Congestion, itchy eyes and sneezing are all in the forecast for the next several days for people with allergies in Arizona thanks to the ongoing drought.
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The impacts of climate change and fossil fuel production are tied to more than $820 billion a year in physical and mental health care costs, according to a report issued Thursday by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
The report, co-produced with the Medical Society Consortium on Climate & Health and Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action, found that health problems from soot air pollution alone have a yearly price tag of $820 billion. Ozone pollution caused by burning fuels and increased temperatures, meanwhile, adds roughly $7.9 billion in annual health costs.
The report also incorporates naturally occurring phenomena affected by temperature increases and concentration of carbon dioxide. For example, warming has exacerbated the effects of allergenic oak pollen, which led to an estimated $11.4 million in annual costs, according to the report. Researchers estimated that in 2010, allergenic oak pollen was the cause of more than 21,000 emergency room visits.