Global Warming News

Contact:
Dr. Cynthia Bearer: 216-496-8413
Dr. Kathleen Fagan, Environmental Health Watch, 216-368-5967
Marnie Urso, Audubon Ohio: 216-246-7150
Amy Gomberg, Environment Ohio: 614-460-8732
Serena Ingre, NRDC:  202-289-2378

“Children with asthma are especially at risk, but everyone is adversely harmed by breathing unhealthy air. This research provides another compelling reason to establish enforceable limits on pollution. The fact that there will be more days that kids cannot go outside to play is a major concern and elected officials need to make this a high priority." said Dr. Kathleen Fagan,  President of the board of Environmental Health Watch and Asst. Professor in the Dept of Environmental Health Sciences at Case School of Medicine.

The study, Heat Advisory: How Global Warming Causes More Bad Air Days, confirms that hotter temperatures mean more smog. Smog is formed when pollutants from cars, factories, and other sources mix with sunlight and heat. This means more people would be forced to restrict outdoor activities, while those with asthma and other respiratory illnesses face serious threats.

Scientists say average temperatures will warm as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century unless we start cutting global warming emissions soon.

Heightened smog levels trigger asthma attacks and pose health threats to children and the elderly in particular. For people with asthma, smog pollution can increase sensitivity to allergens.

The analysis[1] was prepared by researchers at Yale University, Johns Hopkins University and Columbia University, in collaboration with researchers at University at Albany-State, University of New York, and University of Wisconsin-Madison, and looked at the following cities located in the eastern and southern half of the U.S.:

Cleveland, OH

Columbus, OH

Philadelphia, PA

Raleigh, NC

Virginia Beach, VA

Washington, DC

Wilmington, NC

Asheville, NC

Greenville, SC

Memphis, TN

Cleveland would see the number of bad air days that exceed the EPA’s standard climb 39% and Columbus would see bad air days increase 44%

Researchers project that, unless action is taken to curb global warming, by mid-century people living in a total of 50 cities in the eastern United States will see:

• A doubling of the number of unhealthy “red alert” days;

• A 68 percent (5.5 day) increase in the average number of days exceeding the health-based 8-hour ozone standard established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and

• A 15 percent drop in future summers in the number of summer days with “good” air quality based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria because of global warming.

Changes from year to year in the severity of smog pollution are thought to result largely from variations in weather. For example, the relatively high levels of ozone in the United States during 1988 and 1995 were likely due in part to hot, dry, and stagnant conditions. Conversely, in 2003 we experienced one of our cleanest ozone years, coinciding with an unusually cool, wet summer in the East.

Scientists say the Earth is warming faster today than at any time in history. Globally, eleven of the last 12 years rank among the 12 warmest on record since 1850. Better technology in our cars, trucks and SUVs, and cleaner, more efficient energy choices like wind and solar power will help reduce carbon emissions that cause global warming as well as smog forming emissions like nitrogen oxide (NOx) gases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), sulfur oxide (SOx) gas and particulates.

“Clearly, Ohio can do better,” said Amy Gomberg, Environment Ohio’s Environmental Advocate. “By harnessing our state’s wind energy potential and by being more productive with our current energy resources we will not only reduce bad air days, but also help Ohio become more energy independent, create new jobs, and help to revitalize our economy.”

“We must insist that Congress enact public policy that provides science based solutions to cut our global warming pollution by 2% per year through 2050 to avoid the worst effects of global warming,” said Audubon Ohio’s Marnie Urso.  “State and federal leaders must also work on enacting a renewable electricity standard and a meaningful increase in auto fuel efficiency to adequately address this crisis,” she continued.

 

# # #

Dr. Kathleen Fagan is President of the board of Environmental Health Watch, Asst Professor in the Dept of Environmental Health Sciences at Case School of Medicine and Educational Associate in the Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health.

Dr. Cynthia Bearer is also available for comment.  Dr. Bearer is a neonatologist in the pediatrics department at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Neurosciences and Environmental Health Sciences at Case.

Audubon Ohio’s mission is to conserve and restore ecosystems, focusing on birds and other wildlife through advocacy, education, stewardship and chapter support for the benefit of Ohio citizens of today and tomorrow.
www.audubonohio.org

Environment Ohio is a citizen based, non profit, non partisan environmental advocacy organization. www.EnvironmentOhio.org

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing. More information on NRDC is available at its Web site: www.nrdc.org.