VIRGINIA CREEPER...........
Posted on 05/30/2006 1:03:10 PM PDT by billorites
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.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, a chemical that traps heat similar to the way a greenhouse does, that is considered a major contributor to global warming. Greenhouse gases have been steadily increasing in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution.
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.
Their study appears in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"The fertilization effect of rising CO2 on poison ivy ... and the shift toward a more allergenic form of urushiol have important implications for the future health of both humans and forests," the study concludes, reports AP.
I noticed a similar story on the Today show this morning. How fitting that NBC and Pravda are running with the same story.
Of course, if plants grow faster, they take more CO2 out of the atmosphere. But our friendly agenda-driven scientists didn't mention that.
Plants like CO2. Who would've guessed?!
Wow, good thing Pravda is on the job with hard-hitting stories like this.
Oh then lets spend billions of dollars to stop poison ivy (and wheat and soy-beans) from growing faster.
Aren't all vines CO2 driven?
Where's the (Hot Air) Alert!
I did my part Sunday - I took an axe to several poison ivy vines growing up trees around my house.
Yea, these people are real geniuses. The National academy of Science actually published this "study". Unbelievable. On a side note, if you want to grow better marijuana at home you really need to add CO-2 to the plants environment. Potheads have known this for 40 years. At least the scientists' are catching up.
Are you sure it was poison ivy and not Virginia Creeper? They are very similar and many people call VC, Poison Ivy. It's still a pest weed but not poisonous..........
Poison ivy. I can spot that leaf set from 40 paces.
VIRGINIA CREEPER...........
Don't they mean IF THE WARMING TREND CONTINUES. I am stupified how scientists think just because the climate is doing one thing during one time period it is a forever and ever condition.
Just last night on the science channel they discussed prehistoric beasts and how the atmostphere was continually cooling, blah blah blah... well these same people would state the world was going to burn up. No, it regulated itself and man had nothing to do with either. Sheesh.
Famous last words from Mrs. Dirtboy on her arrival in Pennsylvania from Colorado - "I don't get poison ivy!"
Now she too is pretty good at spotting it.
POISON IVY.........Notice VC has a 5 leaf set and PI has 3......
Oh, like I said, I can spot poison ivy from 40 paces.
I suffer miserably from Poison Ivy, and a few years ago found a product "Tecnu" - it is amazing, it is the only thing that clears up my rash, it saved my life. Seriously, don't even bother with Calamine or itch creams like my doctor gave me. tecNu is the only cure I know of, and it cleared mine up in about a day - I was dying from my rashes.
You got the real deal there! and POISON Oak looks the same but is standing alone.
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