Climate Change in Yarmouth

Changing climate conditions pose new risks to our community. Yarmouth is committed to ensuring our families, businesses, and natural environment are healthy, safe, and thriving - today and into the future. We have an opportunity to act now to invest in thoughtful solutions and protect our quality of life.

Learn more about how the climate has changed over time, what scientists project for the next decades, and how climate change impacts our community.

Why is our climate changing?

Greenhouse gasses (GHGs) create the conditions for life on earth by trapping heat in the atmosphere and regulating Earth’s temperature. However, since the 1800s, human activities (such as cutting down forests and burning coal, oil, and gas) have increased the amount of GHGs in the atmosphere, trapping excess energy and disrupting the Earth's climate . This changing climate brings a range of hazards throughout the world such as extreme heat, intense storms, and rising sea levels.

Impacts of a changing climate.

Click through the menu below to explore some of the ways climate change is (and will) impact Yarmouth.

Warmer, more variable Temperatures

Yarmouth can expect 20 to 30 more high heat days each year by 2050. That's an additional month each year of days over 90 degrees!

High temperatures intensify the need for emergency services (like cooling centers), increase the health risks for vulnerable residents, jeopardize water supplies, and increase energy usage which stresses the electricity grid. Continued warming also impacts the ranges of plants, animals, and fisheries.

Pic of flooded Littlejohn Causeway (permission obtained).jpg

Rising Seas

The water levels in Casco Bay have risen by 7.5 inches since 1912. Maine will likely experience at least a 1-foot rise in sea levels by 2050 and three feet of sea level rise by 2100.

Rising sea levels will impact Yarmouth's coast and tidal rivers, causing erosion, groundwater contamination, loss of dry beach area, destruction to habitat, and damage to coastal property and marine infrastructure. Future sea level rise will depend on how rapidly humans curb GHG emissions.

Learn More

Intensifying Storms

Total annual precipitation (rain and snow) in Maine has increased 15% (~6 inches) since 1985, but snowfall has decreased by 20%— meaning we are experiencing more frequent extreme precipitation events but less snow.

Intense storms bring high winds and flooding which can lead to costly damage to buildings, roads, and power infrastructure and disrupt transportation around the region.

Reducing our risk.

Climate change brings a range of hazards to Maine that threaten our health, infrastructure, and environment - but local solutions are within reach. At a community scale, we can build capacity to adapt to present, and projected, climate hazards and their resulting impacts. We can build local climate resilience by reducing existing vulnerabilities and take steps to mitigate future hazards. The first step is understanding our risks. As part of the Climate Action Plan effort, Yarmouth conducted a Vulnerability Assessment to identify the people, places, and systems in our community that will be most impacted by climate hazards.

See the Vulnerability Assessment Report

See Maine's Roadmap

Check out Maine's four-year climate plan - Maine Won't Wait and explore the Maine Climate Impact Dashboard

Learn more

Learn more with United Nations Climate Change News and Maine Public Radio's Climate Driven series

Play

Climate Solution Simulator - test and explore cross-sector climate solutions!

Stay Informed & Get in Touch

Subscribe below to receive our newsletter and updates on the Town's climate action efforts.

You can also send us your questions, comments, and ideas by emailing yarmouthclimateaction@gmail.com.