A crystal ball study published by Duke University researchers in Nature Communications warns that Mumbai may need to revise working hours in response to climate change. Today, the city’s sultry afternoon heat is relatively tolerable, and according to his math, the effects of current carbon emissions and their resulting warming are losing 4–5 working minutes per hour, a total of one every 12 working hours. Hours are lost. As the heat and humidity increase, this loss could double, the study said. A change in routine away from the glare of the sun can promote recovery.
This reflects lesser-known ways in which the planet’s atmospheric heat trapping affects productivity. For much of India, a few decades ago there have been dire forecasts for people suffering from the “wet bulb” condition of summer, which would put us at risk of fever because sweat would not evaporate to cool us. Outdoor work, estimating by some, would need to be done at night, and indoor jobs would consume additional energy for air conditioning. Cities like Mumbai which are already hot and humid may be further affected. Adaptation can play a part, but it also won’t work if we get to the weight-bulb point.
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