This year saw some of the highest recorded pollen counts in history, which had cities from Europe to the US covered in clouds of pollen as a result of global warming.
A spike in South Africa’s pollen production has also been flagged by local scientists who are calling for an urgent expansion of the country’s pollen monitoring programme.
Prof Jonny Peter, Head of the Allergy unit at UCT’s Lung Institute responsible for monitoring pollen in SA, says due to funding constraints the unit has only been able to consistently track pollen in Cape Town for the last 30 years, while other parts of the country have been monitored sporadically.
“Given the rise in pollen production globally, it has now become crucial for us to keep a closer eye on pollen as seasons worsen.
“There are several factors related to climate change that fuel increases in allergens. These include carbon dioxide (CO2) and other heat-trapping gasses that are causing the earth’s temperature to rise. This, in turn, increases the growth rate of plants and the amount and potency of pollen in the air. To sum it up, CO2 is like miracle fertiliser for pollen and we’re producing it at a rapid rate.
“Even if we stop building factories, power plants and driving petrol/diesel-powered vehicles, the earth’s temperature is on track to increase by at least 1.5˚C by mid-century, which will trigger more frequent pollen storms as have already been witnessed this year,” he cautions.
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