Stronger Poison Ivy coming ??????? • Scientists say increased CO2 emissions are making poison ivy worse. • The leaves are bigger than a decade ago, and the oil that causes the itchiness is more potent. • Forget “leaves of three, let it be.” More CO2 is leading to more “mutant “ plants with four or more leaves. More carbon dioxide (CO2) in our Earth’s system contributes to a warmer world. But is the additional CO2 also making the planet itchier? Probably. Research suggests that poison ivy gets bigger, itchier, and can even change form with increased CO2 levels. That’s disturbing news for the thousands of Americans each year plagued with the debilitating rash. What causes the rash is something called urushiol, an oily toxin that inflames human skin on contact. All parts of the plant contain this oil, which can stay potent on almost any material for up to five years. A 2007 study found that both the toxicity of urushiol and the size of poison ivy leaves increased when plants were exposed to greater amounts of CO2. The figure above shows the amount of oil produced under different CO2 scenarios - following the rise from 1950 to today and continuing into the future as CO2 emissions are expected to continue to rise. Steven Greenspan, a horticulturalist with Poison Ivy Removal, who has more than 45 years of experience, notes that 10 years ago, poison ivy leaves measured 2-4 inches in diameter. Now it’s not uncommon to find leaves 12-17 inches in diameter. As if that weren’t bad enough, Greenspan expects occurrences of “mutant poison ivy plants” with more leaves and larger vines to increase as more CO2 is emitted. Below we have included images that may be useful for on-air or on social media platforms. All were taken in coastal U.S. states, from Massachusetts through Georgia, and should be credited to Steven Greenspan/Poison Ivy Removal.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 20:56:22 +0000
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