[MCN] Are climate extremes a threat to jobs, labor and income?

[Lance Olsen]

AI Overview
Yes, climate extremes pose a direct threat to jobs, labor, and income. Rising temperatures, floods, and natural disasters reduce worker productivity, destroy physical workplaces, and cause massive losses in work hours and wages globally. [1 <https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/10/climate-crisis-impacting-jobs-workforce/>, 2 <https://climateadaptationplatform.com/how-natural-disasters-and-extreme-heat-cause-global-job-losses/>, 3 <https://sp2.upenn.edu/how-extreme-heat-affects-the-economy/>]
Impacts on Labor and Productivity
Extreme Heat: High temperatures slow down physical and cognitive tasks. Labor productivity drops by roughly 2% to 3% for every degree above 20°C. [1 <https://wmo.int/resources/publication-series/climate-change-and-workplace-heat-stress/climate-change-and-workplace-heat-stress>, 2 <https://equitablegrowth.org/research-on-climate-changes-impact-on-u-s-workers-underscores-the-benefits-of-workplace-heat-standards/>]
Increased Injury Risk: Hotter days cause fatigue, leading to a higher rate of workplace accidents, falls, and equipment drops. [1 <https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/penn-sp2-how-extreme-heat-affects-economy>, 2 <https://equitablegrowth.org/research-on-climate-changes-impact-on-u-s-workers-underscores-the-benefits-of-workplace-heat-standards/>]
Disrupted Sectors: Outdoor industries like construction, agriculture, utilities, and delivery services face severe disruptions or must halt work entirely during dangerous heat waves or storms. [1 <https://www.facebook.com/bloombergbusiness/videos/extreme-heat-is-starting-to-reshape-how-india-works-from-factories-and-construct/1031327732560684/>, 2 <https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/heat-outdoor-workers/>]
Threats to Jobs and Income
Lost Work Hours: Global heat exposure alone cuts hundreds of billions of potential work hours annually, translating to trillions of dollars in lost labor income. [1 <https://climateadaptationplatform.com/how-natural-disasters-and-extreme-heat-cause-global-job-losses/>]
Direct Job Destruction: Rapid-onset disasters like floods, hurricanes, and wildfires damage factories, farms, and transport routes, wiping out millions of full-time equivalent jobs. [1 <https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/10/climate-crisis-impacting-jobs-workforce/>, 2 <https://climateadaptationplatform.com/how-natural-disasters-and-extreme-heat-cause-global-job-losses/>]
Unequal Burden: Low-income communities, informal laborers, and outdoor workers bear the brunt of these financial losses because they lack safety nets, air conditioning, or paid leave. [1 <https://www.ucs.org/resources/too-hot-to-work>, 2 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuI3v5Flp2c&t=12>, 3 <https://climateadaptationplatform.com/how-natural-disasters-and-extreme-heat-cause-global-job-losses/>]

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“When I tell politicians to act now, the most common answer is that they can’t do anything drastic, because that would be too unpopular among voters. 

“And they are right of course.”

15 yr. old Greta Thunberg in speech to European Parliament

Full text 
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/media/20190416RES41665/20190416RES41665.pdf

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