Key Summary
- Research shows that climate breakdown has extended the pollen season.
- It added itchy eyes and runny noses to the harm wrought by fossil fuel pollution.
- It could trigger allergic reactions in people with hay fever.
A new study has found that climate change has lengthened the pollen season in the UK and Europe.
The latest review of climate-health impacts in Europe, published in the Lancet medical journal, finds that the pollen seasons for birch, alder, and olive trees began significantly earlier in the last decade compared to the 1990s.
The common symptoms are itchy eyes and runny noses.
While these findings may seem less extreme than the floods and wildfires typically associated with a warming planet, researchers describe the impact as a "huge" increase in the combined suffering of those with hay fever.
“It’s one of those everyday indicators that show something is getting a little worse for a lot of people,” said Joacim Rocklöv, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Heidelberg and co-director of the report.
Warm weather and high concentrations of carbon dioxide let plants pump out more pollen, triggering allergic reactions in people with hay fever and leading to symptoms that range from mildly irritating to life-threatening.
The research also warns of the spread of invasive species like common ragweed, which is projected to become a major health problem as it expands into new areas.
