Tag: allergies

Yes, Time, Beneficial Global Greening Is the Lengthening Allergy Season

Time magazine posted a story saying that climate change is increasing the misery allergy sufferers face each season by lengthening the season and boosting plant production. This is at least partially true. Climate change is one factor leading to earlier spring arrival and a longer allergy season. Climate change is also responsible for a general greening of the Earth, a benefit of climate change that comes with the drawback that some people suffer longer or more severe allergies.

From ClimateRealism

By H. Sterling Burnett

Time magazine posted a story saying that climate change is increasing the misery allergy sufferers face each season by lengthening the season and boosting plant production. This is at least partially true. Climate change is one factor leading to earlier spring arrival and a longer allergy season. Climate change is also responsible for a general greening of the Earth, a benefit of climate change that comes with the drawback that some people suffer longer or more severe allergies.

The Time story, “Yes, Climate Change Really is Making Your Hay Fever Worse,” follows a narrative that many mainstream media outlets have trotted out each spring for the past decade or so claiming that climate change is exacerbating allergy sufferers’ suffering by lengthening the allergy season. Time writes:

Climate change is bad news for a lot of reasons—the droughts, the floods, the heat, the hurricanes. And then, too, there’s all the sneezing. If you suffer from hay fever—or allergic rhinitis (AR)—and have found your symptoms growing worse in recent years, you’re not alone. Increasingly, health care professionals are concluding that as global heat increases so too do allergy symptoms.

In industrialized countries, hay fever diagnoses are rising by 2% to 3% per year, costing billions of dollars in health care and lost productivity. Spring pollen season, which typically begins in late February or early March and ends in early summer, is now arriving as much as 20 days early in North America.

This post will not address Time’s throwaway assertions that climate change is bad news because of its impacts on droughts, floods, heat, and hurricanes. Those claims have been thoroughly debunked by research and data cited in dozens of Climate Realism and Climate at a Glance documents on those topics, and are not the main crux of Time’s story, being climate change’s impact on allergies.

A new study in the journal The Laryngoscope, serves as the basis for Time’s assertions about climate change making allergies worse. The study, which serves as somewhat of a survey of recent literature, concludes that “global warming has been shown to affect inflammatory upper airway disease, specifically allergic rhinitis,” due to increased pollen emissions and a longer pollen season. Time’s reliance on this particular study is the only new twist it brings to the discussion of global warming and allergies.

To be clear, climate change is almost certainly contributing to the longer allergy season because it is responsible for an earlier arrival of spring and a longer growing season for plants. However, that is not the whole story.

As discussed in “No, Axios, Climate Change Is Not Making Atlanta’s Allergy Season Worse,” other factors driving the increase in reported allergies are urbanization and land use changes—particularly the Urban Heat Island effect and types of urban landscaping that induce allergic reactions in some. The increase in reported allergies is largely, although not entirely, an increase in urban allergy responses. NASA data clearly show that fast growing cities experience significantly higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas due to human-made structures retaining heat. This localized warming results in early spring blooming and longer pollen season. Global warming isn’t at the core of this trend.

Also, as pointed out in a Climate Realism post, pollen season is largely dependent on precipitation levels and natural climate variability, not just temperature. Climate models have proven consistently unable to account for local and regional factors that contribute to allergies. Indeed, a 2022 Climate Realism analysis explained that that pollen trends vary by region and that some areas are actually experiencing less pollen, not more.

In the end, although climate change has almost certainly contributed somewhat to  allergy sufferers experiencing longer, perhaps even more severe, allergy seasons, this harm is a side effect of the beneficial greening of the Earth that a warmer planet with higher carbon dioxide (CO2) levels has driven. Scientists have documented a substantial greening of the Earth in recent decades as more atmospheric CO2 and warmer temperatures facilitate more plant growth. A side-effect of more plant life is more pollen in the air. More pollen may aggravate allergies and asthma, but few would argue that a world with fewer plants is better than a world with more abundant plant life.’

