The influence of perceived temperature on human well-being in the context of climate change: A multi-level global analysis
Anthropogenic climate change is causing global shifts in climate. Mean global temperatures are increasing extremely rapidly. One direct consequence of this is that in many places perceived temperature is higher than before. This is due to shifts in both temperature and humidity as the climate sys...
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Format: | Doctoral Thesis |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Philipps-Universität Marburg
2016
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | PDF Full Text |
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Summary: | Anthropogenic climate change is causing global shifts in climate. Mean
global temperatures are increasing extremely rapidly. One direct consequence of
this is that in many places perceived temperature is higher than before. This
is due to shifts in both temperature and humidity as the climate system reacts
to the higher level of heat and the accompanying processes redistributing warm
air and moisture in the atmosphere.
Hot weather has been shown to be potentially dangerous in many contexts to
various aspects of human life. From a health perspective, heat creates
additional stress for the body, potentially impacting the circulatory and
nervous systems. Exhaustion rates increase and the need for hydration rises.
Beyond the direct effects on health, heat can also affect other human systems,
either directly or indirectly through ancillary mechanisms. Exhausted workers
are less productive. Sickness and mortality creates costs for economies and
slows economic growth. Heat also affects the temperature of coolant water for
power plants, the growth rates of plants, and many other components of
economies that are connected with human well-being.
In this thesis I discuss the increase in perceived temperature over the past
three decades. I examine its effects on mortality in Europe and on economic
growth rates worldwide. The findings indicate that perceived temperature is
increasing for most of the world, and that higher mortality rates can be
expected as a result. Additionally, economic growth can be expected to slow in
the presence of longer and more frequent heat waves. |
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Physical Description: | 140 Pages |
DOI: | 10.17192/z2017.0054 |