Climate change could mean that your allergies are about to go into overdrive. A new study suggests that by 2040, pollen counts will have doubled — that's a hell of a lot of sneezing and scratchy eyes headed our way.
The research is set to be presented by Leonard Bielory by at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), and Beilory believes that climate change is set to bring about longer and worse allergy seasons in the coming decades. In a release, he said:
Climate changes will increase pollen production considerably in the near future in different parts of the country. Economic growth, global environment sustainability, temperature and human-induced changes, such as increased levels of carbon dioxide, are all responsible for the influx that will continue to be seen.
After comparing data from 2000 to forecasts for 2040, Beilory and his team believe the average pollen count will skyrocket from 8,455 to 21,735, and peak pollen will move back from May 1 to April 8 — almost an extra month of misery.
Anyone want to go in with me on a hermetically sealed, anti-pollen living space? Alternatively — Mars?