Do you have a bad case of poison ivy? According to "The Early Show" you can blame that on those that drive SUV’s and cook on the grill. On the July 2 edition’s usually non-controversial "Health Watch" segment, host Harry Smith began the segment stating "scientists say [poison ivy] is worse than ever for a number of reasons, including global warming."
"Early Show" medical contributor Dr. Emily Senay cited a study that "rising levels of carbon monoxide" is "spurring poison ivy to grow bigger, to grow faster, and to produce a more potent form of this oil that it makes, urushiol."
The relevant portions of the interview are below.
HARRY SMITH: This morning in "Health Watch," poison ivy. Scientists say it is worse than ever for a number of reasons, including global warming. Our Dr. Emily Senay is here to tell us what's going on outside. Good morning Emily.
[...]
SMITH: Why is it getting nastier? Is it our imagination?
DR EMILY SENAY: This is interesting and it's a little, you know, disturbing on some level. The researchers are now saying, researchers at Duke and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, are saying that rising levels of carbon dioxide, that's what we've been talking so much about that's been going up. It's been linked to global warming, is actually spurring the poison ivy on to grow bigger, to grow faster and to produce a more potent form of this oil that it makes, the urushiol. So a quantity of oil that several decades ago might not have caused a reaction in someone, now probably will.
SMITH: So it's becoming more toxic?
SENAY: Becoming more toxic, that's exactly right.
—Justin McCarthy is a news analyst at Media Research Center.
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Poison ivy, poison ivy
July 2, 2007 - 14:21 ET by RJPoison Ivy, poison Ivy
Late at night when you're sleeping
Poison Ivy comes a creeping all around
http://www.keno.org/stones_lyrics/Poisonivy.htm
Did she blame carbon monoxide
July 2, 2007 - 14:22 ET by GalvanicDid she blame carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide? The former is a pollutant, and the latter is labeled a GHG.
Carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis, so I'm not surprised that it's good for poison ivy. It's also good for fruits and vegetables. Ya gotta accept the bad with good.
The good news is that everyone can be taught to identify poison ivy and avoid contact.
Maybe poison ivy is causing g
July 2, 2007 - 14:43 ET by mattmMaybe poison ivy is causing global warming....I wonder if the "early Show" ever thought of that...
Both! All carbon is evil! Evi
July 2, 2007 - 14:45 ET by nnptcgradBoth! All carbon is evil! Evil I say!!!
/s
Mother nature is a bitch - Ninth Corollary of Murphy's Law
The whole thing is laughable.
July 2, 2007 - 15:17 ET by taznarThe whole thing is laughable.
Doesn't their "medical contributor" know CO2 is good for plants???
Don't they know that increased CO2 resulting in increased plant growth equals more CO2 removed from the atmosphere?
Its one of the many, many feedback/control mechanisms impacting the atmosphere that climate modelers still haven't quite figured out yet.
I'm just amazed at how the "Greens" can spin improved plant growth as bad!
I believe they're all frakkin
July 2, 2007 - 15:46 ET by drillanwrI believe they're all frakkin' smoking the stuff.
Look out, this is next, jus
July 2, 2007 - 14:33 ET by upcountrywaterLook out, this is next, just hose them all with sea water.
IRANIAN URANIMUN, 220 lbs and counting.
No doubt my cynical laughter
July 2, 2007 - 14:33 ET by PSOSNo doubt my cynical laughter at this environmental hysteria was also caused by global warming.
I'm having a good laugh imagi
July 2, 2007 - 15:30 ET by taznarI'm having a good laugh imagining that this whole story came into being because Smith was playing in the ivy, and not knowing what it was needed someone to blame (other than himself) for his extreme discomfort.
"He's gonna need an ocean
Of Calamine lotion.
He'll be scratchin like a hound..."
(Sorry, but RJ started it!)
That article ended with a &q
July 2, 2007 - 14:34 ET by Mica the MagnificentThat article ended with a "Senior Wences" moment, with Senay being the hand puppet:
Smith: So it's becoming more toxic?
Senay: Becoming more toxic, that's exactly right.
Smith: So right?
Senay: So right!
What is with that "more toxic
July 2, 2007 - 15:38 ET by taznarWhat is with that "more toxic" baloney anyway? Are they saying the plants have evolved and are producing a different toxin, or is it just that bigger, healthier plants simply produce more toxin?
Frequent campers/hikers want to know!
Any day now the Global Warmin
July 2, 2007 - 15:37 ET by drillanwrAny day now the Global Warming cultists will be staggering zombies in the streets and going all "Night Of The Living Dead" on us ... Any day now.
Mark my words.
Plants utilize CO2 to "
July 2, 2007 - 20:05 ET by GregEPlants utilize CO2 to "breathe." So if they want to make that arguement for something bad happening, like growth of poison ivy, let's see another show talking about how vegetable, fruits, nuts, etc, which come from plants and are good things, are also growing much bigger and faster due to increased CO2.
I won't hold my CO2 expelling breath for a "Big Tomato Alert" or "Overabundance of Corn Alert" to air.
We must destroy the rain fore
July 2, 2007 - 20:11 ET by SemperrightWe must destroy the rain forest before it takes over. It will soon take over the planet. Load up the goats and machetes and head south warriors.
Attack“The way to stop disc
July 2, 2007 - 21:51 ET by botgAttack
“The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” -Chief Justice John Roberts
Yeah, because no one ever got
July 2, 2007 - 21:46 ET by CapitalismRulesYeah, because no one ever got a poison ivy rash before 1925.