BANGOR DAILY NEWS • March 20, 2024
Since 1970, allergy season in 138 U.S. cities has expanded by at least seven days, including in Portland and Presque Isle, according to an analysis released Wednesday by Climate Central, a science and journalism nonprofit. That means children who are still developing will experience longer and more intense exposure to seasonal allergens, driving up discomfort and emergency department visits. Nearly one in five U.S. children suffers from seasonal allergies, and almost 9 percent suffer from asthma. In Maine, some 18,000 children 18 and younger suffer from asthma, or about 9 percent of that population. An increasing contributor is the carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels, which makes plants produce more pollen, warms the planet and extends the growing and allergy seasons.