gill, associate professor of paleoecology & plant ecology with the University of Maine School of Biology and Ecology and Climate Change Institute, about a Montana case where the judge sided with 16 young plaintiffs in their landmark court case against the state over its climate policies. “They are getting inroads into […]

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Birkel, Handley speak to BDN about volcanic eruptions

The Bangor Daily News spoke to Sean Birkel, Maine state climatologist and assistant professor with a joint appointment in University of Maine Cooperative Extension and the UMaine Climate Change Institute, and David Handley, vegetable and small fruit specialist at Extension, about how a volcanic eruption in Tonga 18 months ago is impacting Maine growing seasons. […]

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New York Times features UMaine Composites Center

The New York Times featured the University of Maine Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC) in an article about the clean energy future. “All of us would like to think that we can have renewable energy with zero impact on the environment — as you know, it’s not possible, right? So our goal, and our […]

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AP reports global temperature drop citing Climate Reanalyzer 

The Associated Press cited the University of Maine Climate Change Institute’s Climate Reanalyzer in reporting how Tuesday, Aug. 8 was the first day since July 2 in which the global average temperature fell below the record-breaking 16.92 degrees Celsius. According to AP, that means “that Earth just spent 36 days straight above the previous hottest […]

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