Prime Minister Liz Truss’ resignation marks the shortest premiership in Great Britain’s history. With inflation and political instability plaguing the nation, a new leader will be chosen at the end of this week. So, what led to Truss’s decision?

“We [the Conservative Party] delivered on energy bills and cutting national insurance. We set out a vision for a low-tax, high-growth economy that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit,” Truss announced at Downing Street on Oct. 20. “I recognize, though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandates on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party.”

Truss took office on Sept. 5 after winning the Conservative Party leadership. She inherited a country that is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and is in the midst of defending Ukraine in a war with Russia — economic and political instability marred her six weeks in office.

On Sept. 8, Queen Elizabeth II died, forcing the nation into a 10-day mourning period, so Parliamentary affairs were put on hold.

After returning to business as usual on Sept. 23, former U.K. Conservative Party finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng presented a mini-budget, which included tax cuts funded by government borrowing. Truss personally endorsed the plan, proving to be a fatal mistake. The pound plunged to its lowest level since 1985 and interest rates on mortgages increased. Truss later fired Kwarteng.

A survey from the IPSOS shows Truss’ approval ratings dropping from -2 at the start of her leadership to an average of -51 after the budget proposal, which is lower than when Boris Johnson left office.

Britons took to social media to voice their frustration.

“Why is Liz Truss throwing a party at Chequers today? What has she actually accomplished? She tanked the economy, made people fear about paying mortgages and bills and has not even properly apologised to the nation. Let them eat cake seems to be the only Tory-motto,” wrote Twitter user Daniela Nadj.

The Conservative Party experienced another dangerous blow on Oct. 19. Home Secretary Suella Braverman, one of Truss’s allies, resigned.

“As Home Secretary I hold myself to the highest standards and my resignation is the right thing to do. The business of government relies upon people accepting responsibility for their mistakes,” Braverman explained in a letter. “Pretending we haven’t made mistakes, carrying on as if everyone can’t see that we have made them, and hoping that things will magically come right is not serious politics.”

Truss announced her own resignation a day later.

Britain’s political and economic turmoil is not entirely unique. The United States and many other nations are experiencing the same level of dysfunction. For example, the United States’ midterm elections this fall are marked by the narratives of “stolen elections,” threatening the very existence of democracy.

Truss stated that she will remain in office until a predecessor is chosen. Boris Johnson was in the running but dropped out of the race on Oct. 23.

“I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do,” said Johnson in an official statement.

Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the Exchequer (the government department in charge of the management of the royal funds), is now being considered to replace her.

UPDATE: As of Monday Oct. 24, former finance minister Rishi Sunak has officially won the race to be Britain’s next prime minister. Sunak will take office as the first Hindu and person of color to become UK’s prime minister.

9/23

At 7 a.m. the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) responded to a theft report at the Fay Hyland Botanical Garden after the garden’s sign was taken. The sign is valued at $350.

At 10 a.m. officers arrived at Hitchner Hall after receiving a property damage report.

At 10:45 a.m. UMPD arrived at the Donald P. Corbett Business Building after they received a report that their sign had been stolen. The sign is valued at $350.

9/24

At 12:07 a.m. officers performing a routine check of the university’s parking lots found an abandoned electric scooter. UMPD coordinated with the Old Town Police Department to locate the owner.

At 1:45 a.m. UMPD and the University Volunteer Ambulance Corps (UVAC) arrived on the second floor of Cumberland Hall after receiving a report of a severely intoxicated person. The person refused transport.

At 3:30 a.m. officers received a report of suspicious male individuals. Officers identified one individual who had multiple outstanding warrants.

At 10:10 a.m. UMPD received a late report from Androscoggin Hall. A student had alcohol and was referred to conduct.

At 3:22 p.m. UMPD received a late report of vehicle damage in the Collins Center for the Arts parking lot. There were no injuries.

At 11:02 p.m. officers responded to Kennebec Hall where exit signs had been vandalized.

9/25

At 12:30 a.m. UMPD and UVAC arrived at Cumberland Hall after a student was hit in the eye while playing hall sports.

At 1:51 a.m. officers responded to a suspicious person report at Cumberland Hall. No one was there when the officers arrived.

9/26

At 1:40 a.m. UMPD and UVAC received a report of a male with a cut hand. The person was transported to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.

At 11:26 a.m. officers received a theft report from the Memorial Gym Complex. A pedestal fan was stolen and is valued at $560.

9/27

At 3:31 p.m. UMPD received a report that a bike was stolen from Oxford Hall. The bike is worth $300.

9/28

At 2:14 a.m. UMPD responded to a shoplifting incident at the bookstore. This incident is an ongoing investigation.

9/29

At 11:28 p.m. UMPD arrived at Knox Hall after receiving a report of three drunk males. One person was uncooperative and ran from the officers, resulting in a short chase. They were eventually detained and referred to conduct.

9/16

At 1:15 p.m. the University of Maine Police Department (UMPD) arrived at Chadbourne Hall after staff reported two unusual envelopes that they considered to be suspicious. Officers determined that the envelopes were not a threat.

At 2:50 p.m. UMPD received a late report for a minor vehicle crash on Sept. 15. There were minor damages and injuries.

At 5:20 p.m. officers responded to a report of property damage in the Collins Center for the Arts (CCA) parking lot. There were no injuries.

At 5:48 p.m. UMPD, Old Town Fire Department, Maine Forest Service and other neighboring fire departments responded to a report of a small forest fire on Connector Rd. Responders extinguished the fire before it spread.

At 8:15 p.m. an officer reported an incident of road rage on Park St. in Orono. A silver vehicle sped down the road but was off campus before UMPD could stop the individual. UMPD coordinated with the Orono Police Department for an investigation.

At 9:24 p.m. officers responded to Edith Patch Hall after a student was caught with marijuana. The student was referred to conduct.

At 10:30 p.m. UMPD and the University Volunteer Ambulance Corps (UVAC) arrived at the Memorial Union for a fainted person. The person was evaluated and refused transport.

9/17

At 12:20 a.m. UMPD responded to an intoxicated female at Oxford Hall. The individual was evaluated and refused transport.

At 4:35 p.m. UMPD and UVAC responded to Hart Hall for a leg injury. The student was transported to St. Joseph Hospital.

At 11:10 p.m. officers stopped a speeding motorcycle and found the vehicle to be uninspected. The officer issued a summons to the individual for speeding in an unregistered vehicle.

Officers responded to Estabrooke Hall after someone reported a group of students making loud noises. The students were gone by the time officers arrived.

9/18

At 3:30 a.m. UMPD responded to an activity report in the New Balance Student Recreation Center parking lot. The officers found three men smoking marijuana. One was a student and was referred to conduct. The other two were off-campus individuals who were asked to leave the premises.

9/19

At midnight officers arrived at Cumberland Hall after they received a report of an extremely intoxicated male. The person was transported to the hospital and three other students were referred to conduct for underage drinking.

At 1:35 p.m. UMPD received a report of a stolen bike from Cumberland Hall. The case is still under investigation.

9/20

At 1:30 p.m. officers arrived at Hitchner Hall after a student cut their hand. The individual was transported to the hospital.

At 3:20 p.m. UMPD responded to a property damage incident at Shibles Hall.

At 8:15 p.m. UMPD and UVAC arrived at Alfond Stadium after a man injured his ankle. The person was transported to St. Joseph Hospital for treatment.

At 11:07 p.m. UMPD received a report of a stolen bike from Somerset Hall. The case is still under investigation.

At 11:45 p.m. officers received a medical call and arrived at Oxford Hall for an ill female who refused treatment.

9/21

At 12:30 p.m. UMPD received another report of a stolen bike from Somerset Hall. The case is still under investigation.

At 2 p.m. officers received another report of a stolen bike from Somerset Hall. The case is still under investigation.

At 2:15 p.m. UMPD responded to a report of a stolen bike from Gannet Hall. The case is still under investigation.

9/22

At 9:40 a.m. UMPD responded to a report of theft at the Canadian-American Center. The Canadian-American Center sign was taken overnight and is worth $302.

The window of time to mitigate the current impacts of climate change is slowly coming to a close. Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its sixth report assessing the consequences of climate change on ecosystems, human communities and biodiversity while considering the limitations and vulnerabilities of the natural world. The report tracks the decrease of certain species in equatorial and tropical regions, the altered biodiversity across the globe and the impact that anthropogenic climate change has on human health, especially that of Indigenous groups. Despite the overwhelming evidence that climate action needs to happen, the University of Maine Board of Trustees won’t divest $14 million in oil, coal and gas companies. 

Researchers for the IPCC found that the increase in extreme weather conditions “have exposed millions of people to acute food insecurity and reduced water security,” especially in Africa, South America, Central America and Asia. Those most affected by the sudden decrease in food production and food diversity are “Indigenous Peoples, small-scale food producers and low-income households with children, elderly people and pregnant women.” Impacts on health extend to the economic and social well-being of citizens. Evidence has shown that climate change impacts infrastructure, such as transportation, water and sanitation. Coastal, freshwater and marine ecosystems will see a great loss in biodiversity if global temperatures rise 1.5 degrees Celsius. Climate change is no longer a far-away danger; it is in our backyard, and we need to take responsibility as a community to do the most we can. 

National Public Radio recently reported that the Gulf of Maine experienced record-breaking temperatures in 2021. Melting ice from the Arctic causes water temperatures to increase in the Gulf, and its effects are already being seen by researchers and fishermen alike. 

“Warmer waters are bringing in more southerly species,” one fisherman said to NPR. 

Since the Gulf of Maine warms nearly three times faster than any other ocean, many look toward the waters of Maine as a reflection of what will happen to other marine ecosystems and coastal industries around the globe. The changes we are witnessing in Maine reflect the inevitable changes to our economy, lifestyle and way of life. 

A Portland Press Herald article from September 2021 documents the university investment policy change that occurred in 2016 that took Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles into account. While there has been a 70% decrease in fossil fuel investments in the university endowment, there has been little discussion to divest the remaining percentage. Last June, Maine became the first state to sign into legislation the commitment to sell off or divest their investments in fossil fuels. One must question why the university has not taken the same steps. By funding the exploitation of the environment through fossil fuels, UMaine becomes complicit in the cycle of environmental degradation and the people it affects.

Climate change disproportionately affects people of color. According to Greenaction, poorer communities, often consisting of people of color, frequently live on undesirable lands that are more susceptible to extreme weather, near hazardous waste and are generally more polluted. No true climate justice can occur without some form of racial justice; divestment from fossil fuels equals reinvestment into the people and places that it harms most. 

While the Board of Trustees needs to invest in renewable energy and our future, students need to be aware of and investigate where their money is going. By having the knowledge of where tuition, donation dollars and other funds go, we can proactively advocate having the money divested from fossil fuels and hold the Board of Trustees accountable. College students can also keep up with climate news and discuss the relevance and importance of the university as a model for other major institutions in the fight against climate change.