FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2024
CONTACT: Meghan Hurley, Communications Manager, meghan@maineconservation.org, (603) 707-9318 (cell)
Maine Climate Council Scientific and Technical Subcommittee Releases New Report on the Impacts of Climate Change
AUGUSTA, ME – On Tuesday, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee (STS) of the Maine Climate Council released a report, Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and its Effects in Maine – 2024 Update. This report highlights the urgency of strengthening Maine’s resilience to the intensifying impacts of climate change, a priority of the Maine Climate Council.
The report found continuous evidence of the accelerating impacts of climate change: temperatures have warmed about 3.5F since 1895, extreme storms are increasingly intense, and sea levels are projected to continue to rise well into the next century – enhancing flooding from extreme storms.
STS also produced reports in 2020 and 2021 – but new in this report is an evaluation of the human dimensions of climate change, including its impacts on the economy, human health and mental well-being, and the ways Mainers experience disproportionate impacts based on their location, age, income, and other factors. The report ends with a chapter on the science of hope and its role in combating the climate crisis.
The Climate Council is currently working to update its four year climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait, which began in 2020.
Ivan Fernandez, Co-Chair of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Maine Climate Council, issued the following statement:
The science of a changing climate in Maine tells us that indicators of change are continuing and accelerating, and so too must our science-informed, equitable, and comprehensive response. Maine is a leader on climate change, and yet there is much more to do. Business as usual is not an option and time is not on our side. Yet hope springs from having a plan like Maine Won’t Wait to focus our limited resources on solutions.
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Maine Conservation Voters protects the environment in Maine and our democracy by influencing public policy, holding politicians accountable, and winning elections.