Global Warming

Help Stop Climate Change

Global warming is real and the time to do something about it is now. Global warming not only poses a serious threat to the health of our planet, it also puts our own health at risk. Rising temperatures will most likely lead to more air pollution and other serious threats to lung health.

An international panel of scientists recently reported there is a greater than 90 percent certainty that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by human activity are the main cause of global warming. As these gases build up in the atmosphere, they trap heat from the sun, much like a greenhouse, warming the climate.

With rising temperatures, there will be many more smoggy days. While ozone - the main ingredient in smog - high up in the atmosphere actually protects us from the sun's ultraviolet rays, ozone down near the ground is very dangerous to lung health and can lead to wheezing and coughing, increased risk of asthma attacks, and more visits to the hospital for breathing problems.

Climate changes will increase the risks to our health in many ways. For example, hotter weather leads to increased use of air conditioning, which raises the demand for electricity. Increased power production leads to increased emissions of particle pollution, toxic air contaminants, and nitrogen oxide.

The American Lung Association of California was instrumental in the passage of two landmark bills that will help reduce global warming. The most recent action (AB 32) set the nation's first cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR FIGHT AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING

Californians experience the worst air quality in the nation, with more than 90 percent of residents living in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particulate pollution, according to the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Air pollution exposure can lead to asthma attacks, chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function, worsening of lung illnesses such as emphysema, heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer, premature deaths and abnormal lung development in children. The increased frequency and intensity of heat episodes in California from global warming will create additional challenges to protecting residents from poor air quality.

Global Warming: Impacts to Public Health and Air Quality