Climate Realism has posted a number of articles during past allergy seasons detailing how global greening has contributed to the largest decline in global hunger in history. Greater plant growth not only removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but the allergy causing pollen it emits is great for pollinating insects like bees, and birds.

More directly, copious peer reviewed reports confirm that cold temperatures are responsible for 10 times more deaths than hot temperatures. As a result, as the number of freezing days has declined, the number of deaths attributable to non-optimum temperatures has also fallen sharply, preventing hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

Focusing on a drawback of a greener world, worsening allergies, while ignoring its broad benefits of more trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, and food crops, represents poor journalism. Global greening has contributed to the largest decline in global hunger in history, and the greater plant growth not only removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but the allergy causing pollen it emits is great for pollinating insects like bees, and birds. Most people, including many allergy sufferers, I suspect, would likely agree that harsher allergies, while unwelcome, are a small price to pay for a more fecund world. As an allergy sufferer myself, I’ll stock up on allergy medicine and enjoy more time outdoors.

Climate change is 100% bad: Now causing allergies, asthma in rich countries and not poor ones

We know it’s a cult or long-form advertising when every possible consequence is 100% bad, bad, bad, and for everyone, all the time.

By Jo Nova

It’s too *bad* to be true

We know it’s a cult or long-form advertising when every possible consequence is 100% bad, bad, bad, and for everyone, all the time.

Climate change will cause more droughts, except when it rains, and that means more pollen (obviously?!). Even though summers will be longer, and spring will be earlier, and flowers will go extinct, the pollen will be more potent (whatever that is). More people will get asthma, and even though we don’t know what causes allergies, we know that it will get worse with climate change, whatever it is, because everything does.

You too will be locked in your house, afraid to leave, unable to breathe, unless you get solar panels and an EV.

This was Australian’s national news prime time story tonight on our public “news” service. Australians spent some part of 3 million dollars today on their ABC, where regional health reporter Steven Schubert asked no hard questions, did almost no research, and sought no alternative views. He just found an asthmatic trophy victim to use as a poster-girl for F.E.A.R.

As the climate changes, researchers say our allergies will only get worse

ABC Propaganda Channel

Whether Caitlin Ross will go outside on any given day depends on weather and pollen forecasts.  If they’re too bad, her severe allergies and asthma mean it can be too uncomfortable or dangerous.

  • Researchers say pollen is becoming more potent, and seasons longer, as the climate changes
  • They expect the number of Australian hay fever sufferers to grow by 70 per cent over the next three decades

Poor Caitlin. Her symptoms have got worse these last five years. The ABC news works like hypnosis planting the suggestion that if your asthma got worse lately “it’s climate change”, as if asthma never gets better or worse for any other reason.

Climate change is affecting asthma already — we know because we did an opinion poll:

    • A recent survey showed climate change was already affecting the health of asthmatic Australia

A survey conducted by advocacy group Asthma Australia in 2023 showed that 91 per cent of people with asthma were very concerned about the impacts of climate change, according to CEO Michele Goldman.

She said 39 per cent of asthmatics surveyed said climate change was already affecting their health, compared to 21 per cent of people without asthma.

It’s like ignorant climate models went on dates with a Women’s Weekly story on asthma from 1985, and gave birth to yet another scary narrative.

In the real world of health and biology the rise of  asthma in the last fifty years could be due to diet, pollution, hygiene, loss of gut flora, or a lack of parasites. It could be due to leaky guts, new highly allergenic wheat strains, heavy metals, pesticides, or all of the above. It could be because kids don’t get to eat dirt or play with farm animals, and it could be because kids don’t play in the sun and get their vitamin D.

Asthma is a first world problem, not a climate change one

Since asthma rates are lower in poor countries and lower in country towns rather than in cities —  the one variable that doesn’t matter much is the climate.

