Pollen Allergy

Pollen is America’s number one pollutant. Sadly, managing it has never gotten off the ground. Instead of dealing with the causes, we treat the symptoms. We should know better.

The problem worsens ever year. We found a 10 to 15% rise in the pollen count each year. The costs are staggering. 220 million school and work days lost, 40 million victims, and 235 million dollars spent on medications and injections to combat this problem.

Virtually every household in America has someone present with allergies. Illness from allergies results in more absenteeism from school and work than from any other chronic condition. 20% of Americans suffer from allergies, mainly from pollens, ie. hay fever. There are also 10 million asthmatics, many of whom are bothered by pollen pollution. Sinusitis, bronchitis, and ear infections are frequent consequences of allergies.

An Allergy- Free Garden was developed on campus at California State, Fresno. Collaborators included the University, American Lung Association, Fresno Rotary, and the Future Farmers of America. The mission demonstrated that by planting low allergy plantings, one loses nothing in beauty but gains a more healthy community.  Since only about 8% of plants spew allergic pollen into the air, a wide latitude of plant selection is possible. Planting with forethought is the key.

When first constructed, both the City Council and the Board of Supervisors commended the project, and asked the city planners and building and grounds staff to plant accordingly in future projects.

Local government officials, landscape designers, industries, park departments, and nurseries were contacted to follow through. More healthful landscape plantings were anticipated in freeway design, street dividers, subdivisions, malls, school yards, and in residential settings. 

When Los Vegas reviewed their pollen counts one year after a moratorium on Olive and Mulberry tree planting, together with cropping the grass as short as possible, the allergy count fell 50% in a single year.

Bill Ziering

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