Climate Change and Health

A question posed to Earth Talk of Scientific American regarding health and climate change has given cause for discussion.  The question:

Dear EarthTalk: Aren’t environmental issues primarily about health? Detractors like to trivialize environmentalists as “tree huggers,” but the bottom line is that pollution makes us sick, right? Wouldn’t people care more if they had a better understanding of that?— Tim Douglas, Stowe, Vt.

Part of Earth Talk's response was a look at carbon dioxide emissions and how they may be eventual cause of distress.  Calling on 2009 findings by the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School the Earth Talk author states climate change over the coming decades is likely to increase rates of allergies, asthma, heart disease and cancer, among other illnesses.  Also found in the study is increased levels of CO2 has increased ragweed production, extending allergy and asthma season for those suffering from seasonal allergies by 20 days.In NYC we understand the link between asthma and air quality.  And as this discussion examines the Link between the Environment and Health it tells us that air quality is affected by increased ground-level ozone and a higher ragweed pollen counts which contribute to prolonged asthma and allergy seasons.The result? We may find after this snowy winter, seasonal allergies and asthmatic conditions will be on us in a flash.For more on Allergies visit my website, or to discuss an Immunology treatment plan call me @ 866-632-5537Read the Harvard Medical School Fact sheetRead the Scientific American Article