Marylanders Disagree On Future Impact Of Climate Change, Poll Finds

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Marylanders are divided on whether climate change issues will have a major impact on the state and their future health, according to the latest Goucher College Poll.

The poll shows that of the 635 people surveyed March 1–6, 55% anticipated climate change to have a major impact on rising sea levels and retreating shorelines.

Other Marylanders were more skeptical with 27% anticipating only a minor impact and 13% expecting no impact at all.

Those numbers slightly shifted when it came to the impact climate change might have on wildlife and ecosystems, according to poll data.

A little more than half of the poll participants—54%—say they expect climate change to have a major impact on wildlife and ecosystems while 27% expect only a minor impact and 14% anticipate that there will be no impact at all.

They expressed a similar amount of concern when it came to extreme weather such as floods, hurricanes, or long periods of unusually hot weather.

Poll data shows that 54% of the poll participants expected a major impact, 26% expected a minor impact, and 18% expected no impact.

Fewer participants were concerned about the impact of climate change on the fishing and agricultural industries.

Poll data shows that 46% of them said climate change would have a major impact on these industries while 29% thought there would be only a minor impact and 15% believe there will be no impact at all.

Even fewer poll participants were concerned about the impact of climate change on the quality of the air. Only 38% of them foresaw a major impact on air quality while 41% said there would likely be a minor impact on air quality and 18% expected no impact.

And when it came to human health, 40% of those polled expected climate change to have a major impact on health, 40% anticipated a minor impact, and 16 percent said there would be no impact, according to poll data.

The Goucher College Poll is conducted by the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics at Goucher College. The center is directed by Dr. Mileah Kromer, associate professor of political science. The Goucher College Poll is funded by the Sarah T. Hughes Center for Politics endowment.

Out of those people interviewed by pollsters, 593 Maryland adults identified as registered voters. There's a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.