Who’s Ready For Climate Change Induced Poison Ivy Doom?

There’s a very interesting admission on this doom-mongering piece

Poison ivy likely to become more abundant and more potent with climate change
A six-year study found that elevated levels of carbon dioxide increase the growth of poison ivy

Leaves of three, let it be. Many of us were taught this rhyme as children to keep us on the lookout for the dreaded poison ivy plant. If you think you’re seeing more of it these days, it’s probably not your imagination. It’s also likely to be larger than you’ve seen it in the past and will cause a more potent rash.

Several Manitoulin Islanders have shared their recent experiences, saying they have reacted badly this year but have never experienced the painful, itchy rash previously. Brittany from Manitowaning had to bandage most of her leg. Bill P. said the usual patches near his property had spread, and the plants were looking very healthy.

A six-year study completed by Duke University researchers found that elevated levels of carbon dioxide not only increased the growth of poison ivy but those high carbon dioxide receiving plants produced a more potent form of urushiol. That’s the oil that causes the skin inflammation, Rhus-dermatitis, in 50 to 80 per cent of humans when they come into contact with the plant (only humans and apes react to urushiol). Urushiol is poison ivy’s defense mechanism.

Wait, wait, I thought we were told that carbon dioxide was bad for plants? No? It makes them grow? Flourish? Spread?

You will generally find poison icy wherever humans have disturbed the land. It is possible that once established in newly disturbed areas elevated carbon dioxide levels will promote faster growth. She hasn’t noticed a correlation between a greater abundance of poison ivy and a warming climate but noted she hasn’t worked directly with the plant.

Huh. So, not necessarily due to a warming climate? Regardless, this doesn’t prove that the current warm period was caused by Man’s output of “carbon pollution.”