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American Economic Review Vol. 105 No. 5 2015

Convergence in Adaptation to Climate Change: Evidence from High Temperatures and Mortality, 1900–2004

Alan Barreca1; Karen Clay2; Olivier Deschênes3; Michael Greenstone4; Joseph Shapiro5

1 Department of Economics, 206 Tilton Hall, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, IZA, and NBER (e-mail: ) · 2 Heinz College, 4800 Forbes Avenue, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, and NBER (e-mail: ) · 3 Department of Economics, 2127 North Hall, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, IZA, and NBER (e-mail: ) · 4 Department of Economics, University of Chicago, 1126 E. 59th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637, and NBER (e-mail: ) · 5 Department of Economics, Yale University, 37 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06511, and NBER (e-mail: )

Abstract

This paper combines panel data on monthly mortality rates of US states and daily temperature variables for over a century (1900-2004) to explore the regional evolution of the temperature-mortality relationship and documents two key findings. First, the impact of extreme heat on mortality is notably smaller in states that more frequently experience extreme heat. Second, the difference in the heat-mortality relationship between hot and cold states declined over 1900-2004, though it persisted through 2004. Continuing differences in the mortality consequences of hot days suggests that health motivated adaptation to climate change may be slow and costly around the world.

DOI
10.1257/aer.p20151028
Volume
105
Issue
5
Pages
247-251
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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