Economics: Should We Be Afraid Of Global Warming?

(Drivebycuriosity) - It´s bitter cold in eastern U.S. New York City is getting battered by a winter storm and is covered with snow & ice, the mercury column dropped to the single digits Fahrenheit this week (minus 12C). It`s not a surprise that many people flee the area and move to the south. There is a significant and enduring trend to move into warmer and sunnier climates. Cities in Texas, California, Alabama, Arizona and other southern US states are growing fast. And many Scandinavians, British and Germans spend their vacations in warmer regions. Apparently many people chose their own voluntary climate change.

That brings me to the topic of climate change & global warming. If we believe the media we are approaching a man-made apocalypse. I understand that people drive cars, chill their flats and do other things which raise the amount of greenhouse gases and hike the global temperatures. A large part of these greenhouse emissions is caused by people who live in the suburbs, the sprawl, and have to drive large distances every day. Many use large gas-guzzling cars frequently for long rides - just for fun. They all could  restrain greenhouse gas emissions - and so global warming - by moving into the big cites. I live in Manhattan and don´t have a car, because I don´t need one, neither have I air condition. I usually walk, sometimes I take the subway. So I do my part to contain global warming. Global warming also could be slowed by using more nuclear power which emits zero green house gases (I explained it here driveby). It seems that many people don´t want that, they continue to contribute to global warming and simultaneously they are lamenting about climate change and blaming it on evil forces.

                                                     Rise & Fall Of Rome

But, is global warming really so bad? In the past 2000 years there were many cold & warm periods (wikipedia). History shows that humans thrived when the climate got warmer and suffered when it got colder. The historian Greg Woolf  describes in his book "Rome - An Empire´s Story" (amazon) how climate changes have influenced Rome`s rise and fall: Rome`s ascend was accompanied by a warmer climate which permitted better crops that could feed more people; the decline occurred in a chilling period which reduced the food supply and caused flu epidemics. A colder climate might have inspired northern tribes to move south and to invade Rome. Kyle Harper, another historian, also relates in "The Fate of Rome" a cooling period, called a “little ice age”, with the fall of Rome  (amazon   spectator).

The German Magazine "Der Spiegel" describes a "climate catastrophe" in Europe in the Middle Ages (spiegel). In 1431 started a decade with extremely cold and long winters. As a result food prices multiplied and wars started. Otherwise the Medieval Renaissance, a period with innovations & reviving economic growth, was accompanied by a warm period (wikipedia ).

In the US often blizzards and other winterly conditions cause deadly accidents, block streets, trap people on airports and shut down construction and other businesses. Severe winters cost lives and harm the economy. 

Global warming will reduce the harms done by winter weather. History proves that rising temperatures fosters the growth of plants in the northern hemisphere, leading to better harvests. This can be explained by biology & chemistry. Huge areas in Siberia, Canada & Scandinavia may be used for agriculture. Larger harvests produce more and cheaper food. Especially people with low income will save a lot of money and will have a better standard of living.

People also will get healthier - because many illnesses are caused by cold weather. This is also proven by history, So, considering food, health, traffic & economy, most people will be better off when it gets warmer.

I am aware that glaciers are melting but warm air can carry more water - by law of physics. So a large  part of melting water will be in the clouds and not in the oceans. We might get more rain which could turn the deserts in California and elsewhere in blooming fields.

The media paint a biased and a too pessimistic picture of global warming, positive implications are ignored. I think the topic deserves a more balanced view.