Majority Of Marylanders Believe They Have Personal Impact On Climate Change, New Goucher Poll Finds
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Demonstrators around the United States are calling for action on climate change, and Maryland is no exception.
Now, a new Goucher poll shows that the majority of Marylanders believe they have a personal impact on the environment.
Marylanders for a global focus on climate change joined to protest pollution, with global emissions reaching record levels and no sign of leveling off.
While world leaders prepared for the UN climate summit and Americans across the country took to the streets, Goucher College concluded its newest Maryland poll., and found that Marylanders, in general, have a sort of pro-environmentalist bent.
69 percent of Marylanders polled said climate change is a result of human activity, while 23 percent blame it on natural ecological patterns. Only 1 percent don't believe in it at all.
Mileah Kromer of the Goucher Hughes Field Politics Center said opinions are shifting toward personal responsibility.
"This is the trend in public opinion toward this issue that more and more Americans and it's reflected here in this state point to human activity as the cause of climate change," Kromer said.
When asked if changing their lifestyles could have an impact, 92% said yes.
Carey Williams, a Baltimore resident, agrees it is affecting her home.
"We try to rethink things, we try to refuse the use of single-use plastics in our home and that's where it starts for us," she said.
"You've seen this I think with state-level legislation as well as some of the conversations we're having city-wide about banning plastic bags," she said. "We just recently across the state banned Styrofoam containers."
Because every little bit - hurts.
