Allergic to climate change
Longer growing seasons are making tens of millions of Americans with allergies more miserable than ever
September used to be my favorite month.
Moderate temperatures, colorful foliage, back to school (albeit with a different appeal now that I’m a parent).
And, most importantly, it’s when we get the first cold snap of the year, which kills off the pollen from trees and plants that trigger my seasonal allergies.
But now, along with tens of millions of Americans of all demographic backgrounds and political persuasion with such allergies, September is increasingly becoming the most miserable time of my year.
And, while a lot of those folks don’t want to admit it yet, global warming is to blame.
To skeptics who are reading this post, please consider your own medical history as evidence. Here’s mine:
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been allergic to ragweed, mugwort, Kentucky bluegrass and many other delights of Mother Nature.
My reactions to those plants aren’t as severe as those experienced by many of the 50 million Americans with allergies. For others, the results can be tragic: 3,000 Americans die each year from asthma attacks, often triggered by allergies.
While I’m among the lucky ones, my symptoms aren’t fun. They include itchy eyes, a raspy voice, sneezing, sluggishness and occasional sinus inflammations that feel like an ice pick being driven into my brain. Good times.
Until fairly recently, that misery was tolerable because it was limited to a few weeks in the spring and early September, thanks to a set of shots I got from age 9 to 21, which built up my tolerance.
But, as recent studies show, the “season” for seasonal allergies is growing longer and longer. For example, in the Midwest, the ragweed pollen season grew by 15 to 25 days between 1995 and 2015. Now, it’s only been getting worse.
At least for me, the longer the exposure to pollen, not only lengthens the misery, but also increases the severity of my symptoms.
What’s causing the longer season?
Scientists increasingly point to the same dynamic that triggers global warming: more carbon dioxide in the air. As the Union of Concerned Scientists put it, the result of adding CO2 to the atmosphere is like “weeds on Miracle-Gro”:
“Carbon dioxide…increases the growth rate of many plants and increases the amount and potency of pollen. Rising temperatures extend the growing season and the duration of allergy season. And an extended… season alters the amounts of blooms and fungal spores that are known to exacerbate allergy symptoms.”
I suppose I could eliminate the problem by moving to Antarctica or some sand-swept desert. But I’ve become rather attached to the sight, smell and comfort of green things over the decades. And, to the extent I also love of the stark beauty and solitude of those pollen-free zones, that option would lose its appeal if even just a small percentage of my fellow allergy sufferers joined me there.
My situation has gotten bad enough that I’m restarting the weekly allergy shots I stopped taking 40 years ago.
But it’s also given me another great reason to tackle climate change. I want to reclaim my Septembers . . . and to prevent October from being miserable, too.
Allergy sufferers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your sneezes.
