Public Health, Energy & Climate Change A Maryland Statewide Survey

The 2014 survey of Maryland residents indicates a strong public perception that climate change harms human health, particularly through respiratory issues and heat stroke. While medical professionals are highly trusted sources of information, residents perceive fossil fuels and nuclear power as health hazards, contrasting with a view of solar and wind energy as non-harmful. The report also notes an increase in concern regarding chemical exposure and pollution, and identifies health care access and environmental health as top state policy priorities.

• A majority of Maryland residents (55%) expect climate change to affect the health of people in their communities within the next several years. The most commonly cited risks are breathing and respiratory problems (72%), injuries from extreme weather (61%), and heat stroke (55%), while infectious disease is viewed as a less likely risk (42%).
• Maryland residents tend to perceive others as more vulnerable to climate change than themselves. While 65% believe future generations will be harmed "a great deal," only 19% believe they will be. Additionally, people with medical conditions (59%) and the elderly (55%) are identified as very vulnerable, whereas young children (42%) and low-income individuals (36%) are less frequently cited.
• Medical authorities are among the most trusted sources for climate change information, with 63% of residents trusting doctors and public health experts, nearly as high as the 70% who trust scientists at Maryland universities.
• There has been a significant increase in the perceived personal health risks from chemicals and pollution since 2013. Exposure to chemicals in food and products is now seen as a major risk by 55% of residents (a 23 percentage point increase), followed by polluted drinking water (52%), air pollution (47%), and second-hand smoke (41%).
• Improving access to health care (74%), reducing water pollution (81%), and creating jobs (89%) are ranked as the highest priorities for the state's governor and General Assembly. Climate change is viewed as a high or very high priority by 51% of residents.
• Fossil fuels and nuclear power are widely perceived as harmful to health, with coal (72%), oil (64%), and nuclear power (58%) cited as somewhat or very harmful. Conversely, renewable energy is viewed as non-harmful, including solar (65%), land-based wind (58%), and offshore wind (57%).

APA

Akerlof, K., & Maibach, E. W. (2014). Public Health, Energy & Climate Change A Maryland Statewide Survey. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-health-energy-and-climate-change.pdf

Chicago

Akerlof, Karen, and Edward W. Maibach. Public Health, Energy & Climate Change A Maryland Statewide Survey. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2014. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-health-energy-and-climate-change.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Akerlof |first1=Karen |last2=Maibach |first2=Edward W. |title=Public Health, Energy & Climate Change A Maryland Statewide Survey |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-health-energy-and-climate-change.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{akerlof2014public, author = {Akerlof, Karen and Maibach, Edward W.}, title = {{Public Health, Energy \& Climate Change A Maryland Statewide Survey}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-health-energy-and-climate-change.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }