Political ideology and scientific communication shape human perceptions of pollen seasons.

ABSTRACT: Climate change is altering the timing and intensity of pollen seasons, increasing human exposure to allergenic pollen. Climate-driven changes in pollen seasons present a unique opportunity to craft messaging that communicates how climate change is affecting biological systems. However, it is unclear how pollen seasons are experienced and understood by the public, including how well we detect pollen seasons and what factors we view as responsible for changes in pollen seasons. Here, we use social media data (Twitter) in the United States from 2012 to 2022 to assess public perceptions of pollen seasons across the country. We find that pollen seasons detected by social media users are consistent with natural pollen seasons. Attribution of changing pollen seasons, however, varies based on poli

SUBMITTER: Song Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12767606 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature