Richmond Times Dispatch:
Springtime blooms mark the arrival of pollen season in Virginia, and for allergy sufferers the misery seems to be getting worse every year. In fact, it actually is. Doctors across the U.S. are confirming what climate scientists, who have the tools to study atmospheric and oceanic changes, have concluded — climate change is “unequivocal” and it is already affecting our health.
The real questions are now: How is climate change affecting human health? Who is most vulnerable, and what can be done to stop it? To shed light on these questions, a Virginia research center joined three major medical societies of allergists, lung specialists, primary care and other specialists to assess their experiences regarding climate and health. Nearly 2,300 physicians responded and 375 were from Southeastern states. These surveys revealed notable findings about how climate change is affecting the nation and the state of Virginia.
Allergists from Virginia remarked that their patients overall are experiencing “increased respiratory symptoms from particulate pollution during summer.”
Most startling is the fact that 3 out of 4 physicians surveyed indicated climate change is already affecting their patients’ health, and nearly 90 percent reported that climate change is relevant to direct patient care. They reported those most at risk are children, the elderly, people with chronic diseases and the poor.
Virginia is experiencing a “double-whammy” with air that is among the most polluted in the country, 40 percent of pollution coming from power plants, and its location in the heart of the ragweed pollen belt.Higher temperatures from climate change may lead to air that is unsafe to breathe. Ground-level ozone pollution, a component of smog, forms when sunlight combines with exhaust fumes, especially during heat waves. Many doctors are concerned about their patients with asthma, allergies and lung disease (COPD). As one pulmonary doctor reported, “Ozone exposure in my city worsens the symptoms of my COPD patients and my asthmatics.” This leads to increased medication use, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and even death.
If this spring is any example, I would be inclined to agree with this article. I have been sick this spring….lung type sickness. I have been double-fisting my inhalers and popping antihistamines. I never thought to blame climate change. I blamed my friend Fluff who I had lunch with a couple of Thursdays ago. She got sick the next day and then I got sick a day later. Little did I know it wasn’t Fluff, it was climate change.
All I know is, I was sick as a dog and I am still not cranking at 100%. Maybe its time to just stay in the house in the AC when the weather is hot or when there is pollen. It’s no secret when there is pollen. Just look out the window at the green mist hanging in the air. There are also websites you can go to to get the daily pollen count.
It’s no secret that smog and pollution make it difficult to breathe. How many of our athletes have refused to go back to China. Once is enough.
Does anyone have an allergy secret? What do you do for asthma?
But Inhofe had a snow ball on the Senate floor – a bunch of flat-earther, science deniers.
I canth anther right now because my noth is stuffy an I have a coufth.
Climate Change? Maybe the climate is changing. Maybe it’s a natural oscillation of the cycle that’s occurred for millions of years, or maybe it’s caused or exacerbated by man. Regardless, skepticism is part of what makes science…science. Do I think my health is being damaged? Nope. If my health is damaged, its definitely lifestyle, not environmental. It’s certainly caused by man…one man…this man.
Steve: You often have snippets of rational thought. There is hope for you yet.
I agree that the pollen is bad this year, but let’s think about the likely cause for our area. It is hard to see how climate change is the culprit, given that we had a very cold winter and cool spring. As noted by the local media, the peak of the cherry blossoms was delayed by the late arrival of spring-like weather.
My hypothesis is that the high concentration of pollen, ragweed, etc resulted from the late onset of warm temperatures, which delayed the early bloomers and led to everything blooming nearly at once. So rather than a gradual rise in the pollen count, the sudden bloom caused a drastic increase in pollen concentration and misery for allergy sufferers.
These Doctors must be bottom of their class left wing irresponsible liberal idiots aka Democrats. They are colluding with the liberal assed media who as usual drowned the voices of sensible better educated fiscally conservative responsible Doctors aka Republicans.
By George, she’s got it!!!
Thanks! It SURE makes thinking a lot easier. You can have one answer for anything.
@Kelly_3406
What you have said and payback for years of smoking for some. Years of smoking = COPD, which make the spring pollen season that much worse.