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 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