Post AY8DN8ARUIHWzU9C5Y by Devilstower@mstdn.social
 (DIR) More posts by Devilstower@mstdn.social
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN2VqVnpzS87CcK by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:17:36Z
       
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       Stick with me here, because I'm going to talk about ticks. Ticks. Like the 8-legged parasites out to ruin your day hike.They are, indeed, loathsome. But they may also be exactly the superheroes we need right now. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN3HLfBpppSL8eu by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:18:34Z
       
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       Tick bites can trigger Alpha-gal Syndrome, which causes an allergy to a kind of sugar molecule found in almost all kinds of mammals (cows, pigs, etc) but not in human beings. Those who develop the syndrome can have severe reactions after eating meat. …https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/resources/alpha-gal-syndrome-factsheet.html
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN3qnXOBvbOvRui by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:21:12Z
       
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       Right now, something like 100K people in the US have alpha-gal syndrome. That's a long way from how many people have celiac disease, which causes an allergy to gluten (approx. 2M people in US), but it's getting up there. The number is increasing because ticks are increasing. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN4bEkjL1vQeXIW by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:21:37Z
       
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       Rising temperatures due to the climate crisis are making a more tick-friendly world, They're expanding into new areas and increasing in number in their existing range. Within limits, ticks like it hot. So expect more ticks, more tick bites, and more cases of alpha-gal syndrome. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN5M1wkliGYXuEa by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:22:04Z
       
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       Admittedly none of this sounds good so far. Except maybe it's exactly what we need.   Because livestock production causes about 15% of global greenhouse gases. Also, feeding livestock now takes over 35% of all crops produced. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN69IzYBSjNbG2S by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:22:27Z
       
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       If alpha-gal syndrome were universal, not only would we see an significant drop in greenhouse gases and we'd need much less land area for the raising of food. There would be more wild spaces, more green spaces, and a cooler world. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN6oQWf4qmuq68O by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:22:59Z
       
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       But of course, even ticks (which are, still loathsome), aren't that common or that prolific. Neither does everyone who is bitten by a tick join the ranks of those with alpha-gal syndrome. Everyone in the world is not about to become allergic to meat overnight. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN7VJxBO8vwuLzc by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:23:22Z
       
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       So we can't count on ticks to save us in their icky, icky way. If we're going to cut back on eating meat, and reduce both the greenhouses gases and amount of land that goes to feeding that livestock, we can't count on little loathsome superheroes. …
       
 (DIR) Post #AY8DN8ARUIHWzU9C5Y by Devilstower@mstdn.social
       2023-07-27T20:24:41Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       Like everything else connected to the climate crisis, the solution is up to us.  NOTE: Ticks also spread some genuinely unpleasant, disabling, or deadly diseases. That includes Lyme disease, Rocky Mtn. Spotted Fever, and even Typhus. Don't get bitten by a tick. Not even if you're looking to cut back on meat. Thank you.