Poison Ivy Epidemic on the Way

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I can’t honestly say this is the most important reason to worry about global warming, but hey, if it convinces people to pay attention:

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.

Poison ivy is no fun. Here are some great pictures of poison ivy rashes. Here’s Mother Jones‘ (slightly less painful) cover package on global warming from last year. Hot office gossip has it that Al Gore gushed about this article on Fresh Air the other day. Do listen to Al.

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The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

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