We take more than 20,000 breaths each day, most of the time without even thinking about it. But we may not be breathing so easily as global climate change reduces the quality of air around us. Rising temperatures, higher ozone levels, and more extreme weather events are combining to increase smog, pollen, dust, mold, and other airway irritants, scientists warn.

“The impact on respiratory health is notable,” says Peter Thorne, University of Iowa professor and head of occupational and environmental health in the College of Public Health. “Longer allergy seasons and higher levels of allergens are bad news for the increasing number of people with allergies and asthma.”

Thorne will provide an overview of climate change as a global public health problem in his lecture “Protecting Respiratory Health in a Changing Climate: David, Meet Goliath.” The presentation, which is the 2013 College of Public Health Distinguished Faculty Lecture, will take place Thursday, Aug. 29, at 3:30 p.m. in the Callaghan Auditorium (N110 College of Public Health Building). The event is free and open to the public.

Thorne, who also directs the UI Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, will emphasize the risk factors for respiratory disease and describe recent efforts toward mitigation of and adaptation to global warming. He’ll also suggest actions large and small that each of us can take to address climate change, which Thorne says may be the greatest public health challenge of the century.

Individuals with disabilities are encourage to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this lecture, contact Kathy Andrews in advance at 319-384-1500 or at kathryn-andrews@uiowa.edu.