Photo courtesy of Fotomom at Flickr.com.
Climate change is causing all sorts of unexpected shifts around the world. Many species are migrating to higher elevation as temperatures change, reproducing at unusual times, or simply going extinct.
Some plants and animals have found other ways to adapt. Warm, wet weather is ideal for poison sumac and poison oak. Urushiol (the oil in Poison Oak and Poison Sumac that causes blisters and rashes) lasts longer on the surface of plants in this type of weather, and it builds up to a higher degree. Even more frightening, global warming may be causing rattlesnake venom to get more potent.
So, not only is the weather uncomfortable and extreme, but more plants and animals are trying to kill us. Great. It’s almost like they know who to blame for climate change.
For protection against poison ivy, we carry Buji Poison Ivy Blocker and Wash. These natural lotions can help you avoid rashes and blisters by protecting your skin, and the wash is a safe way to get rid of harmful oils without spreading them for later contact. The rattlesnake venom is a bit trickier to avoid.
Photo courtesy of jdeboer152 at Flickr.com.
