Another reason to worry about global warming: more and itchier poison ivy. The noxious vine grows faster and bigger as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise, researchers report Monday.And a CO2-driven vine also produces more of its rash-causing chemical, urushiol, conclude experiments conducted in a forest at Duke University where scientists increased carbon-dioxide levels to those expected in 2050.
Poison ivy is common in woods around the country, making it a bane of hikers, campers, fighters of forest fires, even backyard gardeners. Its itchy, sometimes blistering rash is one of the most widely reported ailments to poison-control centers, with more than 350,000 reported cases a year.
Compared to poison ivy grown in usual atmospheric conditions, those exposed to the extra-high carbon dioxide grew about three times larger — and produced more allergenic form of urushiol, scientists from Duke and Harvard University reported.
Sooner or later, Bush will probably fund a commission just to invent positive aspects of global warming.
Poison Ivy is one of our weapons against terrorists. Now they can’t hide out in the woods.
Okay, but don’t most plants grow faster with higher CO2? I remember seeing experiments in which trees grew a lot taller in a greenhouse with elevated CO2 levels, compared to a control greenhouse.
uhhh dont all plants grow better in a high CO2 content because they use co2 to make sugar and respire O2 as a by product. personally seems like junk science trying to scare us again
It’s just what you’d expect from Ivy League scientists!
Too bad the last administration didn’t do anything when they had the chance…oh well, blame Bush and make a movie.
Gee with all that co2 around I bet all the pot crops will be bumper this year.. Maybe we can combine the war on drugs with the war on global warming.. In fact I think we should just ban carbon dioxide all together..
O.K. everyone stop breathing..
Hmmm maybe just a bit of regulation instead.. inhale all you want, but you can only exhale 3 times a minute.. if caught exhaling more than three times a minute you will be fined and possibly incarcerated..
oxygen…. deprivation… effecting.. brain…
From your added remarks: “Sooner or later, Bush will probably fund a commission just to invent positive aspects of global warming.”
Your blog really needs a little balance. You are leaning so far left that you’re in danger of tipping over. Why in the world was it necessary or germane or even interesting to add a “Bush bash” at the end? After all, there is genuine ongoing scientific debate about whether so-called global warming is a natural cyclical phenomonem. There is precious little proof that mankind is responsible or even if it exists.
Cheap shots on Pres. Bush does just that – cheapens whatever point you were trying to make with the article on poison ivy.
Geez Rich…..you haven’t figured out that Bush does it all?
Global Warming has only been a problem since Bush became President.
I did some web searching on the issue of plant CO2 growth. It turns out the researchers above are studying all sorts of weeds and noxious plants, and have found that they do indeed grow much faster than most plants, including crops, under increases in CO2. Typical plants increase their growth about 30% under 2050 CO2 levels, but the various species of weeds increase anywhere from 80% to 180%. Poison ivy increased by 150%. Many of these are weeds that compete with crops or other desirable plants.
They have also discovered that herbicides are less effective on weeds at higher CO2 levels.
I’m sure this won’t change anybody’s mind, though.
Why would he need to? Private industry has already started to. I love these commercials. You actually think they’re from Saturday Night Live, but no. This is the actual ad campaign they designed to counter-argue global warming.
#10, correct. The Bushapologists have decided that this is all Clinton’s fault. .
Geeze, back in 2000 Bush even admitted that Global Warming and CO2 were problems. He even promised to address the issue if elected. But, he was campaigning back then. As soon as he got into office though, he did a 180 and suggested that the problem was with the scientists and either fired all the real scientists or forced them out. Everything Bush has done has been detrimental to curbing Global Warming yet profitable to those large companies that backed him.
Of course, they will deride Al Gore as a Johnny Come Lately. And they fwill even forget that the Republican controlled Senate killed any prospect of the Kyoto Treaty being accepted.
the Republican controlled Senate killed any prospect of the Kyoto Treaty being accepted.
Yeah a 98-0 vote was all the Republicans fault.
Poison Ivy has been growing. Wonder who paid for that rack. The Penguin?