More CO2 means meaner poison ivy.
"Leaves of three, leave it be." That's a time-tested mnemonic to warn people away from poison ivy. But it's getting harder to leave poison ivy be. The plant is getting more virulent, more persistent, hardier and more robust. That's because the extra carbon dioxide we've put into the air -- the same gas that's raising the planet's temperature -- is helping poison ivy get meaner. It grows in more places, for a longer season. And the oil its leaves secrete -- the stuff that causes that itchy rash -- is more powerful and effective. Also, something that used to happen only during the summer is apparently becoming a year-round problem.
Dave Dowling
yikes! Stronger poison ivy, the new horrors of global warming just seam to keep piling up like the CO2 in the atmosphere.
If only we could vote in real people that actually enable laws and regulations and such that help clean the environment up by making it so we as a society do not pollute anymore.
Robert Feinstein
Dear Sir,
I take it that the article on poison ivy was meant as a joke. Global warming is surely more dangerous than something that causes an increasing number of poison ivy plants. It affects our very future. We must support Kyoto to stop catastrophic global warming. There are several problems for backers of Kyoto in Canada: 1-the press is almost if not totally monopolized by opponents of Kyoto who claim that Kyoto is wrong because it is not economically viable(economically viability,taking the place of human survivability as the criterion used) 2-the public,as fickle as ever, is moving on to other issues,e.g., the situation in Palestine,Canadian troops in Afghanbistan. I suggest that to counteract such problems: 1-leaders of the environmental movement spend the summer months organizing massive protests against the Harper Plan; that such protests include certain elements that would be perpetual,e.g., a perpetual picketing before Parliament made up of climatologists and representatives of various groups most affected by climate change,e.g. northern peoples,farmers. I suggest that such massive protests include members of as many environmental groups as possible,be organized in as many parts of the country as possible,be held on weekends when as many people as possible can attend,and lead to further action,e.g., signing petitions,writing letters to the Prime Minister and members of Parliament. I suggest that such actions on our part will make it difficult for either the anti-Kyoto people to continue dominating the press(our protests will allow our side to appear in the newspapers) or for people to move on to other issues(our continual protests will not allow people to move on). We must act now. It is almost too late. Yours truly,Robert Feinstein
Robert Feinstein
Dear Sir,
I take it that the article on poison ivy was meant as a joke. Global warming is surely more dangerous than something that causes an increasing number of poison ivy plants. It affects our very future. We must support Kyoto to stop catastrophic global warming. There are several problems for backers of Kyoto in Canada: 1-the press is almost if not totally monopolized by opponents of Kyoto who claim that Kyoto is wrong because it is not economically viable(economically viability,taking the place of human survivability as the criterion used) 2-the public,as fickle as ever, is moving on to other issues,e.g., the situation in Palestine,Canadian troops in Afghanbistan. I suggest that to counteract such problems: 1-leaders of the environmental movement spend the summer months organizing massive protests against the Harper Plan; that such protests include certain elements that would be perpetual,e.g., a perpetual picketing before Parliament made up of climatologists and representatives of various groups most affected by climate change,e.g. northern peoples,farmers. I suggest that such massive protests include members of as many environmental groups as possible,be organized in as many parts of the country as possible,be held on weekends when as many people as possible can attend,and lead to further action,e.g., signing petitions,writing letters to the Prime Minister and members of Parliament. I suggest that such actions on our part will make it difficult for either the anti-Kyoto people to continue dominating the press(our protests will allow our side to appear in the newspapers) or for people to move on to other issues(our continual protests will not allow people to move on). We must act now. It is almost too late. Yours truly,Robert Feinstein
ralph
hi,this is a good article.I too have noticed how the vine like bushes have changed in their growth.I had some very agressive ivy vines that was almost impossible to get rid of.I dont think it was the poison kind,but on a brighter note grapevines also increased in growth patterns although I 'm not sure crop yield increased.