Massive Job Losses, Days Where Going Outside Can Result in Death Due to Climate Change Predicted in Report
A new report says that as global warming continues its relentless march, the American Midwest could suffer severe economic damage and days so hot that simply stepping outdoors could kill.
The report was published by Risky Business, an outfit established by Michael Bloomberg and Tom Steyer to study and raise awareness about the impact of global warming in the United States.
The report says that as global temperatures rise, places like Missouri could soon have a climate comparable to present day Arizona. Arizona typically experiences between 46 and 115 days where the temperature is above 95 degrees. That will be the norm for people in Missouri by the end the of the century.
Chicago, well known for being the windy city and all the cool and cold weather that accompanies such a designation ,will experience the same amount of days above 95 degrees by the end of the century as people in Texas currently do.
There is also the threat posed by the "Humid Heat Stroke Index." This index measures the level at which heat and humidity are so severe that it is lethal for humans to be outside for any extended period of time. There is a 1-in-20 chance that Chicago will experience 10 or more days where this index is at its maximum lethality by the middle of the century. Risky Business notes that when a severe heat wave struck in 1995 and the index was at abnormally high levels, 750 people died.
The report also paints a picture of economic doom as global warming continues unabated because the United States has yet to take any meaningful action to counter this threat. For example, the 35,000 jobs in the Midwest based on winter activities such as skiing, hockey, and ice fishing will disappear.
In addition to that, if the the United States does not take direct action to try and stop global warming, crop production could fall anywhere from 11 to 70 percent. Such a decline would leave thousands of farmers and people working in industries related to farming jobless, to say nothing of food shortages.
