Common Sense Readers Sound Off About Climate Change
CSES Staff • November 24, 2020
Last issue we invited our readers to participate in a Climate Change and Environmental Protection Poll
between November 11 and November 20, 2020. Forty-six Common Sense
readers responded to the poll. Most of the respondents (19) live in Kent County, Md. Four are from Queen Anne’s, two from Cecil, one each from Caroline, Harford, Talbot, and Wicomico. Two are from out of state (one formerly from Kent). Fourteen did not give a location.
We asked eight questions about climate change. Here is what we found out.
Everyone who responded agreed that climate change is real. Apparently, there are no climate change deniers among Common Sense readers!
All respondents see a direct link between human activity and climate change:
• They think human activity is a cause of climate change.
• They believe that human activity has a major effect on climate change.
• They believe that man-made climate change is the underlying cause of recent hurricanes and storms, large forest fires, losses of polar ice, and sea level increases.
Ninety-three percent of respondents answered that they think climate change is, sooner or later, a threat to life on earth. Seven percent said “No” to this question. Of those, two took issue with how we worded the question. Jim Bogden said, “I don't think that ‘climate change is, sooner or later, a threat to life on earth,’ but it is a real threat to modern human civilization!” Bill Flook commented that “Your question, ‘Threat to life on earth’ is poorly worded. Life itself will survive whatever we do to the climate, in some form. Human life will change radically in quality, and millions will die ...”
There was broad support for an active government role in fighting climate change. The question we asked was “What should the government (U.S, state, local) do to counter climate change?”
• 100 percent answered the government should “Support non-fossil fuel energy uses such as wind and solar power by tax incentives, rebates, loans, and other support to businesses and individuals.”
• 98 percent felt the government should “Require better energy efficiency and conservation in cars, homes, buildings, industry.”
• 96 percent said “Fund efforts and research to reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere.”
• 98 percent answered “Fund efforts and research to reduce agricultural and industrial waste in our water and soil.”
• No one answered that the government should do “Nothing.”
Every respondent indicated that their household has taken steps to reduce environmental harm and climate change. The chart below shows the frequency of adoption of particular steps. (Multiple answers were allowed.)
Finally, we asked for additional comments. Several people commented on the need for more and better recycling options. Here are some others:
“Every year, we set new records: worst forest fires, most ice melt, most hurricanes (we're up to Iota!), highest average temperatures. It's possible to pretend that it doesn't affect us, but I suspect that if nothing is done, the Eastern Shore is going to be a wetland, or they'll be renaming the two bays because they've joined together into one.”
~Karen from Wicomico Co.
"As a lifelong [71 years and counting] Eastern Shoreman who has always been focused on the water I can say that the effects of sea level rise [and the concomitant erosion and ‘slump’ it causes] are utterly alarming.”
~Johnson Fortenbaugh, Talbot Co. 40 yrs., Kent Co. 31 yrs.
"The other elephant in the room is overpopulation — a huge problem with no easy solutions. Combined with climate change — which is likely to render much cropland unusable by the end of this century — unchecked population rise is going pose an existential threat to the kind of lifestyle most of us in the West now consider normal. And, as I said, there are no easy solutions in sight.”
~Kent Co. resident
“I've personally watched farmers and homeowners in Kent County lose their land to increased flooding and sea level rise due to climate change.”
~Kent Co. resident
“I live on the Bay and in only 2 years I've seen changes along the shoreline most likely attributable to rising water levels. I also see major erosion. If muddy silt runoff continues into the Bay no wonder the water level rises.”
~Kent Co. resident
“What level of rise of sea level would it take for sea water to invade our drinking water sources?”
~Kent Co. resident
As this subject is very important to readers of Common Sense, we will continue to publish articles that address the impact of climate change on the Eastern Shore and the efforts to deal with it.
Thank you to everyone who participated!
Common Sense for the Eastern Shore
Right now, Congress is working on a fast-track bill that would make historic cuts to basic needs programs in order to finance another round of tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.
The House Agriculture Committee recently voted, along party lines, to advance legislation that would cut as much as $300 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is the nation’s most important anti-hunger program, helping more than 41 million people in the U.S. pay for food. With potential cuts this large, it helps to know who benefits from this program in Maryland, and who would lose this assistance. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities compiled data on SNAP beneficiaries by congressional district, cited below, and produced the Maryland state datasheet , shown below. In Maryland, in 2023-24, 1 in 9 people lived in a household with SNAP benefits. In Maryland’s First Congressional District, in 2023-24: Almost 34,000 households used SNAP benefits. Of those households, 43% had at least one senior (over age 60). 29% of SNAP recipients were people of color. 15% were Black, non-Hispanic, higher than 11.8% nationally. 6% were Hispanic (19.4% nationally). There were 24,700 total veterans (ages 18-64). Of those, 2,200 lived in households that used SNAP benefits (9%). The CBPP SNAP datasheet for Maryland is below. See data from all the states and download factsheets here.
