Warmer summer temperatures could worsen air pollution by increasing concentrations of ground-level ozone and other pollutants that exacerbate asthma and other respiratory diseases. Warmer ocean temperatures could increase bacterial contamination of shellfish. Longer summers could increase the incidence of Lyme Disease and other insect-borne diseases. Earlier snowmelts and higher temperatures could also cause more summertime droughts, such as the drought of 1999, threatening agricultural production, compromising water quality, and impairing hydroelectric power generation. The death rate for asthma has tripled over the past 20 years.
Decisive action is needed now to protect human health.
The number one priority is to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, especially by coal-burning power plants and automobiles. The report lays out specific opportunities for personal and political actions needed to achieve this goal. The report on Washington is the sixth report in a planned series of 18 state-specific reports in which PSR describes the effects that rising world temperatures may have on local communities.