OWID

So these researchers — whoever they are, are starting with models that can’t predict rainfall, humidity, soil moisture, cloud cover and wind speed, and use those errors to not-predict plant growth and pollen movement. Then they take all those failures and run headlong into a medical swamp.

This is lousy science, bad reporting, and incompetent “investigation”.

More like reading tea leaves every day.

To Be Clear, Minnesota Public Radio, Allergies Are Manageable, Extended Growing Seasons Benefit Everyone

Allergies are a negative by-product of a beneficial greening world. The longer allergy season is a result of a longer growing season which has benefitted, plants, insects, animals, and humans as the planet has modestly warmed. 

From ClimateREALISM

By H. Sterling Burnett

Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) ran a segment during its local morning edition titled, “Climate change is contributing to an extended allergy season.” While the story itself is likely true, it buries the lede. The longer allergy season is a result of a longer growing season which has benefitted, plants, insects, animals, and humans as the planet has modestly warmed. Allergies are a negative by-product of a beneficial greening world.

Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton report at MPR:

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you may be dealing with sneezing, sniffles, and itchy eyes further into the fall — and that’s in part due to climate change.

. . .

The allergy season has been extended by 21 days in Minnesota, ….

Warmer temperatures and increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the environment make plants and trees happy, Potter says. That means more photosynthesis and thus more pollen on both the front and back ends of the season.

Way to bury the lede MPR. Reading only the headline one would be left with the impression that allergies were just one more supposedly unmitigated harm resulting from climate change. Yet, as even MPR acknowledges, allergies are a negative side effect of the carbon dioxide induced greening of the Earth, which trees benefit from. And, they aren’t the only ones.

As explained in previous Climate Realism posts, here, here, here, and here for example, pollinators like bees and bats, wild and domesticated plants (think crops and flowers), and people, in general, have benefitted from the extended growing season.

Interestingly, despite the longer allergy season, cities and suburbs are increasingly devoting land to permanent “green spaces,” touting the benefits of bringing nature (and pollen-laden plant life) into urban areas. These benefits include decreasing the urban heat island effect and associated warming, improving air quality, and there is even an international study from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health and Colorado State University suggesting that urban green spaces reduce premature human deaths.

Global greening has contributed to the largest decline in global hunger in history. Greater plant growth not only removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but the allergy causing pollen it emits is great for pollinating insects like bees, and birds.

Although no one should dismiss the plight of allergy sufferers resulting from the greener world, allergies are by and large treatable. Worrying about climate change will do nothing to mitigate the warming induced extension of allergy season. As a result, the best recommendation for allergy sufferers is to stock up on allergy medications, and then enjoy the benefits of a much greener world. Outdoor exercise can be healthy and fosters an appreciation of nature. More plants, wild plants and food crops alike, means fewer hungry and malnourished people and more habitat for wildlife; surely even most allergy sufferers can see the net benefit of that.

H. Sterling Burnett

H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D., is the Director of the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy and the managing editor of Environment & Climate News.

In addition to directing The Heartland Institute’s Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy, Burett puts Environment & Climate News together, is the editor of Heartland’s Climate Change Weekly email, and the host of the Environment & Climate News Podcast.

Not So Fast, NBC News, An Increase in Pollen Indicates Plants are Thriving, That’s Not Bad News

This may be true, but the framing ignores the obvious benefits of increased plant growth like longer growing seasons for food crops, and expanded forests and lush ecosystems which support pollinators and other wildlife.

From ClimateRealism

By Linnea Lueken

A recent article at NBC news claims that more people are suffering from allergies than ever before due to climate change’s impact on the length of the growing season and pollen production. This may be true, but the framing ignores the obvious benefits of increased plant growth like longer growing seasons for food crops, and expanded forests and lush ecosystems which support pollinators and other wildlife.

