Climate Change Institute

The Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded a $9 million contract to the University of Maine for research that will significantly expand efforts to quantify snowpack properties, explore the impact of snowmelt on the surrounding terrestrial environments of Alaska and Maine, and expand training opportunities in polar science.  The project is led by School of […]

The New York Times interviewed Sean Birkel, Maine state climatologist and assistant research professor with the Climate Change Institute, on powerful storms that hit Stonington, Maine, in January. According to the article, Maine towns — which typically experience winter nor’easters with winds that blow water away from them — were caught off guard by the […]

University of Maine Libra Professor of Anthropology and Climate Studies Dan Sandweiss was honored for decades of supporting the National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History of Peru during a ceremony held July 17. The editor of the museum’s journal spoke about Sandweiss’ scholarly accomplishments — he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences […]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/08/07/science/climate-change-threatens-maines-indigenous-history

Dr. Daniel Sandweiss has been named the Libra Professor of Anthropology and Climate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This appointment is effective July 1, 2024, and is awarded for a period of four years. As stated in the fund description, Libra Professorships are to: build, enhance, and provide recognition for selected […]

A letter home from Iceland’s fast-melting glaciersI was very lucky to travel last week to what instantly became one of the most fascinating and beautiful places I’ve ever seen: Iceland. My family spent several days road tripping along the island’s south coast, stopping at volcanic craters, cliffs full of puffins, black pebble beaches, hot springs […]

The Boston Globe reported on the work of Bonnie Newsom, associate professor of anthropology, and her team to save historic Wabanaki Nations sites along Maine’s coast from rising sea levels. Their goal is to recover and protect valuable artifacts before the ocean washes them away.

From the piers in Casco Bay to the marinas of the midcoast and wharves along Downeast shorelines, working waterfronts are crucial to Maine’s economy and communities. Faced with the threat of rising sea levels, stronger and more frequent storms, aging infrastructure and development pressures, Gov. Janet Mills and her administration have developed strategies and nature-based […]

Gov. Janet Mills honored Marcella Sorg, a forensic anthropologist and a University of Maine research professor at the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, with the Governor’s Award during the sixth annual Governor’s Opioid Response Summit on Thursday, July 25. Sorg was recognized for her “extraordinary contributions in the fight against substance use disorder,” according to […]

We’re just sticking a toe into the climatic realm of the last interglacial period, not living in it—yet. By Zoë Schlanger https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/07/hottest-day-on-earth/679255/