Can climate change make us antisocial?

Video

Published 24.04.19
Photo credit:
Ryan Kilpatrick/flickr

How is global warming likely to impact our behaviour and how we interact with one another?

People are becoming increasingly aware of the direct economic consequences of climate change, such as the impact on agriculture. But what about the human behavioural consequences? Lab experiments using hot rooms in Kenya and the United States reveal that high temperatures impact human behaviour. Large effects are found on the degree of anti-social behaviour, which can have economic and welfare impacts. This is especially pronounced in a low-income country lab setting.