Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase

An emerging argument is that since humans can readily adapt to changing climatic conditions, there is less need to pursue aggressive emissions mitigation strategies. As temperature adaptation is a function of repeated exposure over time, we need empirical approaches that can depict individuals’ temp...

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Main Authors: Chen, Shuai, Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng, Ye, Hai-Jian
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138802
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author Chen, Shuai
Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng
Ye, Hai-Jian
author_browse Chen, Shuai
Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng
Ye, Hai-Jian
author_facet Chen, Shuai
Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng
Ye, Hai-Jian
author_sort Chen, Shuai
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description An emerging argument is that since humans can readily adapt to changing climatic conditions, there is less need to pursue aggressive emissions mitigation strategies. As temperature adaptation is a function of repeated exposure over time, we need empirical approaches that can depict individuals’ temperature history to rigorously examine this claim. Using a longitudinal dataset representative of China, we construct lifetime temperature exposure unique to each individual based on their birth-dates, birth-locations, and movement history. We show that a 1°C increase in individualized temperature anomalies cause a 2% decrease in 1 standard deviation (S.D.) of well-being, where most of the impacts are driven by “hotter-than-expected” weather. In turn, while the adverse impacts of future temperature changes wane after accommodating for adaptation, acclimatization is unlikely to keep pace with future temperature increases except in the net-zero emissions scenario, indicating that stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cuts are still needed even in this less-pessimistic scenario.
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spelling CGSpace1388022025-10-26T13:01:23Z Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase Chen, Shuai Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng Ye, Hai-Jian temperature differences temperature temperature preferences climate change greenhouse gas emissions An emerging argument is that since humans can readily adapt to changing climatic conditions, there is less need to pursue aggressive emissions mitigation strategies. As temperature adaptation is a function of repeated exposure over time, we need empirical approaches that can depict individuals’ temperature history to rigorously examine this claim. Using a longitudinal dataset representative of China, we construct lifetime temperature exposure unique to each individual based on their birth-dates, birth-locations, and movement history. We show that a 1°C increase in individualized temperature anomalies cause a 2% decrease in 1 standard deviation (S.D.) of well-being, where most of the impacts are driven by “hotter-than-expected” weather. In turn, while the adverse impacts of future temperature changes wane after accommodating for adaptation, acclimatization is unlikely to keep pace with future temperature increases except in the net-zero emissions scenario, indicating that stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions cuts are still needed even in this less-pessimistic scenario. 2023-12 2024-02-01T17:44:47Z 2024-02-01T17:44:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138802 en Open Access Elsevier Chen, Shuai; Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng; and Ye, Hai-Jian. 2023. Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase. iScience 26(12): 108403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2023.108403
spellingShingle temperature differences
temperature
temperature preferences
climate change
greenhouse gas emissions
Chen, Shuai
Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng
Ye, Hai-Jian
Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
title Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
title_full Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
title_fullStr Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
title_full_unstemmed Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
title_short Adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
title_sort adaptation cannot keep pace with projected temperature increase
topic temperature differences
temperature
temperature preferences
climate change
greenhouse gas emissions
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/138802
work_keys_str_mv AT chenshuai adaptationcannotkeeppacewithprojectedtemperatureincrease
AT tansoojiesheng adaptationcannotkeeppacewithprojectedtemperatureincrease
AT yehaijian adaptationcannotkeeppacewithprojectedtemperatureincrease