Super Eco

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If you were hoping that your allergies or asthma might improve after assiduous dosing with local honey and good, old-fashioned tincture of time, you may find yourself instead locked in a race with global warming. As it turns out, climate change is nothing to sneeze at. Experts say global warming is extending pollen seasons, dumping more ozone into the air and attracting more bugs and bees.

From Health Day at Yahoo News:

"Climate change will cause impacts in every area. Wet areas will get wetter, and drier climates are getting drier," said Dr. Jeffrey Demain, director of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska, and a clinical associate professor at the University of Washington.

Those changes will mean more people with allergies and asthma will suffer. In wet areas, mold allergies will spike, while in drier areas pollens and other airborne irritants will become more of a problem, he said.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it believes carbon dioxide and five additional greenhouse gases are dangerous to human health. This finding may eventually lead to environmentally friendly changes, such as regulations for cleaner energy and more fuel-efficient cars.

But, right now, problems caused by climate change are already evident, especially in Alaska, Demain said.

"There's been a significant shift in the ecosystem because of the rises in winter temperatures," he said. "On average, Alaska's temp has risen 6.4 degrees in winter and 3.4 degrees overall. And, the earlier the snow melts, the earlier the pollen cycle begins."

Allergies and asthma: two more reasons to take immediate steps to counteract climate change. We won't sniff at that.