Higher chlorophyll concentrations and productivity are observed on the equator, along coasts, and in high latitude oceans. Highly productive areas include the California coast, Southern Ocean, and coast of Peru, all with significant upwelling. The thermocline, a boundary layer separating warmer surface waters from cooler deep waters, can also affect ocean productivity. Ocean temperature is identified as a likely driver of productivity, with reduced net photosynthesis and standing stock observed in warmer waters. Light availability is also a key factor. Productivity in the inner shelf region is particularly high due to high nutrient concentrations and clear water providing a reasonable depth for net photosynthesis.
Productivity in tropical coastal waters is generally high due to factors fueling productivity such as nutrient supply and solar radiation. The unprecedented rise in cooling demand globally is a critical blind spot in sustainability debates. Factors such as humidity, temperature, and air ventilation greatly influence productivity, as they are responsible for a significant portion of primary production in the oceans. Temperature affects phytoplankton growth rates, and the human body works better at colder temperatures (anything less than 23degC). Higher temperatures cause drowsiness, which is due to the earth’s rotation and shore-parallel equatorward winds upwelling cold, nutrient-rich water.
Workplace performance increases with temperatures up to between 69.8 degrees and 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees to 22 degrees Celsius), with the highest productivity in regions with high intensity activities for cooler periods of the day. Structural transformation of rural economies should be speeded up to reduce agricultural workers exposed to high temperatures.
📹 How hot weather affects worker productivity — and what that means for the economy
Workers in a variety of occupations struggle when the weather heats up — they have to take more breaks or work more slowly, …
Does being cold make you unproductive?
A study found that concentration levels plummet when temperatures drop, with 82 people experiencing a decline in productivity. A high number of people in Birmingham and Cardiff felt a cold environment made them less productive. However, those in London and Manchester were happier in cooler environments, and 18 of people across the UK claimed that colder weather doesn’t affect their productivity. To make employees feel warmer, advise them to wrap them up and provide free hot coffee.
London and Manchester had the highest number of hot drinks consumed when they felt cold, with 31 people consuming 6-10 per day, compared to 19 in Cardiff. Providing free hot coffee should be part of employees’ daily routine to keep them motivated and productive.
How does weather affect productivity?
Hot, sunny weather boosts productivity but can demotivate people due to distractions. Cold, rainy weather decreases productivity but increases it due to less anticipation. These results are logical, as a positive mood can lead to a more productive work environment. A positive mood allows people to think about tasks lightly and keep their glass half full, regardless of the complexity of the task. This mindset can help individuals focus on completing tasks and solving complex matters, ensuring that everything will be fine.
Does cold temperature increase productivity?
The temperature in an office can significantly affect productivity, making it difficult to concentrate and perform tasks effectively. It is recommended to maintain office temperatures between 68 to 76 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 24 Celsius) to create a comfortable environment for optimal productivity. Uncomfortable work environments include factors such as poor ventilation, humidity, noise levels, lighting conditions, and other factors that can impact an employee’s comfort, safety, development, and well-being.
These factors not only affect physical health but also mental state and job satisfaction. A comfortable work environment, with safety considerations, is crucial for promoting productivity and ensuring employees can perform their best. Controlling air temperature, specifically addressing heat and cold, is a pivotal and manageable aspect for ensuring safety. While poor ventilation, high humidity, excessive noise, and inadequate lighting contribute to discomfort, regulating these elements is particularly impactful for immediate improvement.
Are you more productive in cold weather?
Cold weather can significantly impact productivity at work and home, as our bodies work harder to maintain core temperature, leading to fatigue, sluggishness, and difficulty focusing. Additionally, cold weather can increase distractions, such as the need to bundle up or take breaks to warm up. To stay productive during cold weather, it is essential to dress warmly, take breaks to warm up, stay hydrated, get enough sleep, and create a comfortable workspace.
Dressing warmly allows you to focus on your work instead of worrying about the cold, while taking breaks to warm up can help you stay focused and focused. Staying hydrated helps prevent fatigue and difficulty concentrating, while aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep each night is crucial for coping with the challenges of cold weather. Creating a comfortable and well-lit workspace can also help you stay focused and productive during cold weather.
What is the link between productivity and temperature?
The study uses panel data regression to estimate the impact of temperature on firm-level outcomes in China. It finds a nonlinear relationship between temperature and firm productivity, measured by Total Firm Productivity (TFP). Each day with an average temperature above 32°C decreases TFP by 0. 56, compared to a day with an average temperature between 10°C and 15°C. Labor and capital inputs at the firm level are not as related to daily temperature fluctuations.
This suggests that high temperatures affect output primarily through an effect on productivity (TFP) rather than inputs. Climate change will lead to output reduction unless investments can mitigate the negative impact of high temperatures on productivity. Projections under business-as-usual scenarios for CO2 emissions in China indicate that annual Chinese manufacturing output will drop by 12 or 4 of current Chinese GDP by mid-century if the current temperature sensitivity of the sector remains the same.
The study also analyzes data on productivity and absenteeism at the worker level in India, focusing on industries where ambient temperature conditions may impact worker productivity due to the absence of temperature-control technologies.
What regions of the ocean are most productive Why?
The coastal upwelling areas in the eastern Pacific and Atlantic Ocean, which occupy less than 2% of the oceans, are among the most biologically productive marine areas globally. These areas support a large biodiversity and provide 20% of the world’s fish harvest, posing significant societal and economic importance for neighboring countries and the global food supply. However, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting three joint projects under the theme “Importance of climate change in coastal upwelling areas” to investigate these areas in the north- and south-eastern Atlantic and the south-eastern Pacific.
The projects, which will receive funding of 8. 7 million euros over three years, aim to better understand the sensitivities of these areas to climate change and identify possible consequences at an early stage. The coastal upwelling areas are characterized by major ocean currents flowing parallel to the coast, such as the Benguela Current in the south-eastern Atlantic, the Canary Current in the north-eastern Atlantic, and the Humboldt Current in the south-eastern Pacific.
Are warmer climates less productive?
The available evidence suggests that even in climate-controlled factories, workers are affected by heat, which has significant economic implications in light of the economic impact of climate change. This finding is at odds with previous research indicating that elevated temperatures can lead to a reduction in productivity in outdoor or unconditioned environments. It is possible that policymakers and business leaders may assume that such technology can mitigate the effects of climate change.
Does productivity increase with temperature?
Research indicates that room temperature significantly impacts cognitive performance, including reading speed, comprehension, learning, memory retention, multiplication speed, signal recognition, response time, and typing speed. Performance increases in temperatures ranging from 60-72° F and declines beyond 73-75° F. Peak productivity is around 71. 6° F, where employees feel most comfortable, allowing them to concentrate on tasks and maintain motivation.
Optimal workplace temperatures are generally between 68-72° F and humidity levels between 20-60 for most industries. Whether adhering to the scientifically backed 71. 6° F or adjusting to the recommended range, combining employee feedback with temperature recommendations can help increase productivity. The body’s thermoregulation mechanism, which regulates internal temperature, is affected by both hot and cold environments. Maintaining an optimal room temperature alleviates this and allows employees to think more clearly.
What is the best climate for productivity?
Research indicates that office productivity varies significantly between men and women. Women are more productive at 24C (75F), while men need a lower temperature of 21C (70F). This difference is attributed to the distribution of fat and muscle on our bodies. Studies conducted at Cornell University in the U. S. and Helsinki University of Technology in Finland have found that temperature affects productivity, despite the warm climates of Orlando, Florida and the cold climates of Finland.
Why are cold oceans more productive?
Global ocean maps show concentrations of satellite-derived chlorophyll and ship-sampled nitrate (NO 3 -), the dominant N-containing nutrient. In the low- and mid-latitude ocean, warm and sunlit surface water is separated from cold, nutrient-rich interior water by a strong density difference, restricting mixing and reducing nutrient supply. These “ocean deserts” are dissected by areas at the equator and eastern margins of ocean basins, where wind pushes aside the buoyant, warm surface lid and allows nutrient-rich deeper water to be upwelled.
In the high latitude ocean, surface water is cold and therefore the vertical density gradient is weak, allowing for vertical mixing of water to depths much greater than the sunlit “euphotic zone”. This results in nutrient supply greater than phytoplankton can consume, given available light and iron. Iron enters the ocean mostly through dust deposition on the ocean surface, although ocean margins and hydrothermal vents are also substantial sources.
