Climate change & the rise in deadly fungal infections

The role played by terpenes in our bodies and circulating throughout the Earth's ecosystem are analogous. Terpenes have been a point of interest for me since 1997, when I was introduced to Cannabis terpenes by my friend Vito Mediavilla, eminent research scientist at the Swiss Federal Research Station near Bern.

Since then I learned about the physical dynamic of terpenes, that rise into the atmosphere, where they perform several critically important environmental services.

As they ascend into the stratosphere, terpenes reflect solar UV-B radiation away from the planet and serve as cloud condensation nuclei, forming "bright and persistent clouds." (3)

As a component of the hydrologic cycle, terpenes may play an increasingly significant role in purifying water of pathogens, that may be increasing as the concentration of terpenes is reduced by deforestation and death of marine phytoplankton.

"Pentacyclic triterpenes such as β-amyrin and cycloartenol have been shown to possess numerous biological activities including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties (Vázquez et al., 2012; Moses et al., 2013). These triterpenes are key contributors to the pharmacological properties of numerous medicinal herbs (Kirby et al., 2008; Yadav et al., 2010; Sawai and Saito, 2011)." (2)

Now, think about how...

"From 2012 to 2015, pathogenic versions of the fungus Candida auris arose independently in Africa, Asia and South America. The versions are from the same species, yet they are genetically distinct, so the spread across continents couldn’t have been caused by infected travelers, says Arturo Casadevall of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health." (1)

"Since mid-2016, when reporting of C. auris infections began in the United States, there have been nearly 700 cases confirmed in 12 states, with deadly outbreaks occurring among patients in hospitals and other health care facilities. More than 30 countries around the world have also reported cases. The fungus causes dangerous infections of the blood, brain, heart and other parts of the body. Studies show that an invasive infection can be fatal 30 to 60 percent of the time. And some infections are resistant to all available antifungal medications." (1)

"Meanwhile, other fungi are wreaking destruction on many animals and plants, including frogs (SN: 4/27/19, p. 5), snakes (SN: 1/20/18, p. 16) and trees (SN: 5/3/03, p. 282). “A lot of our fellow creatures are being wiped out,” Casadevall says. And while mammals have tended to be “remarkably resistant to invasive fungal diseases,” he says, bats have been hit hard by outbreaks of a fungus that causes white nose syndrome in part because their body temperature drops during hibernation (SN Online: 7/15/19)." (1)

Recently it was reported that "An astonishing number of viruses are circulating around the Earth's atmosphere -- and falling from it" (4)

It seems to me that there is an urgent necessity of replenishing the Earth's atmosphere with terpenes, largely overlooked by those people concerned with climate change. #Cannabis #hemp is being revealed as a "Gaiatherapeutic" remedy needed to heal Earth's atmosphere of immune suppressive, Earth-broiling UV-B radiation, and airborne bio-pathogens.

How long will it take to conduct the global conversation that’s needed to heal this planet and human society?

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References

1. Climate change could raise the risk of deadly fungal infections in humans
Outbreaks of Candida auris have recently erupted around the world
BY AIMEE CUNNINGHAM 6:00AM, JULY 26, 2019
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-could-raise-risk-deadly-fungal-infections-humans

2. Cannabis sativa: The Plant of the Thousand and One Molecules
Christelle M. Andre, Jean-Francois Hausman, and Gea Guerriero
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740396/

3. Fragrance of pine forests helps to slow climate change
James Randerson, 13 Apr 2006
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2006/apr/14/environment.climatechange

4. Viruses -- lots of them -- are falling from the sky
An astonishing number of viruses are circulating around the Earth's atmosphere -- and falling from it
February 6, 2018 University of British Columbia
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180206090650.htm