Data: Allergy season now a month longer in Triangle due in part to climate change [Video]

Climate change is making pollen season longer and more intense, worsening health effects for millions of Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies – including 19% of children.

The allergy season in the Raleigh-Durham area is now 31 days longer than it was in the early 1970s, according to data from NOAA’s Applied Climate Information System (ACIS), analyzed by Climate Central.

“Carbon pollution, primarily from burning fossil fuels, traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to spring warming trends across the U.S.,” said Kaitlyn Trudeau, a senior researcher with Climate Central.

Trudeau says a warmer, earlier spring makes the growing season longer, giving plants more time to grow and release allergy-inducing pollen sooner in spring and later into fall.

Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air can also boost pollen production in plants, particularly in grasses and ragweed. With continued high rates of CO2 pollution, the U.S. could face up to a 200% increase in pollen production …