It's much worse even than the article depicts, because the extreme, dangerous weather that will accompany global warming is completely unpredictable. Look at the winds on the west coast! and all the other record-breaking events just this past year, in the US. Tornados, floods, snow storms, the list goes on and on.
Furthermore, although there was discussion of the damaging health effects from ground-level ozone, which are well known and linked to epidemics of cancer, asthma, emphysema, and even diabetes, Autism and Alzheimers, there was no mention of the even greater sensitivity of vegetation.
Ozone enters plants through stomates of leaves and needles, where it impairs the ability to photosynthesize, and also causes physiological, internal injury. Trees particularly are being killed by ozone, because they are exposed season after season. But agricultural yield and quality are also significantly reduced.
If we do not switch to clean sources of energy - and this WILL require enormous efforts to conserve and use power for only the most essential services - the ecosystem will collapse, and food will become first unaffordable for many, and then scarce. Moreover, the US should take the lead on building a green economy, because the constantly rising background level ozone is now a global problem, with precursors traveling from Asia to our country.
None of this is unknown in science, there is a massive amount of research going back decades. But academics don't like to talk about it, because the only solution is wildly unpopular with American consumers and politicians. If that is too scary for the children, imagine how scary it will be when the grocery store shelves are empty.
http://witsendnj.blogspot.com/ has links to published research, and photos of leaves with classic symptoms of ozone exposure.
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