Bummer: Federal Cuts May Cause Problems With Maine’s Climate (scam) Efforts

Maybe states shouldn’t be so darned reliant on Los Federales, eh? (available in full at Yahoo)

Federal cuts may hurt Maine’s ability to meet climate goals, scientists say

Scientists and fishermen are eager to learn more about a sudden cooling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Maine, a new mystery in a body of water as well known in global science circles for its rapid warming as it is among foodies for its lobsters, oysters and scallops.

That will be hard to do under a proposed federal budget that cuts funds for a national ocean monitoring system.

“People are talking (about the cooling). Is this a reset?” asked Susie Arnold, a marine scientist with the Island Institute in Rockland. “Well, what do you use to find that out? You look at the buoys. Those are one of the primary tools that we use to understand oceanography in the Gulf of Maine.”

Arnold was referring to a network of floating research stations that monitor currents, temperature and other data points used by scientists to track changes in the gulf.

She is one of about 40 scientists who advise the Maine Climate Council, the state-appointed commission that develops the state climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait. The scientists provide the raw science behind the plan, documenting the effects of climate change and projecting future sea level rise and warming.

And these scientists are worried, both about the coming changes in climate and their ability to study them. And they believe recent federal budget and staffing cuts may prevent Maine from achieving its climate goals, including those set in the November update to Maine Won’t Wait but also those already codified in state law.

How about they tax Maine residents who voted for this, let them pay.

Members of the council’s scientific and technical subcommittee, which Arnold co-chairs, met Thursday to talk about writing a new report on both the evolving science, including the Gulf of Maine’s new deep water cooling trend, and the changed political landscape. They decided to write an update to last year’s plan by April.

They cited more than a dozen at-risk or eliminated federally run or funded scientific programs, ranging from an environmental justice screening tool that Maine uses to help identify socially vulnerable communities to coastal zone management grants that help communities prepare and bounce back from climate challenges like flooding.

I’ve been told that elections have consequences. Spend your own money.

Meanwhile

Scientists stunned after detecting unexpected shift in Antarctic Ice Sheet: ‘A historic turnaround’

Scientists have observed an encouraging trend in growth in the Antarctic Ice Sheet but remain cautious about the climate’s future.

A study published in Science China Earth Sciences found that the AIS had a record-breaking gain in mass between 2021 and 2023, most likely due to a pattern of unusual precipitation, per a report from KTVU.

“[The study] found that between 2011 and 2020, the AIS was losing ice at a rate of 142 gigatons per year,” the outlet stated. “But between 2021 and 2023, the trend reversed, with the ice sheet gaining approximately 108 gigatons per year — a historic turnaround.”

Surprisingly, they do not blame this on global heating. I’m sure they will get around to it.

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