Global Warming Effects Allergies
Greenhouse Gases Contribute to Higher Levels of Pollen
Nov 24, 2008
Allergies are getting worse as greenhouse gases change due to global warming. Most scientists now agree that the temperatures on this planet are increasing and will continue to increase as time goes on. Greenhouse gases such as CO2, which is caused from deforestation and fuel emissions are increasing and this creates a chemical reaction in plants that stimulate stronger pollen production. This means in the years to come allergy sufferers may find themselves reaching more into their wallets to alleviate the sneezing, coughing and runny, itchy eyes that come with hayfever.
Scientists agree that the planet's temperates are indeed rising and will continue to rise in the years to come. That's not in dispute. What is in dispute is the effect of global warming on future generations. A top NASA administrator, Michael Griffin, in a May 31, 2007 interview on National Public Radio’s "Morning Edition" voiced doubts to NPR’s Steve Inskeep that global warming will have the devastating effect that some scientists warn against. Griffin said, "I guess I would ask which human beings - where and when - are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that's a rather arrogant position for people to take." Some may disagree with this point of view, however, as studies show allergy symptoms will worsen as the earth’s temperatures rise.
Plants Thrive From Higher Levels of CO2
One of greenhouse gases that are increasing as the earth’s atmosphere changes is CO2. Holly Wagner, in "Increased CO2 Levels are Mixed Blessing for Agriculture" at Ohio State University writes that Peter Curtis, a professor of evolution, ecology and organismal biology at Ohio State University ran a series of experiments from the 1980s to 2000 to determine the effects CO2 had on plants. His conclusion was that plants produce more seeds and flowers when raised in environments with high levels of CO2. That's the good news.
Global Warming Causes More Potent Pollen
Dr. Lewis Ziska, a plant physiologist with the United States Department of Agriculture, has made it his career to study the effects of the earth's changing climate on plant behavior. Ziska along with B. Singer, D. Frenz, D. Gebhard and J. Straka published a citation called "Increasing Amb A 1 Content in Common Ragweed (Ambrosia Artesmisiifolia) Pollen as a Function of Rising Atmospheric CO2 Concentration" in a peer reviewed journal, Functional Plant Biology, that showed ragweed to be exceptionally responsive to higher levels of CO2. The ragweed in their experiment produced an increase of the protein Amb A 1 on the pollen which causes allergic reaction. With stronger pollen and longer allergy seasons, sufferers will have more severe reactions for a longer period of time.
Protect From Allergies
To prevent an allergic outbreak of pollen Medical News Today recommends starting allergy medications two weeks prior to exposure and using medication that blocks the body's response rather than masks the symptoms. Hair and clothes should be washed frequently and nasal passages rinsed with salt water. These revelations give the public yet another reason to support stricter measures for controlling causes of global warming around the world.
