Public Perceptions of Climate Change

A 2014 statewide survey of Maryland residents reveals that 77% believe climate change is happening, with 55% viewing a particularly cold winter as evidence of this trend. While there is strong support for state-level energy efficiency and renewable energy policies, there is significant division regarding whether human activities are the primary cause of climate change. Trust in climate information is highest among university scientists, public health experts, and specific state agencies, while trust is lowest for the Governor's office and utility companies. Awareness of specific state climate policies has declined since 2013.

• A strong majority of Maryland residents believe climate change is occurring, with 77% stating it is happening and 45% expressing they are "extremely or very sure" of this fact. This is notably higher than the national average of 64% reported in April 2014.
• The cold winter of 2013-2014 did not deter belief in climate change; 55% of residents viewed the cold weather as evidence that climate change is happening, while only 2% saw it as evidence that it is not happening.
• Public opinion is split on the drivers of climate change: 37% believe it is caused entirely or mostly by human activities, while 36% believe it is driven equally by human activities and natural environmental changes.
• There is a significant gap in public understanding of scientific consensus; only 26% of Marylanders correctly identified that 81% or more of climate scientists agree that climate change is happening.
• University scientists (70%), public health experts (63%), and environmental organizations (52%) are the most trusted sources of climate information. Conversely, the Office of the Governor, local utility companies, and the General Assembly are more likely to be distrusted than trusted.
• Maryland residents show high support for various state climate and energy policies, particularly expanding energy-efficiency rebates (82%) and supporting local agricultural products (82%). Other supported policies include reducing vehicle pollution (78%) and requiring 20% renewable electricity by 2022 (73%).
• Despite high support for policies, public awareness of them has decreased since 2013. Only two policies were recognized by a majority in 2014: reducing vehicle pollution (60%) and energy-efficiency rebates (56%).

APA

Akerlof, K., & Maibach, E. W. (2014). Public Perceptions of Climate Change. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-perceptions-of-climate-change.pdf

Chicago

Akerlof, Karen, and Edward W. Maibach. Public Perceptions of Climate Change. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2014. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-perceptions-of-climate-change.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Akerlof |first1=Karen |last2=Maibach |first2=Edward W. |title=Public Perceptions of Climate Change |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-perceptions-of-climate-change.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{akerlof2014public, author = {Akerlof, Karen and Maibach, Edward W.}, title = {{Public Perceptions of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2014-Public-perceptions-of-climate-change.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }