Maryland’s Six Climate Change Audiences

The report segments Marylanders into six climate change audiences: Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, Disengaged, Doubtful, and Dismissive. In spring 2013, 62% of residents fell into the Alarmed (23%) and Concerned (39%) categories. The study finds high polarization regarding local environmental changes and health risks, while identifying broad support for renewable energy and the protection of public water supplies. It details the demographic and behavioral profiles of each segment to inform state climate and energy policy communication.

• In spring 2013, 62% of Marylanders were categorized as having high levels of concern and motivation to take action regarding climate change, consisting of 23% in the 'Alarmed' segment and 39% in the 'Concerned' segment.
• Perceptions of local environmental and weather changes are highly polarized; the Alarmed (85%) and Concerned (54%) are the only groups likely to report that local weather has gotten 'worse'.
• The Alarmed audience is the most likely to perceive an increase in local extreme weather events, specifically heat waves (68%), heavy rains (61%), high winds (57%), and tropical storms or hurricanes (55%).
• There is majority support for increasing solar and wind energy in Maryland across four audiences (Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, and Doubtful), with solar receiving the highest support.
• The Dismissive audience is the most likely to correctly identify coal as a major source of electrical energy generated within the state (40%).
• Public health risk perceptions vary by audience: the Alarmed, Concerned, Cautious, and Disengaged are most worried about air pollution, while the Doubtful and Dismissive are less likely to view any listed health threats as major or moderate risks.
• There is broad agreement across all six climate audiences that protecting public water supplies and sewer systems from environmental threats should be a high priority for state and local governments.
• The term 'climate change' is preferred by four of the six audiences, while the Alarmed audience is more likely to favor the term 'global warming'.
• Support for requiring Maryland electricity suppliers to use 20% renewable energy by 2022 is high among the Alarmed (93%), Concerned (85%), Cautious (70%), and Disengaged (57%), but lower among the Doubtful (42%) and Dismissive (20%).
• Five of the six audiences support the requirement for property sellers to disclose projected future risks, such as climate-related flooding; only the Dismissive audience opposes this (61%).

APA

Akerlof, K., Grutter, B., & Maibach, E. W. (2014). Maryland’s Six Climate Change Audiences. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2013-July-Marylands-Six-Climate-Change-Audiences.pdf

Chicago

Akerlof, Karen, Brittany Grutter, and Edward W. Maibach. Maryland’s Six Climate Change Audiences. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2014. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2013-July-Marylands-Six-Climate-Change-Audiences.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Akerlof |first1=Karen |last2=Grutter |first2=Brittany |last3=Maibach |first3=Edward W. |title=Maryland’s Six Climate Change Audiences |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2013-July-Marylands-Six-Climate-Change-Audiences.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{akerlof2014marylands, author = {Akerlof, Karen and Grutter, Brittany and Maibach, Edward W.}, title = {{Maryland’s Six Climate Change Audiences}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2013-July-Marylands-Six-Climate-Change-Audiences.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }