You don’t even need to be scientific about it to know that if it is hot outside and it isn’t raining, then a bunch of people are going to get killed. The warmer it is, and the less it rains, the more people are going to die. I don’t think this is a particularly compelling reason to care about climate change, but, yeah, obviously if the temperature is hotter and a lot of people are experiencing drought conditions, then a bunch of dudes are going to kill other dudes. Pretty much any dry day in the summer in Philadelphia means at least a half a dozen people will be shot. If it is pouring rain, most likely no one will be shot. That’s just how it works.
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Doesn’t have to be drought conditions…
The more irritating the weather, the shorter the tempers.
Hot and muggy? very bad
Hot and Dry? not so bad, but still bad.
Cold conditions would likely see similar figures for the people who have to be in contact with other people then..
Dog day afternoon, dude.
Fascinating (and frightening). I flipped a conservative friend finally. I simply cited all of the top-qualified scientific institutions and asked what his sources were. But then I went farther at another angle and I said that I thought the conservative position was a sign of lack of moral character. The viewpoint of doubting that either there is a problem or, the one that pisses me off the most, the doubt that there is anything we can do about it, is a failure to care about others, is a failure to respect recognized authorities, and is unfair to the rest of us, especially to our children. My friendship is strained, I wish I could have done better, like to avoid sounding like I am on a high horse. It was in private, he was pissed and shocked that I would judge his moral character. But I told him that was the hardest part. This point of view is wrong, like so many other conservative viewpoints. And I am not just talking about facts or policy efficacy, I am saying that the viewpoints are morally wrong. The reason my friend didn’t know that every qualified scientific institution and engineering school could cost-effectively address this issue, was because he didn’t care. Because he is selfish. Because he holds onto his political view like it is another type of religious extremism. It’s hard to tell a friend that. Harder to hear it, yes, and I was an asshole with this approach. But the problem is real. And I have never succeeded in flipping a conservative with facts. What else works??