The planet’s warming climate has led to countless changes that are affecting all of us. Droughts, hurricanes, rising sea levels and forest fires — all are now regular events in a world that saw close to 40 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions released into our atmosphere last year.
The planet’s warming climate has led to countless changes that are affecting all of us. Droughts, hurricanes, rising sea levels and forest fires — all are now regular events in a world that saw close to 40 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions released into our atmosphere last year.
Climate change may also be making outdoor labour more dangerous, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. It was led by Yann Chavaillaz, a former postdoctoral researcher at Concordia and the Ouranos Institute, and Damon Matthews, professor and Concordia Research Chair in Climate Science and Sustainability in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment.
The researchers examine how extreme high temperatures caused by CO2 emissions could lead to losses in labour productivity. Using calculations based on widely used guidelines regarding rest time recommendations per hour of labour and heat exposure, the authors found that every trillion tonnes of CO2 emitted could cause global GDP losses of about half a percent. They add that we may already be seeing economic losses of as much as two per cent of global GDP as a result of what we have already emitted.
Read more at: Concordia University
Damon Matthews, Professor and Concordia Research Chair in Climate Science and Sustainability. (Photo Credit: Concordia University)