The nutrient-like depth structure of iron indicates that it is consumed in surface water by phytoplankton and then put back into solution when sinking organic matter is remineralized at depth. Iron has an active internal cycle in the euphotic zone, involving both biological processes and reactions with light.
In comparison to major nutrients, iron is cycled fewer times within the ocean between the times of its input and its removal. This difference derives fundamentally from the high O2 of the modern atmosphere and ocean, which ensures that iron is largely present in the low solubility oxidation state of +III. The scarcity of iron in the modern ocean is an example of how Earth’s biosphere affects its own fertility.
The coupled biogeochemical cycles of the “major” nutrients N and P, the trace nutrient iron and CO 2 sequestered by the biological pump, illustrate the ability of Earth’s biosphere to affect its own fertility. Mixing and overturning between the ocean interior and surface waters supply N and P in close to the 16:1 stoichiometric ratio required for organic matter production. Iron is continuously scavenged from ocean water onto sinking particles, resulting in a reduced iron-to-major nutrient ratio at the surface.
How does climate affect productivity?
Heat stress is defined as the failure of the body’s internal temperature control mechanisms, which results in a reduction in thermal comfort, an increase in the difficulty of performing physical and cognitive tasks, and a decline in labor productivity.
📹 Too HOT and HUMID to Live: Extreme Wet Bulb Events Are on the Rise
As climate change continues warming the planet, a new and invisible killer is emerging: extreme wet bulb temperatures.
As a teen growing up in Kentucky I would help harvest tobacco as a seasonable job. I was in peak physical shape but the first day I did this work I was walking along when one of the farm managers took me aside, handed me a gallon of water, and told me to go sit in the shade. I tried to protest and he would not let me continue. I didn’t realize I was wobbling and swaying as I walked the field doing the work. Later, as I sat in the shade I got one of the worst headaches in my life and felt very nauseous. If he hadn’t intervened who knows what would have happened. Heat stress is not something to play with.
I remember hearing about when the Crystal Cave in Mexico was discovered. It was found 2000ft underground by a mining operation. When it was found, the ambient temperature was 118degF and the place was filled with groundwater. The miners pumped out the groundwater from the cave to explore it. However, being underground surrounded by water, the relative humidity in the cave was 100%. This being at 118degF meant the wet bulb temperature was 118degF. Everyone who entered the cave had to wear a full-body air conditioned suit not only because it was hot and humid enough that the body could not cool effectively, but because the wet bulb temperature was so high above the average human body temperature, anyone who tried to breathe that air without the suit would have water condense in their lungs. It was so humid in that cave you could’ve legit drowned breathing the air in it!
If it happens once, the likelihood of it happening again is exponential. Please never underestimate these hot conditions. The decline is sudden and feels horrible. I survived this only because I knew how to stop it by laying in a bed of ice that i spilled out of a cooler in a barely-coherent state. Don’t be me.
I see a lot of comments saying things like “I did this or that in hot temps and it didn’t bother me” but they seem to have missed the entire point of the article somehow. It’s not just the temperature, it’s the temperature plus the humidity in the air. If the air is hot and dry then you can sweat through it and be fine, just drink lots of water. If it’s hot and wet tho, then you’re up the creek sans paddle because your sweat will not evaporate at a meaningful rate. AC and a dehumidifier will help, but they aren’t always available, especially if you’re working outside. I live in a part of BC that gets very hot in the summer, over 40 degrees some days but it’s usually quite dry so it’s been manageable. Over recent years tho it’s been getting noticeably more humid and I’ve definitely been feeling the difference. Things are gonna get rough folks, and I think it will happen much sooner than most estimates since many of them assume we’ll make some real changes to prevent the worst, while I assume we won’t.
I survived a heat stroke and what people don’t realize is it’s not over just because your body cools. Stay out of those extremes is far more important than just coming back down from that heat. High internal temperatures cause real damage to organs and can cause your body to not cool effectively in the future. I suffer in 75+ F temps now compared to as a kid playing very hard in 95+ F. I lost my ability to cool so much that I have to finish my showers with cold water for 1-2 minutes and then still sit in front of a fan for another 10-20 minutes just to cool back down. That’s with taking showers that feel barely warm to the touch. My warm showers are cold to other people.
One of the things that I, at least, have seldom heard about in relation to your last question deals with vernacular architecture and building methods. Think of the way old homes were built on the island of Santorini, for example, or the thick adobe walls of old houses in the desert southwest region of the United States, or the passive “air cooling” methods used in homes through out the Arabian desert regions. Modern home construction methods, at least in the United States, are a horrible, unsustainable failure. “Horrible, unsustainable failure” pretty much describes the whole western city layout idea, with its preponderance of asphalt and over-reliance on cars ( another unsustainable mess), and its dearth of trees, sidewalks, protected bikeways, and public transport options. It all comes full circle, and we must deal with climate change in a multi-prong approach that considers all of the things that are contributing to the big problem.
Last year in Shanghai, China for the first time in my life I experienced the heat in a way that I just wanted to run from it. I had to work outdoors, in the sun and I couldn’t think, my brain was literally getting hot and it felt like I was a lab rat which was put into a microwave. That was scary and, again, for the first time in my life, I’m not looking forward to summer
I deal with this shit everyday. Working in a metal fabrication shop I’m constantly dripping sweat and when it’s humid there’s just literally no way your body can pump the water and electrolytes through your body as fast as everything is sweating out. Just gotta go home, try to rehydrate and hope you don’t cramp up too much. It’s insane that we as a society have deemed this shit acceptable. Rant over
I think it is nuts, that we have these websites like PBS Terra here, trying to get these warnings out about the way our planet is changing, what it means for us humans, and how to save the lives of older people, and vulnerable people, by explaining this to all of us. But we have people that want to say this isn’t a problem. And it’s always the not so well educated in these subjects that think like that. And it’s a pretty large percentage of the population. And you cannot get any of them to watch anything that refutes what they believe.
Japan has been providing small community housing compound for the elderly and poor that can’t afford air conditioning. It looks like America’s homeless shelters, just beds along one wall and tables to play games along the other, but it does save lives and run less air conditioning. If a person lives alone they encourage people to use the community housing even if they can afford air conditioning so they put less stress on the power grid just to cool one house for a single person during the hottest seasons.
81° celcius is a pretty good sauna temperature. Even without clothes that starts to get uncomfortable in say 30 minutes. I’ve been in a sauna that warm with clothes on but only for a few seconds at a time and even that is stifling. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have that as outside temperature 😐 That sounds like an actual horror movie scenario.
I suffered from heat exhaustion one summer in Orlando, Fl. I had neglected to drink enough water for the activities I was doing, legit felt like I was going to die but luckily I had someone there that noticed and got some ice packs on my femoral arteries and under my armpits, without that I’m sure I would have died. ever since that day, my body cant handle heat the way I used to be able to. something changed that day, whether its phycological or physiological, I don’t know but that experience scarred me for life.
When I was in Death Valley the concern wasn’t the heat, it was the arid air. Humidity as low as 0.25%. In the summer it is actually against the law to pass someone broke down on the highway. This was years ago before cell phones came into use, I saw a family of 4 broke down on the side of the road. This was not on the main highway and it might be hours before another car would come by. They tell you to carry 1 gallon of water for every passenger in your car in case you break down. This family had no water at all. I had 2 gallons in my pick-up and I gave both to the family. I said I was going to call for help for them and to drink the water. I said I would return with more after I got help on the way. I even gave them 4 Solo cups i had. I called for help, picked up 5 gallons of water and headed back. The family were all sitting in the shade drinking my water when I got back. The tow truck driver showed up in about 15 minutes and gave them even more water. The dad laughed and said we were overly obsessed with water. Neither the tow truck driver or me were laughing. We knew that death from dehydration can happen in a few days in a normal environment, but out there it can happen in hours. And it’s hard to feel it coming. You don’t actually feel that thirsty. You just suddenly realize that you have died.
I have lived in South Florida on and off for 60 years of my 65. I plan to retire in 2 years and I’m out of here as fast as I can sell, I’ve taken to calling Miami,Phoenix east with humidity. I know I’m older but the heat is getting worse I trained for Ironman triathlons down here up to 15 years ago can’t imagine doing it now. Without air conditioning this place is unliveable.
I’m traveling since 3 months through SE Asia, and even though I’m from a tropical country I can’t understand how people manage this amount of heat/humidity in their everyday life. I started to have headaches, dizziness (feeling like tripping) joint problems like never before… Water is not enough… Massive respect for the people who live in these areas
The terrifying part is that millions of people keep denying that the problem even exists. I live in Alberta and I was completely floored by some of the absolute insanity I saw online from my fellow Albertans. Even with huge swathes of the province in flames there were people claiming that the fires aren’t real and it’s all a hoax simply because they personally could smell any smoke. When I responded to one person with the fact that where I was in Edmonton the smoke was so thick you could see maybe a block. Of course, instantly I was attacked and accused of being a shill for Big Climate whatever the hell that is and being in on it. Of course, the Jewish space laser thing was making the rounds as well. Some of the more imaginative ones from conservatives was that our Liberal Prime Minister was behind it all sending so-called eco-terrorists out into the bush to start all the fires to push his phony climate agenda. Of course, it wouldn’t be Alberta if there wasn’t some good old-fashioned down-home racism thrown in with Native people were behind it all to scam money out of the government. I can’t help thinking we are so screwed.
Given the choice between finally doing something about CO2 and protecting the “economy”, I have a bad, bad feeling that we’re heading for “thoughts and prayers” at epic scale. We could see millions of people die, and just shrug and feel briefly sad. It’ll be like American politics dealing with mass shootings.
I get that are looking at the highest wet bulb or most impacted but I think its a bigger more consistent issue. I’ve been telling people for a few years that the summers are getting more humid and far earlier and longer through out the summer. It was so bad for me last summer I avoided going outside even at night… felt like the humidity went up at night. 😢
-Am from The Bahamas, it is very hot here but I have big trees and underneath them feels better than an Air-conditioner only need Mosquitoes spray. My neighbors yard you can feel the heat coming from it because no big trees and at times I meet people sitting underneath my big bougainvillea because of the coolness. Please dig up some of those pavements and plant big trees and watch the difference.
We’re in Gambia, West Africa. We’re entering our wet season but ive noticed this year the humidity went up a couple of weeks earlier than usual and we’ve had some very small rain already. Its hot and humid and its going to get much worse. 🥵 Update: 5 June and apart from the small rains a few weeks ago that weren’t enough to wet the ground we’ve had nothing.
In my physical science class in 9th grade, we learned to measure the relative humidity by measuring the ambient temperature with two thermometers, one of which had a piece of wet gauze wrapped adding the gauze. We would compare the readings from the two thermometers to get the relative humidity. If there is less humidity in the air, it is easier for the “wet bulb” to evaporate, and it gets cooler as it dries. The greater the difference between the two temps the less humidity in the air. I wonder if this kind of stuff it taught (hands on) anymore.
Planting more trees might help in some areas, but of course this really has to be large scale and we need to commit to it over the long term. Trees do help to sequester CO2, and this could make a difference. Trees might help to cool urban areas with a lot of concrete that soaks up that dreadful heat and radiates it back to us. They also might help turn arid deserts into more friendly places for grasses, plants, and other trees which can reduce temperatures. At this rate though, I think we’re making the earth much friendlier (temp-wise) to reptiles than to mammals. That chart she showed with historical temps matching humans’ time on earth was pretty telling.
The temp where I live in costal California has risen quite a bit over the last 20 years or so. When I first moved to the area nobody had ac and there were only one or two uncomfortable nights per summer. Now ac is being installed everywhere and there are several weeks where it’s quite hot even in the middle of the night.
The map for the 6 out of 10 makes sense to me. It’s all river valley floors. Mississippi but also the Illinois, Ohio, Wabash and Tennessee River valleys. Lots of surface water and somewhat protected from prevailing winds. And the climate in a lot of that area is classified subtropical. Even Chicago makes sense. When the conditions are just right (or really wrong), humid air can be carried in from the lake and just sit on the city. Plus, summers are consistently getting warmer and there’s already a massive heat island effect there.