Posted by John Goetz
Jim Nichols of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote an article this past Tuesday (September 16) that has gotten the attention of Ohio State and Michigan fans around the country:
Global warming could send buckeye trees to Michigan
Michigan may be coolest place for it to be
Jim’s article starts out:
Global-warming predictions can send a chill down one’s spine: Melting polar ice caps, more hurricanes, epidemics, coastal swamping, drought and economic catastrophe.
Add to that a new horror scenario: a veritable exodus of Ohio buckeye trees into Michigan.
Could “The Heart of It All” become “The Heat of it All” and the Wolverine State become – arguably – the relatively cooler place to be?
Indeed, a coalition of health, environmental and outdoors groups dubbed Save the Buckeye warned of this Friday.
“It’s kind of ironic that because of climate change, the Ohio buckeye could wind up being more at home in Michigan than it is in Ohio,” said Tom Bullock, a coalition spokesman.
Jim goes on to mention that “garish and ominous billboards” have been put up on the Ohio State campus as part of a public-education campaign in Columbus. These billboards are designed to put fear into both OSU and U of M fans:
The article notes that the tree’s range extends from Texas to Green Bay, WI, and that the largest buckeye tree is already growing in Lenawee County, Michigan.
The truly interesting thing I learned from the article is that the “Ohio buckeye” tree is known elsewhere by its less-flattering colloquial nickname of fetid buckeye. Given the way OSU and U of M played this past weekend, “fetid buckeye” is an apt nickname for both!
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Is that based on the wonderful, high quality network of temperature stations?
I’m sold!
NOT!
Ahoy, shipmates, There be even dirtier skullduggery afoot!
Global Warming Causes Pirate Population Decrease
According to the following chart from Venganza, I am sad to say that we are seeing a steady decrease in the number of pirates in relation to the temperature. It seems these powerful pillars of society are unable to take the heat on the high seas, driving their numbers down.
http://borkweb.com/story/global-warming-causes-pirate-population-decrease
Whar thar’s smoke, thar’s fire, I’m tellin’ ye, lads! It were enough t’ take the swash right out o’ yer buckle, me buckeyes.
Boy, I’m surprised that this is only coming to light! For the past several years here in Michigan we’ve been watching the increasing Buckeye exodus with interest. The kids are always excited to be the ones to spot the a Buckeye heading north.
I really enjoy them, although it is very annoying when a whole herd of Buckeyes crosses the road in front of us on their way north, so majestic but terribly slow!
This spring we actually had several Buckeyes stop in our yard on their way North! The disappointing part is that they resumed their exodus, taking the cool treehouse that we had built in one of them. And they are messy, dropping leaves all over.
I like to have the buckeyes around, but I’m afraid that the global warming will be sending more of them through the area.
evanjones,
Thanks for the chuckle.
According to http://www.plantguide.org/ohio-buckeye-or-fetid-buckeye-tree.html the Ohio buckeye is in trouble due to mankind after all: “The tree is gradually becoming rarer, for the strong, disagreeable odour exhaled by its bark impels people to cut it down. There is nothing about the tree to offset this disadvantage.”
Being a combination of “Laker” and “Aggie” myself, I’m wondering why one would choose a stinking tree for one’s mascot?
There are several Ohio Buckeyes growing in Zone 3 southern Alberta which is well outside of their natural range.
As a born and bred Ohioan, who moved away after nearly 30 years of the most miserable weather imaginable, I can tell you that the suggestion that any person or thing left Ohio because it was too WARM is utterly and completely ridiculous.
However, if the Buckeye tree becomes the first, it will do little more than even the score.
If Buckeye trees are the markings of the infamous Ohio weather, then their total departure might actually entice many folks to move back….