Adverse Impacts of California’s Climate Change on the Working Class

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Adverse Impacts of California’s Climate Change on the Working Class
There is a looming threat of a decline in human labor or physical work capacity (PWC) in many industrial sectors globally due to extreme environmental heat exposure. According to Smallcombe and colleagues, high workplace temperatures have adverse effects on PWC due to the severity of heat stress and prolonged exposure duration (Smallcombe et al np). The International Labor Organization (ILO) defines heat stress as the form of heat received more than what the body can accommodate without impairments to physiological functions (ILO np). Southern California witnessed triple-digit heat during the wake of September 2022 and the heat stress in the region largely affects those laboring outdoors, in warehouses, or areas lacking air conditioning (Hussain np). While heat stress is known to affect outdoor workers, especially those involved in construction sites and agricultural production, a UCLA study shows that the risk of accidents increases during hot weather, regardless of whether workers are indoors or in an outdoor environment (UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation np). This is a global concern since it reflects how climate change is disproportionately affecting minorities and increasing the threat to essential workers (Vega np). This paper examines how California’s climate change has led to adverse effects on the working class, who spend prolonged periods outdoors for their occupation.
Outdoor laborers in the state of California have been severely impacted by the recent heat wave. The working class, many of whose jobs require them to spend extended amounts of time outside, has been hit particularly hard by the negative consequences of climate change. According to the interviews that Suhauna Hussain conducted with construction workers, one of the employees named Zamudio remarked, "I can't stop thinking about how the sun feels against my body. When the heat gets to be too much for me, I make mistakes every once in a while. At that point, I concluded that I needed to take a little break (Hussain np)”. Because of the hot heat, their work environment is made more difficult for them, and this makes them more likely to make mistakes while they are working. Not only that, but it also had a negative influence on his personal life and relationships. Because of the strenuous labor, he does at his job, by the time he gets home, his body is in a state of extreme lethargy, and he lacks the energy to spend time with his family. In addition, a series of sequelae will be caused by working for an extended period without interruption at temperatures that are not ideal.
Being exposed to high temperatures for an extended period increases the risk of illness and damage. Several dangers that can lead to sequelae can be incurred when one works in a hot environment for an extended period and does not receive an adequate amount of critical nutrients. One of the most prevalent symptoms is a condition called heatstroke (Licker et al np). It is characterized by copious perspiration and a fast pulse, both of which are indicators that the body is overheating. Three different syndromes are caused by heat, w...