Maryland Health Professionals for Healthy Climate

 Climate Change Is Dangerous to Our Health:
A Maryland Overview

What causes climate change?

The main contributor to climate change is the burning of fossil fuels for energy, transportation, and industry. Burning fossil fuels increases health hazards through climate instability and the pollution it generates.

  • Pollutants like ozone and PM2.5 degrade air quality, contributing to a range of health problems.

  • Residents are exposed to air pollution from nearby fossil fuel burning facilities

  • The impacts of wildfire smoke from long distances

  • Long-term exposure to particulate matter is a risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

How does Maryland experience climate change?

Maryland’s diverse geography from its ocean shore to the mountains of Western Maryland means we have specific vulnerabilities to climate change, such as:

  • Densely populated cities experience the urban “heat island” effect

  • The agricultural sector experiences growing season changes and temperature extremes

  • Baltimore City experiences increased sewage overflows during and after storms.

  • City centers experience increasingly severe and frequent flooding.

How is climate change affecting health ?

Climate change is impacting our health here and now. Harmful effects aggravated by climate change include:

  • increases in heart and lung disease

  • adverse pregnancy outcomes

  • heat-related illness, infectious disease

  • food-borne illness, and

  • mental health issues.

Additionally, access to care can be disrupted during increasingly frequent severe weather events and power outages. 

Fortunately, Maryland is leading the way in climate solutions. We have the most ambitious greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals in the nation (60% by 2031), Governor Moore has committed to 100% clean energy generation by 2035, new laws make solar and wind energy more available, and stronger regulations in the transportation sector will reduce fossil fuel pollution.

Resources

Climate Impacts & Vulnerabilities in Maryland

 Vulnerable Populations

Certain populations are disproportionately impacted due to unequal exposure and their limited ability to respond to climate risks.

While climate change creates risk for all Marylanders, certain populations are disproportionately impacted due to unequal exposure and their limited ability to respond to climate risks. These include children, older adults, pregnant people, communities of color, low-wealth communities, people with disabilities and chronic health conditions, and those living in climate-sensitive geographies, such as rural, coastal, and flood-prone areas. Some of these vulnerabilities are due to unequal social structures and disparate access to opportunity.

The following examples illustrate the disproportionate impacts climate change has on the health of certain populations.

  • Pregnant People and Children

    All children deserve and need a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. They need clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, nutritious food to eat, and healthy places to live, learn, and play. This is also true for pregnant people, as the additional stress on their body can make them more susceptible to climate-related impacts and affect birth outcomes. Infants and children are especially vulnerable to environmental exposures because they breathe, eat, and drink more, in proportion to their body size, than do adults, and because their bodies and brains are still developing.

  • Persons with Disabilities or Chronic Health Conditions

    Residents of our communities deal with a wide variety of visible and invisible disabilities and chronic health conditions

  • Communities of Color

    Climate change poses disproportionate impacts on marginalized communities, including people of color, exacerbating existing inequalities. These communities face unique challenges stemming from systemic factors including environmental and socioeconomic disparities, which increases their vulnerability to climate change.

  • Workers

    Maryland employs approximately 350,000 agricultural workers and 20,000 people in construction across the state. Those that work in these and other outdoor professions are at a particular risk from increasing temperatures. This is especially true because there are not strong regulations or worker standards on heat to protect them. Indoor air quality in office buildings and warehouses are also impacted by outdoor air quality and temperatures.

Our Mission

United by a shared commitment to the health and well-being of all Marylanders, our coalition of dedicated public health and medical professionals seeks to address climate change and environmental challenges by focusing on their impacts on public health. We are working to educate, advocate, and build strong partnerships towards a healthier, more sustainable future for Maryland. The Maryland Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate is a coalition co-convened by the Maryland Public Health Association and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters.

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