Here’s a new twist on Climate Change I never thought of before

NOAA this week issued a new study concerning what the workforce will be dealing with in the future.  Their findings….

“A new NOAA study projects that heat-stress related labor capacity losses will double globally by 2050 with a warming climate.”

The reduction is not major to start with

Currently labor capacity loss is 10% during our warmest summer months.  It is predicted to double by the year 2050 to 20%.  Productivity will be reduced considerably under this scenario.  I believe that we can certainly adapt to 10% less work. France does a 32 hour week right now!  NOAA did not complete an economic analysis of potential economic impacts but they did go on to say that…

“By the year 2200,   “Many areas would be unable to sustain safe human labor without environmental control…”

“If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise under the higher projections, increased heat stress would reduce labor capacity to 39 percent in peak months by 2200. In this case of 6 degrees C (11 degrees F) global warming, heat stress in New York City would exceed that of any location in the present day. Many areas would be unable to sustain safe human labor without environmental control, air conditioning for example, during the warmest months.”

To read the NOAA report go to the link below.

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20130225_laborandclimate.html

This is only a study.  The reality has yet to happen.

This would definitely make an impact on a nation’s economic well being.  The flow of goods and services may be changed considerably, populations would be immigrating to better locations, the cost of utilities could skyrocket.  There are many very bad scenarios in this future.

By all  indications, the world is going to be a very different place to live in.  I can foresee complete areas in the country and around the world where it could be too hot for anyone to work, let alone live.  Or those who stayed in those areas would only be able to live underground or in super-insulated air conditioned bunkers.  Heat related illnesses and death will be much more common.  Global economics will be radically changed.  I don’t think I like this scenario.

What do we do?  Well, there is probably not a whole lot we can do to keep some of this from happening.  We CAN start minimizing Human Caused Green House Gas emissions to the best of our ability.  We CAN start teaching the next generation what not to do!  We CAN hope that modern technology will help reduce the impacts to the future generations.

Too hot for you?