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Threats of Climate Change
Climate change is the rapid warming of the Earth's atmosphere and oceans that is changing weather patterns. Climate change is primarily driven by our use of fossil fuels to power homes, businesses, and transportation systems. Fossil fuels emit gasses, like carbon dioxide (CO2), that trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. Since the pre-industrial era, human activities have increased atmospheric CO2 levels to concentrations not seen in over 2 million years.
Climate change increases health risks for workers across industries, especially those working outdoors or in unairconditioned facilities. Record temperatures and more frequent heat waves can lead to heat stress, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke. Extreme weather events such as hurricanes, floods, or wildfires, damage infrastructure, lead to operational delays, increase maintenance costs, and can cause stress, injury, or even death. Deteriorating air quality exacerbates respiratory diseases, affecting workers' health and productivity. Climate change threatens entire industries, which could cause unemployment and migration, disrupt labor
markets, and reduce economic output. Working-class communities, people of color, and older workers, are disproportionately vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change.
Climate threats also impact industry. For example, in the aviation sector, record heat affects aircraft performance, reducing plane carrying capacity and even grounding flights. Similarly, the rail industry faces risks from temperature-related delays that could cost the U.S. rail network up to $60 billion by 2100. Railroads could be a cleaner and more efficient method of transporting goods and people. However, deteriorating safety standards and working conditions in the industry, caused by practices such as “precision scheduled railroading” (PSR), are obstacles to building a 21st-century rail network.