With warming climate comes more pollen, insect allergies

KTUU.com (Alaska): Increasing global temperatures are causing pollen and some insects to be more prevalent in Alaska, according to a new study. Dr. Jeffrey Demain noticed an increase in the number of patients he treated for insect stings and bites. He looked into it with a team of doctors and in conjunction with Fairbanks Memorial Hospital and the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska.

"When you start seeing changes in those patterns the question is why," Demain said. "It seems that what's changing a lot of those shifts is climate change and changes in eco-systems." David Walberg says he's allergy free and usually breathes easy except for one small pest. "Wasps, bees, definitely a bigger population of that," Walberg said. "I've noticed just because I'm allergic to bees."

He says it's a hazard at work. "The funny thing is working in a greenhouse you are running into bees left and right," Walberg said. "I'm usually pretty good about not getting stung."

A state biologist cited in the doctor's study says insect populations are growing exponentially and pollen cycles are lasting longer. He says wet climates are getting wetter and dry climates are getting dryer which changes eco-systems and humans are slow to keep up….

Gravel floodplain of a glacial river near the Snow Mountains in Alaska, 1902.