What does a changing climate mean for central Maine? We asked an expert

CENTRAL MAINE • July 5, 2026

Gail Carlson, Colby College associate professor of environmental studies, said, “There is a ton of uncertainty in predicting exactly how hot it’s going to be in the world, in the U.S., and in Maine. We have made progress in terms of climate action at the policy level and investments in renewable energy, such that the worst-case scenarios for warming are probably off the table now. So that’s a good thing. But Maine has already warmed around 3.5 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 150 years or so, so it’s not like, ‘Oh, we’re good now.’ I think it’s reasonable that we can expect warming to continue. Exactly how much in Maine is hard to say.”