According to the Pew Research Center, about two-thirds of Americans feel the federal government is not doing enough to counteract the effects of climate change. While most U.S. adults acknowledge climate change as a real issue, there is less consensus regarding what measures to take to address the worsening climate crisis.
Solutions such as planting more trees to absorb carbon emissions garnered widespread, bipartisan support. Approval for taxing corporations based on their emissions output or introducing stricter emissions standards for vehicles, on the other hand, seemed to fall along party lines, with 86-89% of Democratic-leaning respondents supporting those measures versus 52-55% of Republican-leaning respondents.
However, attitudes toward climate change policies are split by more than mere political party affiliation. Other critical demographic factors include generational differences, gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic situation, and proximity to a coastline where natural disasters have increased in frequency.
Economic reliance on fossil fuels also significantly influences whether people support or oppose climate change measures locally and nationally. We compiled statistics using data from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication to parse how people in Southern Maryland feel about climate change policies. The data is from a survey conducted in 2021.
Nationally, 71.8% of people think climate change is happening. Maryland has the second-highest percentage of residents in the country who think their governor should do more to address global warming. St. Mary’s County has the seventh lowest percentage of residents in the state who are worried about global warming.
Calvert County climate change opinions by the numbers
People who think global warming is happening: 70.9%
- 7.1% lower than the state average
- #12 lowest in the state
- People who do not think global warming is happening: 15.8%
- People who think global warming is caused mainly by human activities: 52.6%
- People who agree that global warming is affecting weather in the United States: 63.0%
- People who believe global warming will harm them personally: 42.0%
- People who support regulating CO2 as a pollutant: 69.4%
- People who think Congress should be doing more to address global warming: 57.2% People who say a candidate’s views on global warming are essential to their vote: 49.5%
Charles County climate change opinions by the numbers
People who think global warming is happening: 75.9%
- 2.0% lower than the state average
- #6 highest in the state
- People who do not think global warming is happening: 10.2%
- People who think global warming is caused mainly by human activities: 58.0%
- People who agree that global warming is affecting weather in the United States: 68.3%
- People who believe global warming will harm them personally: 51.3%
- People who support regulating CO2 as a pollutant: 75.2%
- People who think Congress should be doing more to address global warming: 67.0%
- People who say a candidate’s views on global warming are essential to their vote: 60.2%
St. Mary’s County climate change opinions by the numbers
People who think global warming is happening: 68.2%
- 9.7% lower than the state average
- #6 lowest in the state
- People who do not think global warming is happening: 17.5%
- People who think global warming is caused mainly by human activities: 51.3%
- People who agree that global warming is affecting weather in the United States: 60.3%
- People who believe global warming will harm them personally: 41.5%
- People who support regulating CO2 as a pollutant: 68.7%
- People who think Congress should be doing more to address global warming: 58.2%
- People who say a candidate’s views on global warming are essential to their vote: 49.1%
Counties with the most people who think climate change is happening in Maryland
#1. Montgomery County: 83.9%
#2. Baltimore City: 82.5%
#3. Baltimore County: 80.5%
#4. Prince George’s County: 79.1%
#5. Howard County: 77.3%
Counties with the most people who think climate change is not happening in Maryland
#1. Garrett County: 21.8%
#2. Cecil County: 21.2%
#3. Carroll County: 19.9%
#4. Caroline County: 19.5%
#5. Allegany County: 19.1%