Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sherwood SC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2906879 | biostudies-other | 2010 May
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20100503 21
Despite the uncertainty in future climate-change impacts, it is often assumed that humans would be able to adapt to any possible warming. Here we argue that heat stress imposes a robust upper limit to such adaptation. Peak heat stress, quantified by the wet-bulb temperature T(W), is surprisingly similar across diverse climates today. T(W) never exceeds 31 degrees C. Any exceedence of 35 degrees C for extended periods should induce hyperthermia in humans and other mammals, as dissipation of metab ...[more]