The article, “Adults are getting allergies for the first time. Thanks, climate change,” asserts that more and more people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are suffering from seasonal allergies that they had never previously experienced. The cause of this is supposedly climate change, more specifically, warming leading to the earlier bloom of trees and other plants which, with longer growing seasons, produce more pollen.

NBC News’ Erica Edwards writes:

A large driver of adult-onset seasonal allergies appears to be climate change.

‘The pollen season right now is about three weeks longer than it was 30 years ago, and there’s about 20 percent more pollen in the air,’ said Dr. Neelu Tummala, an ear, nose and throat specialist and co-director of the Climate Health Institute at George Washington University. Those statistics come from research published in 2021.

As the Earth’s core temperature increases, Tummala explained, the ground thaws earlier in the year, rousing trees from their winter slumber, prompting them to flower and produce pollen earlier than ever.

The article also says that atmospheric CO2 fertilization causes plants and trees to produce more pollen. This is only part of the story. Plants are growing lusher, and their range is expanding. This general greening of the earth produces more pollen. More new growth leads to more budding!

As Climate Realism has covered every spring the last few years, because the alarmist media recycles this story every year; an increase in plant growth and vigor is a net-benefit of global warming that the media should celebrate instead of fearmongering about.

As Climate Realism has noted many times, higher carbon dioxide concentrations boost the growth of wild plants, trees, and food crops alike. Higher atmospheric CO2 also helps plants use water more efficiently, in addition to growing larger, faster, with more extensive roots and shoots. In combination with improvements in agricultural technology, the improved growth and water use in plants due to increased CO2, has contributed to major staple crops regularly breaking records in production as the planet warms. This is good news for food security, and should not be ignored.

As anyone who has studied remote sensing or any of the earth sciences knows, one of the major influencing factors in energy reflection or absorption is albedo. Albedo is a property that shows how well a surface, like a plant’s leaves, reflect incoming solar radiation. Because it has a higher albedo than plain dirt or asphalt, trees tend to have a net cooling effect on land surface temperatures. This is a key point made in a 2020 study, “Predominant regional biophysical cooling from recent land cover changes in Europe,” published in the peer reviewed journal, Nature Communications. Unsurprisingly the study found that land use changes are strongly associated with regional temperature trends, and those that saw increasing vegetative cover, especially forest growth, saw notable cooling trends. Areas with increasing urban sprawl, or deforestation leading to grassland, unsurprisingly, saw more warming.

As with all earth sciences, it’s a little complicated and in this case depends on the groundcover—if snow is on the ground, for example, hidden by tree cover, the net effect is warming because the albedo of snow is comparatively higher than that of trees. Except, of course, most trees lose their leaves during the winter, so, unless evergreens are the dominant tree species in a region, tree cover probably has little impact on an area’s albedo during the winter.

So trees likely contribute to a little cooling in the summer, and, in areas where evergreens dominate, a little warming in the winter, helping regulate local temperatures. In addition, if carbon dioxide is the main driver of climate change, and climate change is to be minimized, the fact more plant life is flourishing, means more carbon dioxide is being removed from the atmosphere, which must be counted in favor of longer growing seasons.

The Earth’s greening is certainly a huge benefit of higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations, especially since plant life begins to die at 150 ppm. Extra pollen is a knock on effect of a longer growing season and more verdant plant growth, which is also good for pollinating insects and animals. It’s fair to count a longer allergy season and more allergy sufferers as a negative effect of climate change. However, journalists should also account for the tremendous benefits of longer growing seasons and more and heartier plant life, rather than trying to transform something that is on net overwhelmingly good into a bad thing in order maintain the false impression that all impacts of climate change are necessarily negative.

Linnea Lueken

Linnea Lueken is a Research Fellow with the Arthur B. Robinson Center on Climate and Environmental Policy.

While she was an intern with The Heartland Institute in 2018, she co-authored a Heartland Institute Policy Brief “Debunking Four Persistent Myths About Hydraulic Fracturing.”

Linnea Lueken