Mayewski, Gill speak with Press Herald about withdrawing from climate accord

UMaine Alert

Posted: April 19, 2024 - 1:32 PM

At approximately 9:24 a.m. on Friday, April 19, a University of Maine graduate student was struck by a university vehicle on Long Road at the University of Maine campus in Orono. The student reports that they are at a local hospital with minor injuries.

Emergency services, including the Orono Fire Department, University Volunteer Ambulance Corps, University of Maine Police Department, Orono Police Department and Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

The university vehicle involved in the incident was a Chevrolet Express van. It was being operated by a university employee.

Counseling services and support are available for students, faculty or staff who may have been affected. The Counseling Center can be reached at 207-581-1392 and the Dean of Students Office can be reached at 207-581-1406.

The scene has been cleared and Long Road is now accessible. An investigation is being conducted by the University of Maine Police Department with assistance from the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Unit. Any witnesses to the incident are encouraged to contact Lt. Noel Santiago at noel.santiago@maine.edu.

June 2, 2017 In the News, School of Biology and Ecology

The Portland Press Herald spoke with Paul Mayewski and Jacquelyn Gill, researchers at the University of Maine’s Climate Change Institute, about President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord. Mayewski, director of the CCI, said that while countries such as China are taking steps to reduce carbon emissions, the U.S. stands to lose credibility because it remains the second-largest producer of carbon dioxide in the world. He said Mainers could be harmed by the president’s decision. As temperatures continue to rise and weather patterns become more unstable, extreme heat will make more people vulnerable, especially the sick and the elderly. Climate change also will impact tourism and lobstering, Mayewski said, and health care costs also could increase.

“I’m disappointed in the lack of leadership on climate change at the national level, but I hope that people don’t see this and think that all is lost because that is not true,” said Gill, who is also an Assistant Professor of Paleoecology & Plant Ecology, School of Biology and Ecology. She added the responsibility for fighting climate change now falls on state and local groups. There is hope, she said, because companies are starting to embrace the movement away from dependence on fossil fuels and investing resources in renewable energy.