Construction workers in Nepal battle the summer heat. (Photo: judepics via Flickr)
Feb 25, 2013
Muggy, summer days on the warmer planet of our future will be "beyond anything experienced in the world today," says a new report published Sunday in the journal Nature by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
The report, entitled "Reductions in labor capacity from heat stress under climate warming," examines the general misery and striking loss of labor capacity the world can expect as our planet continues to cook.
Another consequence of human-caused global warming is increased humidity in the atmosphere, because warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air. As anyone who has endeavored physical labor on a muggy summer day can attest, work in those conditions is significantly more miserable and taxing.
According to the report, not only is work capability already reduced by 10 percent during peak months because of increased heat and humidity, by 2050 labor capacity is predicted to drop twice as much, to 80 percent in peak months.
The impact will be most severe in mid-latitude and tropical regions, including South and East Asia, North America, and Australia and will be felt most by those who work outside or in hot environments, such as farmers, firefighters, bakery workers, construction and factory workers.
"Most studies of the direct impact of global warming on humans have focused on mortality under either extreme weather events or theoretical physiological limits. We wanted instead to describe climate warming in practical terms that people commonly experience already," said lead author, John Dunne.
Reporting on the study, Reuters writes that under the severe, albeit realistic, estimated temperature rise of 6 degrees Celsius (or 10.8F),
labor capacity would be all-but eliminated in the lower Mississippi Valley and most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains would be exposed to heat stress "beyond anything experienced in the world today," [Dunne] said.
Under this scenario, heat stress in New York City would exceed that of present-day Bahrain, while in Bahrain, the heat and humidity could cause hyperthermia - potentially dangerous overheating - even in sleeping people who were not working at all.
In climates where work behaviors have not adapted to extreme heat stress--by utilizing siestas during peak hours or doing manual labor at night--such as Europe and the US, occurrences such as the 2003 European heatwave which killed 70,000 will be more common.
According to a statement released by NOAA, "this work represents a fundamental step forward in the ability to quantify the direct impact of climate warming on the global human population."
____________________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Muggy, summer days on the warmer planet of our future will be "beyond anything experienced in the world today," says a new report published Sunday in the journal Nature by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
The report, entitled "Reductions in labor capacity from heat stress under climate warming," examines the general misery and striking loss of labor capacity the world can expect as our planet continues to cook.
Another consequence of human-caused global warming is increased humidity in the atmosphere, because warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air. As anyone who has endeavored physical labor on a muggy summer day can attest, work in those conditions is significantly more miserable and taxing.
According to the report, not only is work capability already reduced by 10 percent during peak months because of increased heat and humidity, by 2050 labor capacity is predicted to drop twice as much, to 80 percent in peak months.
The impact will be most severe in mid-latitude and tropical regions, including South and East Asia, North America, and Australia and will be felt most by those who work outside or in hot environments, such as farmers, firefighters, bakery workers, construction and factory workers.
"Most studies of the direct impact of global warming on humans have focused on mortality under either extreme weather events or theoretical physiological limits. We wanted instead to describe climate warming in practical terms that people commonly experience already," said lead author, John Dunne.
Reporting on the study, Reuters writes that under the severe, albeit realistic, estimated temperature rise of 6 degrees Celsius (or 10.8F),
labor capacity would be all-but eliminated in the lower Mississippi Valley and most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains would be exposed to heat stress "beyond anything experienced in the world today," [Dunne] said.
Under this scenario, heat stress in New York City would exceed that of present-day Bahrain, while in Bahrain, the heat and humidity could cause hyperthermia - potentially dangerous overheating - even in sleeping people who were not working at all.
In climates where work behaviors have not adapted to extreme heat stress--by utilizing siestas during peak hours or doing manual labor at night--such as Europe and the US, occurrences such as the 2003 European heatwave which killed 70,000 will be more common.
According to a statement released by NOAA, "this work represents a fundamental step forward in the ability to quantify the direct impact of climate warming on the global human population."
____________________________
Lauren McCauley
Lauren McCauley is a former senior editor for Common Dreams covering national and international politics and progressive news. She is now the Editor of Maine Morning Star. Lauren also helped produce a number of documentary films, including the award-winning Soundtrack for a Revolution and The Hollywood Complex, as well as one currently in production about civil rights icon James Meredith. Her writing has been featured on Newsweek, BillMoyers.com, TruthDig, Truthout, In These Times, and Extra! the newsletter of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. She currently lives in Kennebunk, Maine with her husband, two children, a dog, and several chickens.
Muggy, summer days on the warmer planet of our future will be "beyond anything experienced in the world today," says a new report published Sunday in the journal Nature by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).
The report, entitled "Reductions in labor capacity from heat stress under climate warming," examines the general misery and striking loss of labor capacity the world can expect as our planet continues to cook.
Another consequence of human-caused global warming is increased humidity in the atmosphere, because warmer air can hold more moisture than cooler air. As anyone who has endeavored physical labor on a muggy summer day can attest, work in those conditions is significantly more miserable and taxing.
According to the report, not only is work capability already reduced by 10 percent during peak months because of increased heat and humidity, by 2050 labor capacity is predicted to drop twice as much, to 80 percent in peak months.
The impact will be most severe in mid-latitude and tropical regions, including South and East Asia, North America, and Australia and will be felt most by those who work outside or in hot environments, such as farmers, firefighters, bakery workers, construction and factory workers.
"Most studies of the direct impact of global warming on humans have focused on mortality under either extreme weather events or theoretical physiological limits. We wanted instead to describe climate warming in practical terms that people commonly experience already," said lead author, John Dunne.
Reporting on the study, Reuters writes that under the severe, albeit realistic, estimated temperature rise of 6 degrees Celsius (or 10.8F),
labor capacity would be all-but eliminated in the lower Mississippi Valley and most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains would be exposed to heat stress "beyond anything experienced in the world today," [Dunne] said.
Under this scenario, heat stress in New York City would exceed that of present-day Bahrain, while in Bahrain, the heat and humidity could cause hyperthermia - potentially dangerous overheating - even in sleeping people who were not working at all.
In climates where work behaviors have not adapted to extreme heat stress--by utilizing siestas during peak hours or doing manual labor at night--such as Europe and the US, occurrences such as the 2003 European heatwave which killed 70,000 will be more common.
According to a statement released by NOAA, "this work represents a fundamental step forward in the ability to quantify the direct impact of climate warming on the global human population."
____________________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.