Op-Ed by Dr. Jon Gorman, initially published in Maryland Matters.

With this summer’s relentless extreme heat, flash flooding and smoke from Canadian wildfires still lingering, Marylanders are gasping for air, battling rising water, with devastating consequences for their health, homes, and neighborhoods. At the same time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s responses have been slow and unreliable, as we have seen with the denied federal disaster aid to Western Maryland.

With heat-related deaths and illnesses and catastrophic flash floods disrupting lives across the state, it’s clear the climate crisis has arrived at our front door, demanding urgent, systemic solutions. Against this backdrop, Gov. Wes Moore’s decision in May to veto the Responding to Emergency Needs from Extreme Weather (RENEW) Act of 2025 was a profound setback for the health of Maryland’s citizens, and for the financial health of our state, as more and more of our taxes are being spent addressing the growing climate crisis.

Each time FEMA fails to deliver timely assistance, it becomes more obvious that we need homegrown, reliable funding to meet the demands of a changing climate. The RENEW Act would have offered a new path forward, shifting the cost of climate adaptation off the shoulders of Marylanders and onto the fossil fuel companies whose actions knowingly fueled this crisis.

The legislation would have required the Comptroller’s Office to calculate the true financial burden of greenhouse gas emissions in our state, building on its landmark April 2025 climate cost study. That data would have supported efforts to ensure the corporations raking in billions from fossil fuel sales finally contribute to repairing the harms they caused.

The fossil fuel industry has long known the devastating effects of its products. ExxonMobil and Shell recognized as early as the 1960s that burning fossil fuels would cause climate disasters, and Maryland is currently paying the price.

Annapolis is spending $50 million to combat chronic flooding, Howard County has allocated $228 million for flood mitigation in Ellicott City, and Baltimore City is installing air conditioning in schools to protect students from record-breaking heat. These costs are paid for by Marylanders. The fossil fuel industry doesn’t pay a dime. These expenses are dwarfed by the profits of the largest fossil fuel companies, which exceeded $100 billion in 2023 alone.

Increased lung disease, heart conditions, mental health struggles, and the rise of infectious diseases such as Lyme disease are all linked to climate disruption. This summer’s heat has exacerbated respiratory illnesses, threatened seniors, and forced outdoor workers to risk their health to earn a living. Vulnerable populations — children, seniors, communities of color — face disproportionate consequences.

As a clinical psychologist, I see the mental health toll firsthand. Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is linked to increased suicidal ideation. Rising temperatures increase irritability, aggression and cognitive problems like memory and concentration difficulties. As extreme storms put families in financial jeopardy, rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse skyrocket.

The RENEW Act was not a new tax on individuals; it was a demand for fairness and responsibility. Similar measures have already passed in Vermont and New York, and are under consideration in several other states. This legislation would have established a transparent accounting of climate costs and ensured corporate polluters — not Marylanders — bear the burden of recovery and resilience.

If lawmakers override Moore’s veto, they can put Maryland back on a path toward climate fairness and resilience. Delaying further will only increase suffering and costs.

Six years ago, 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg famously said, “I don’t want your hope. … I want you to panic … I want you to act as if the house is on fire.” The reality is, our house is on fire. Those who lit the match must take responsibility for putting it out.

Op-Ed by Dr. Jon Gorman,  initially published in Maryland Matters.