Over the years many of us have learnt to push Global Warming to the back of our minds. We’ve denied scientific projections, disregarded freak weather events and even dismissed the plight of endangered species; it’s sad about the polar bear but hey, we’ve all got problems of our own, right?
We’ve jobs to do, families to feed. Some of us have businesses to run and all of us have bills to pay: so naturally, we’re much more concerned about the economy than the ecology. But after last week’s heatwave (four days at 42-44°C) I suspect I’m not the only one who thinks hot weather might be bad for the economy as well.
This week our transport systems literally buckled under the heat: trains overheated, roadworks melted, commuters boiled. Thousands struggled to get to work and most found it just as hard to get home. Phone lines failed, computer servers collapsed and even our power grid strained to keep up with our air-conditioners.
Businesses closed early. Some didn’t open at all.
Clearly, high temperatures are bad for employers and employees, bad for buyers and sellers, bad for producers and consumers. And if (as the science says) we’ll be seeing a lot more days like these, then Global Warming is endangering the bottom line, too.
So if you won’t reduce your carbon footprint for the polar bear, do it for the economy.
There are No Responses to this post. Jump In!