How much can our bodies adapt to a hotter and more humid planet?
How much can our bodies adapt to a hotter and more humid planet?
A study from the University of Ottawa’s Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit (HEPRU)north_eastexternal link has confirmed that the limits for human thermoregulation—our ability to maintain a stable body temperature in extreme heat—are lower than previously thought.
This research, led by Dr. Robert D. Meadenorth_eastexternal link, former Senior Postdoctoral Fellow and Dr. Glen Kenny, Director of HEPRUnorth_eastexternal link and professor of physiology at uOttawa's Faculty of Health Sciences, highlights the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change on human health.
The study found that many regions may soon experience heat and humidity levels that exceed the safe limits for human survival. "Our research provided important data supporting recent suggestions that the conditions under which humans can effectively regulate their body temperature are actually much lower than earlier models suggested," states Kenny. "This is critical information as we face increasing global temperatures."
Read more at University of Ottawa
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