Future Allergy Seasons Will Start a Month Earlier and Be Far More Intense
New research has taken a look at the future of allergy seasons in the United States. Its findings included that the allergy seasons will start one month earlier than they do currently and they will be far more intense as the pollen concentration increases.
To put it into context, the pollen concentration could be 250% higher than it is currently. Or in other words, the allergy season will be 2.5 times worse for those that suffer from allergies.
Results will vary on a region-by-region basis as it is determined by the plants and fauna that are present in those territories. Some of us have already experienced horrible allergy seasons recently.
And the culprit behind this is climate change.
How Is Climate Change Affecting Allergy Seasons?
For those not familiar, allergy seasons span from spring to fall. This is because during these times plants will pollinate and release pollen and other substances in the air that cause humans to have an allergic reaction.
However, in most cases, only pollen gets attention on the news, so let’s focus on that.
Normally, pollen is released at different times throughout the year as different plants begin to bloom. And this is unique to each region, which is why allergy seasons last so long. That’s what climate change is affecting.
In the future, plants that have their blooming periods at separate times will begin to overlap, Thus, as more species of plants bloom at the same time, the concentration of pollen in the air increases substantially.
Regardless, this is only one-way climate change is affecting allergy season. Our response to climate change is another problem altogether.
Planting More Trees Will Make It Even Worse
One way humanity is trying to fight climate change is by planting more trees and plants.
These trees are not just in forests located far away from human settlements. In many cases, they are in our cities, suburbs, and even our own backyard. And while planting trees is a great way to fight climate change, it could become a double-edged sword.
The result is more plants and trees increasing the amount of pollen in the air. Thus making allergy seasons much worse than they currently are by just sheer volume.
So, does this mean we should stop planting more plants and trees?
No, but it is more important than ever to make sure we are planting the right kind. If you plant more plants that are native to the region, their bloom period will match the existing area.
But start planting plants not native to the land and you can really mess with someone’s allergies. Also remember it may not affect you, but your neighbor could suffer from various allergic reactions.
In other words, don’t stop planting, but try to avoid non-native plants in your region.
Climate Change Will Affect Everything
The more research conducted, the more one thing becomes very clear. Climate change will have an impact on everyone’s life in one way or another.
The good news is that the report highlights that these results are based on our current emissions levels. The world can avoid this outcome by limiting emissions and ditching fossil fuels. If not, we are in for a rude awakening.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.