Apparently, some people think that the GOP’s “big beautiful bill” is a foregone conclusion, and that the struggle over the budget and Trump’s agenda is over and done. Not true. On Sunday night, the bill — given the alternate name “Big Bad Bullsh*t Bill” by the Democratic Women’s Caucus — was voted out of the House Budget Committee. The GOP plan is to pass this legislation in the House before Memorial Day. But that’s not the end of it. As Jessica Craven explained in her Chop Wood Carry Water column: “Remember, we have at least six weeks left in this process. The bill has to: Pass the House, Then head to the Senate where it will likely be rewritten almost completely, Then be passed there, Then be brought back to the House for reconciliation, And then, if the House changes that version at all, Go back to the Senate for another vote.” She adds, “Every step of that process is a place for us to kill it.” The bill is over a thousand pages long, and the American people will not get a chance to read it until it has passed the House. But, thanks to 5Calls , we know it includes:
Let's talk about our Eastern Shore Delegation, the representatives who are supposed to fight for our nine Shore counties in Annapolis, and what they actually got up to this session.
For the first time in recent memory, Virginia Democrats have candidates running in all 100 House of Delegates districts — a milestone party leaders and grassroots organizers say reflects rising momentum as President Donald Trump’s second term continues to galvanize opposition.
The 447th legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly adjourned on April 8. This End of Session Report highlights the work Shore Progress has done to fight for working families and bring real results home to the Shore. Over the 90-day session, lawmakers debated 1,901 bills and passed 878 into law. Shore Progress and members supported legislation that delivers for the Eastern Shore, protecting our environment, expanding access to housing and healthcare, strengthening workers’ rights, and more. Shore Progress Supported Legislation By The Numbers: Over 60 pieces of our backed legislation were passed. Another 15 passed in one Chamber but not the other. Legislation details are below, past the budget section. The 2026 Maryland State Budget How We Got Here: Maryland’s budget problems didn’t start overnight. They began under Governor Larry Hogan. Governor Hogan expanded the state budget yearly but blocked the legislature from moving money around or making common-sense changes. Instead of fixing the structural issues, Hogan used federal covid relief funds to hide the cracks and drained our state’s savings from $5.5 billion to $2.3 billion to boost his image before leaving office. How Trump/Musk Made It Worse: Maryland is facing a new fiscal crisis driven by the Trump–Musk administration, whose trade wars, tariff policies, and deep federal cuts have hit us harder than most, costing the state over 30,000 jobs, shuttering offices, and erasing promised investments. A University of Maryland study estimates Trump’s tariffs alone could cost us $2 billion, and those federal cuts have already added $300 million to our budget deficit. Covid aid gave us a short-term boost and even created a fake surplus under Hogan, but that money is gone, while housing, healthcare, and college prices keep rising. The Trump–Musk White House is only making things worse by slashing funding, gutting services, and eliminating research that Marylanders rely on. How The State Budget Fixes These Issues: This year, Maryland faced a $3 billion budget gap, and the General Assembly fixed it with a smart mix of cuts and fair new revenue, while protecting working families, schools, and health care. The 2025 Budget cuts $1.9 billion ($400 million less than last year) without gutting services people rely on. The General Assembly raised $1.2 billion in fair new revenue, mostly from the wealthiest Marylanders. The Budget ended with a $350 million surplus, plus $2.4 billion saved in the Rainy Day Fund (more than 9% of general fund revenue), which came in $7 million above what the Spending Affordability Committee called for. The budget protects funding for our schools, health care, transit, and public workers. The budget delivers real wins: $800 million more annually for transit and infrastructure, plus $500 million for long-term transportation needs. It invests $9.7 billion in public schools and boosts local education aid by $572.5 million, a 7% increase. If current revenue trends hold, no new taxes will be needed next session. Even better, 94% of Marylanders will see a tax cut or no change, while only the wealthiest 5% will finally pay their fair share. The tax system is smarter now. We’re: Taxing IT and data services like Texas and D.C. do; Raising taxes on cannabis and sports betting, not groceries or medicine; and Letting counties adjust income taxes. The budget also restores critical funding: $122 million for teacher planning $15 million for cancer research $11 million for crime victims $7 million for local business zones, and Continued support for public TV, the arts, and BCCC The budget invests in People with disabilities, with $181 million in services Growing private-sector jobs with $139 million in funding, including $27.5 million for quantum tech, $16 million for the Sunny Day Fund, and $10 million for infrastructure loans. Health care is protected for 1.5 million Marylanders, with $15.6 billion for Medicaid and higher provider pay. Public safety is getting a boost too, with $60 million for victim services, $5.5 million for juvenile services, and $5 million for parole and probation staffing. This budget also tackles climate change with $100 million for clean energy and solar projects, and $200 million in potential ratepayer relief. Public workers get a well-deserved raise, with $200 million in salary increases, including a 1% COLA and ~2.5% raises for union workers. The ultra-wealthy will finally chip in to pay for it: People earning over $750,000 will pay more, Millionaires will pay 6.5%, and Capital gains over $350,000 get a 2% surcharge. Deductions are capped for high earners, but working families can still deduct student loans, medical debt, and donations. This budget is bold, fair, and built to last. That’s why Shore Progress proudly supports it. Click on the arrows below for details in each section.
