Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution

The document details how climate-induced temperature increases exacerbate ground-level ozone pollution, leading to significant respiratory health burdens and economic costs. For the continental United States, the "climate penalty on ozone" is projected to cause millions of additional acute respiratory symptoms and thousands of additional hospitalizations for infants and seniors by 2020 and 2050, with health impact costs estimated at $5.4 billion in 2020 alone. In California, these effects could result in nearly 443,000 additional cases of serious respiratory illnesses and costs exceeding $729 million in 2020.

• In California, climate-driven increases in ozone are projected to cause nearly 443,000 additional cases of serious respiratory illnesses, with associated health-related costs exceeding $729 million (in 2008 dollars) in 2020.
• The continental United States is estimated to face an average of $5.4 billion (2008$) in health impact costs in 2020 due to the "climate penalty on ozone."
• Rising temperatures are projected to increase instances of acute respiratory symptoms—including asthma attacks, coughing, and chest tightness—by an average of 2.8 million in 2020 and 11.8 million in 2050.
• Increased ozone concentrations are expected to lead to more hospitalizations for respiratory problems among vulnerable populations: an average of 3,700 seniors and 1,400 infants in 2020, rising to 24,000 seniors and 5,700 infants by 2050.
• Average U.S. temperatures rose by more than 2°F over the last century and could increase by an additional 3°F to 5.5°F by 2050 if global warming emissions continue to increase.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2011). Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/CA-ozone-factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution. 2011. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/CA-ozone-factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution |date=June 2011 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/CA-ozone-factsheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2011climate, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2011}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/CA-ozone-factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }