The Law of Unintended Consequences is in Full Effect

Just when you thought that global warming is bad enough, it suddenly gets worse, or at least, itchier:

Rising levels of carbon dioxide—a so-called greenhouse gas that traps heat within Earth's atmosphere—can fuel booming poison ivy growth, a new study reports. Even worse, the rash-inducing vines may become more potent.

Working in a Duke Univerity-owned forest near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, researchers used a system of carbon dioxide-pumping pipes to create atmospheric CO2 levels that were some 200 parts per million higher than the current norm.

Poison ivy growth surged some 150 percent in the carbon dioxide-rich forest plots.

We had some poison ivy growing around some of the pine trees on our property last year; before we rooted it out we walked Athena over to it so she could get a look at it and tried to make her understand that touching the stuff was something she really didn't want to do. We think it worked, since she hasn't come in to the house since covered in itchiness. But we keep an eye on the stuff anyway. Best not to let it get out of hand.

Stuff like this makes you wonder what other species are going to have advantages as the world warms, and which ones will find disadvantages, and whether we'll be happy with the equation. Frankly, a world with more poison ivy but fewer polar bears doesn't seem like a happy one to me.

Update: Oooh! While not related to global warming, this is related to nature, and it's cooooool: Prehistoric ecosystem found in Israeli cave. It's been sealed off for millions of years and the animals found in it have evolved accordingly. Wow. If we lived in a horror movie the scientists who discovered this cave would have been eaten by now, save for one plucky but attractive biology grad student and the studly spelunker who led the scientists into the cave. But you know, we don't really live in a horror movie. For better or worse.

Written by johnmscalzi Blog about this entry

This entry has 8 comments: (Add your own)

#8 Comment from lurkynat
6/1/06 5:54 PM | Permalink

notes to Athena! eww! yucky! you did the right thing to avoid it!
natalie
#7 Comment from knowwriter
6/1/06 11:36 AM | Permalink

This proves my theory plants thrive on carbon dioxide and expell oxygen so there will be more plant life to balance the environment and produce more oxygen for us to breath.

http://journals.aol.com/knowwriter/AmazingAdventures/
#6 Comment from rachaelanne21
6/1/06 10:36 AM | Permalink

what i am wondering is whether they told all the people who go running in duke forest (probably the most popular running spot in the tri-city area) about the potential increase in carbon dioxide and/or poison ivy.

heh. or did they just send the lacrosse team out there to warm up?
#5 Comment from psychfun
5/31/06 10:31 PM | Permalink

I have to email my dad & update this but he called & told me that someone (scientist) was reporting that since we have been reducing pollution etc that the hole is getting smaller in the ozone & they expect it to be closed in like ? I forget the years. I'll email him, try to get the source & then come back here & post again.

http://journals.aol.com/psychfun/MeThinksTooMuch/
#4 Comment from bgilmore725
5/31/06 7:36 PM | Permalink

Hey, that poison ivy study was done practically in my back yard! Well, chapel hill is only about 30 miles from where I live... yeah, we have lots of poison ivy around here, but you learn a healthy respect for it. Always looking for it when I am near anything resembling woods... it sprouts up near the gardens, on our paths where the dogs walk, near the creek... but I wear gloves... have noticed more kids coming in with it this spring. Thanks for sharing this information. bea

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The Law of Unintended Consequences is in Full Effect