Regarding the Post’s July 17 commentary, “The peril of global itching,” saying that global warming is bad because it helps poison ivy grow, is downright ridiculous.
Scientists have known for decades that higher atmospheric carbon dioxide makes virtually ALL plants grow better. As a result, U.S. and global crop yields set records year after year, forests around the globe are expanding, deserts are shrinking, and – oh yes – poison ivy is thriving, just like all other plant species.
Saying that we need to curtail crop production, forest expansion, and our planet’s overall plant health simply because poison ivy might also benefit from carbon dioxide is downright ludicrous and shameful fear-mongering.
James M. Taylor ([email protected]) is senior fellow for environment policy for The Heartland Institute.
