23 counties in Michigan have reported one or more unhealthy ozone days each year, on average. That’s from a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council.
An online map the group produced also shows where those high ozone days tend to overlap with high pollen days. That can make air unhealthy for people with respiratory problems.
Patrick Kinney is a professor of urban health at the School of Public Health at Boston University. He spoke on behalf of the NRDC during a press conference. He says our warming climate can make ozone pollution worse.
“Rising carbon levels as well as climate warming [are] leading to higher and longer pollen seasons, especially for ragweed which is the most common pollen allergy in the United States, and the ragweed season coincides with the smog season, which results in a sort of double whammy for asthma sufferers,” he says.
Both seasons tend to overlap in late summer.
The NRDC released the map to highlight its opposition to the U.S. pulling back from taking action on climate change.
