The close-to-home impact of global warming

Here's what I learned yesterday. 

    Global warming is making poison ivy worse.

    Deer ticks (that cause Lyme disease) are thriving because of climate change.

    And the lovely, biting fire ants? They love that our planet is warming up too - they're spreading northward.

I was at a lunch with a group of fabulous bloggers (Amie Adams, Gayle Weiswasser, Diane MacEaachern), hosted by Jaime Matyas and her great team at the National Wildlife Federation and we had a fascinating, free-ranging conversation (thank you NWF!!!) and heard about a few NWF programs.  

This morning, I woke up thinking about poison ivy and had to tell you about the convo. 

Most of us might think of climate change as a big (global!) issue that affects the polar bears more than it effects our own, day-to-day lives.  Felice Stadler, with NWF's Global Warming Solutions Program, and Diane of Big Green Purse killed off that idea.  

Not only are we seeing extreme weather patterns that are messing with our plans (my daughter still talks about the record snow fall that hit Baltimore when she was on her special Grandpa-time weekend this winter), but nuisances like poison ivy, deer ticks, and fire ants are getting much worse, and get this ... there's a new mosquito coming from Asia, the Asian Tiger mosquito.  They bite often, need tiny amounts of water to survive and carry more than 30 different viruses. 

Not to be a wet blanket, but as a mom looking out for my family, I want to know this and thought you would too.

I just found a page on the National Wildlife Federation site that tells you how climate change is effecting your state in case you'd like to learn more about the impact in your area.  

(Cooper, Amie and I are on the NWF Founding Mothers Advisory Council - YAY!)

Comments

[Cooper]

I am really, really allergic to fire ant bites. All this scares the heck out of me.

[Danielle]

It was great to meet and hang out with you yesterday!

[Leighann of D-Mom Blog]

Thanks for the link...will definitely check it out!

The state park where we always camp is covered in poison ivy. Everywhere. Have you tried to keep a 2 yo and 5 yo out of poison ivy when it's along the paths and at the edge of the campsites?

What's worse? A husband who for some reason you have to remind every single time what it looks like.

Just ask my daughter: leaves of three, let it be.

[Liz@thisfullhouse]

I shared the itch:

http://bit.ly/bRQOV7

Consider yourself blogged AND scratched ;)

[Emily]

Liz, you are the BEST!!!!!!!!  I love love love your post (and am feeling all itchy too!)!!!  Thank you for all the love.  Im sending it ALL right back to you, wonderful friend!

[Emily]

Leighann, AND a poison ivy rash sticks around for one to four weeks.  If it catches on fire (in a campfire, say) you can get a rash from the smoke.  I love leaves of three, let it be! 

[Emily]

Danielle, it was so great to meet you too!!  After all your hard work on behalf of the #NWFMoms especially!

[Jennifer James]

This is so depressing, but such important information for us all to know!

[Emily]

I know, Jennifer, it is such a depressing topic.  I liked the approach of NWF of saying if we document whats going on around us, in our lives, thats having an impact, more people might care about actually doing something to stop climate change.  One can hope anyways!

[tzmom]

My in-laws live in Georgia and the ticks have been horrible there. They are constantly finding them attached to their bodies! Yuck!

[deborah]

Emily,
The poison ivy sort of freaks my freak. My oldest had it over 1/3 of his body...AWFUL. AND, if you were to burn it to get rid of it...it will go INTO YOUR LUNGS!!! Now, the mosquitos too? Yikes.

[Avinash]

Global Warming is a problem created by the human race, now its only on us to save the planet. lets all try to take small initiatives to make a large impact. Can't happen in a day, would take centuries to get in control.

[Avinash]

I have taken a small initiative, by educating people, helping them understand the need to conserve out planet.

for more details visit

http://www.earthconservation.net