Anyone with allergies in Georgia can probably tell you they are worse than ever this year. After an unusually cold and snowy winter followed by an early and warm spring, pollen counts have soared in most of the U.S., especially in the Southeast. The Southeast is blessed with some of the most allergenic cities in the country and Atlanta is one of the very highest. Daily weather reports currently list the daily pollen count, which is the number of pollen grains in a cubic meter of air. A pollen count of 120 is considered to be high. In the first week of April this year, Atlanta’s pollen count hit 5,733, the second highest the city has ever recorded. The problem is that in a warmer world allergies will get worse. A recent report from the National Wildlife Federation declared that global warming will likely increase pollen counts in the eastern part of the U.S. This can push the economic cost of allergies and asthma well above the current $32 billion price tag. Global warming means that there is a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, a condition that speeds plant growth. And warmer temperatures bring earlier springs. In comparison to 20 years ago, spring-like conditions are arriving an average of two weeks earlier. If fossil-fuel emissions continue to rise unabated, pollen from ragweed is projected to increase up to 100 percent between now and year 2085. Ragweed pollen triggers most cases of hay fever. Not only that, but higher levels of carbon dioxide can make ragweed pollen more potent. Longer springs give ragweed more time to grow and give off pollen. By mid century ragweed pollen can rise from current levels of 385 parts per million to 600 p.p.m. and be 70 percent more allergenic. Warmer climates […]