Air pollution from power plants is the main threat of climate change in the Maryland-D.C. area

The biggest, most critical threat of climate change in the Maryland-Washington D.C., metropolitan area is air pollution from power plants. Its effect on human health, particularly respiratory illness and cardiovascular disease, can cause great danger.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/
2011/may/29/carbon-emissions-nuclearpower

The Maryland-D.C. area is among the most polluted places in the United States. Maryland's Port of Baltimore, one of the nation's leading coal exports, "ship[s] close to 20 million tons of coal every year."

According to Chesapeake Climate Action Network, "[c]oal is the dirtiest fossil fuel and the biggest cause of climate change."

Allison Gost, a M.P.H. Candidate at the University of Maryland who graduated from the university in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science, says that air pollution comes from fossil fuel production and that air pollution is a main contributor to the production of smog.

Rising temperatures can make pollution worse and increase the number of bad air quality days

Two main air pollutants that are harmful to human health are ozone and particulate matter. High ozone and particulate matter are connected to respiratory problems, such as asthma and allergies.

Source: http://climatechange.maryland.gov/
news-and-events/protect-our-air-health-
and-climate-asthma-and-allergies-on-the-rise-this-spring/

Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog, which forms when pollution from industry, motor vehicles, and other sources react under certain climatic conditions. When temperatures increase, the process speeds up and it results in more smog.

Source: http://climatechange.maryland.gov/science/

As reported by the Natural Resources Defense Council, exposure to smog can cause irritated eyes, throats, and lung damage. "The U.S. EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] likened breathing ozone to getting a sunburn on your lungs."

Maryland is one of the top states in the U.S. for relative mortality from particle pollution 

In 2013, researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment conducted a study that found Maryland to be ranked one for relative mortality from particle pollution. 

Analysis showed that "130 out of every 100,000 residents likely die in a given year due to long-term exposure to air pollution."

According to Maryland.gov, "an estimated 6,135 people die prematurely due to particle pollution" each year in Maryland.

Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are two effects of air pollution on human health

People with asthma, allergies, and respiratory diseases face serious threats to air pollution. "Exposure to increased pollution heightens sensitivity to allergens, impairs lungs, and triggers asthma attacks, sends people to the hospital, and even results in death."

Communities should take necessary steps to improve air quality. Gost says that individual people can't improve polluted air by themselves, so they should know how to best protect themselves when there are bad air days.

National Resource Defense Council's list of ways to protect your family from air pollution:

• Check news reports on the radio, TV, or online for pollen reports or daily air quality conditions. Or visit EPA's Air Now website for air quality info.
• If you or someone in your family has allergies or asthma, on days when pollen or ozone smog levels are high, minimize outdoor activity and keep your windows closed.
• Shower after spending time outdoors to wash off pollen that may have collected on your skin or hair.
• Wash bedding and vacuum frequently to remove pollen that may settle in sheets or carpets.

Source: http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/airpollution.asp