Is Global Warming Making Us Less Horny? One Study Says Yes

[JaredJones]

Is Global Warming Making Us Less Horny? One Study Says Yes

Gizmodo [http://gizmodo.com/economists-surprising-prediction-about-climate-change-1740765259] offers a breakdown of the data.

Eight months after a heat spike, birth rates had decreased by .06 percent. Nine months after, it was a much larger .39 percent decrease, or about 1,165 fewer births. Ten months later, the number goes back down to .21 percent fewer births. Fascinatingly, they also describe a "rebound effect," where 11 to 13 months after a heat spike they saw a marked increase in births-as though people had until cooler weather to conceive, whether cognizant of it or not."

"What they found-and keep in mind, as a working paper, this data hasn't yet been peer-reviewed-was a predicted 2.6 percent decline in births in the future-put in birth terms, 107,000 fewer births. Broken down by region, the Northeast will be the most affected with a 3.2 percent decrease, followed by the Midwest at 2.8 percent, and the South by 2.8 percent.

Also mentioned in Gizmodo's write-up is the fact that these numbers fail to take into account several x-factors, like human adaptation to the increasing heat (be it with air conditioners or otherwise) or the potential of "a large-scale migration." Overall though, the study finds that babies "will be at risk for low birth weight and other health effects" if temperatures continue to rise at the current rate.

Perhaps it's time for An Inconvenient Truth 2: Global *Relations* to spread the word?

Source: Gizmodo [http://gizmodo.com/economists-surprising-prediction-about-climate-change-1740765259]

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[medv4380]

It's like they're idiots. Look, the problem is fairly simple. Heat doesn't cause less sex, and these people should be educated enough on that. What the heat causes is an increase in premature births, and miscarriages of males. Its like they failed to even lookup the most basic information of what they were studying in favor of a sensational sounding study.

 

[LysanderNemoinis]

With article after article tying everything to climate change, I'm reminded of Bible-thumping religious folks who blame everything from stubbing their toe to being struck by lightning as being the work of the Devil. What's next? Climate change causes drug use? Climate change causes your cat to have more hairballs? If I ever get in trouble for something, I'm just going to blame climate change, works for everything else.

Oh and as for the silly little study that was conducted, it makes no sense. If a hotter climate decreased the sex drives of people, then how come Africa, the Middle East, and South America have much higher population replenish rates than America does?

 

[Covarr]

Correlation does not indicate causation, fellas. I can't believe someone got paid to come up with such a tenuous link.

P.S. Thanks

 

[Fox12]

Really? Cause nothing gets me off quite like Global Warming.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Have you ever tried shagging on a really hot day (or in a very hot country)? It isn't as pleasant. But it's nice that someone decided to try and use birth rates to tell us that. Baby collateral.
Though, as an anti-heat lover (don't laugh), perhaps i am biased. Ask Yahtzee...he likes heat, allegedly.

 

[Mister K]

OK, I may not be environmental studies buff, so I may be wrong, but aren't Africa and Asia, which are rather warm, overpopulated?

 

[Bke]

OK, I may not be environmental studies buff, so I may be wrong, but aren't Africa and Asia, which are rather warm, overpopulated?

Actually its rather dry here more than anything. I recently had a trip to Europe where people kept thinking that my nation of origin somehow made impermeable to heat, when this is not the case. Much of the time a lack of moisture in the atmosphere goes a long way to tempering the relative heat experienced here in southern Africa (I cant speak of central Africa) and from what I can tell the majority of what tourists complain about when they come here isn't the heat rather the dry air... its all relative I suppose

 

[Erttheking]

AGH! Global warming make my wee-wee no work!

In all seriousness this seems a bit of a stretch. Though I suppose extreme heat can be a bit of a mood killer.

 

[Mister K]

OK, I may not be environmental studies buff, so I may be wrong, but aren't Africa and Asia, which are rather warm, overpopulated?

Actually its rather dry here more than anything. I recently had a trip to Europe where people kept thinking that my nation of origin somehow made impermeable to heat, when this is not the case. Much of the time a lack of moisture in the atmosphere goes a long way to tempering the relative heat experienced here in southern Africa (I cant speak of central Africa) and from what I can tell the majority of what tourists complain about when they come here isn't the heat rather the dry air... its all relative I suppose

Well, live for 100 years, learn for 100 years, I suppose.

 

[Fat Hippo]

OK, I may not be environmental studies buff, so I may be wrong, but aren't Africa and Asia, which are rather warm, overpopulated?

Actually its rather dry here more than anything. I recently had a trip to Europe where people kept thinking that my nation of origin somehow made impermeable to heat, when this is not the case. Much of the time a lack of moisture in the atmosphere goes a long way to tempering the relative heat experienced here in southern Africa (I cant speak of central Africa) and from what I can tell the majority of what tourists complain about when they come here isn't the heat rather the dry air... its all relative I suppose

Well, parts of Africa may be very dry, but plenty of areas in India and southeast Asia manage to be both hot and very moist, and yet they're stuffed with people. Of course, an argument could be made that these people are used to the climate and so it doesn't affect them (unless it gets even hotter there as well, of course) or their sexual schedules. I can't claim I'm an expert on the matter, but I know I don't feel like doing much of anything when it's extremely hot.

Also, everyone should keep in mind that these decreases are fairly small (0.39% after 9 months is the most)[footnote]Well actually, the graph shows a measurement of approx. -0.44% with a confidence interval from -0.39% to -0.49%, presumably with a significance level of 95%.[/footnote] so it's not like people stop boning entirely. Just a very small amount, which doesn't seem unreasonable during a heat wave.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

i know global warming hasn't effected my horniness

 

[Jadak]

Meh, even assuming the study is completely correct, doesn't sound like a big deal.

You'll hear a lot of talk about how natural selection doesn't really apply to humans anymore, or at least try to speculate on how the outcome it less obvious then the old fashioned 'too slow, get eaten' perspective.

But this? An environmental factor that actually has a measurable impact on birthrates? No big deal, just give it a while we'll have new generations more inclined or more capable of reproducing in the heat.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Eh, maybe these economists want funding for a long term study.

 

[Baresark]

Holy shit.. of all the specious... Wow... just wow.

It can't possibly have anything to do with overall decline in birthrates to much healthier levels that comes with in increase in wealth, healthcare, and education (as seen on the entire planet, not just the US). No, it has to be climate change, that is the only plausible reason for it.

 

[MonsterCrit]

It's like they're idiots. Look, the problem is fairly simple. Heat doesn't cause less sex, and these people should be educated enough on that. What the heat causes is an increase in premature births, and miscarriages of males. Its like they failed to even lookup the most basic information of what they were studying in favor of a sensational sounding study.

Months where temps are greater than 80 degrees. why that would be, gasp the summer months, you know when people are more outdoors. Kinda like reverse blizzard babies. It's not that cold weather makes us horny is that when you're snowed in for 2 days there's not exactly much to do.

Secondly this Looks at the US. Now it's a well known fact that first world countries suffer a decline in birth rates, mostly due to increased education about reproductive health, greater reproductive freedoms, greater access to irth control and other family planning tools and most importantly, more entertainment alternatives.

Yeah even among first world countries you ever notice that great the income strata the lower the births per family. Again, busy people and people that can afford many other avenues of entertainment.

Live some where without electricity and you quickly find there are very few forms of entertainment after 7 that don't involve booze and music, and that will invariablylead to I high percentage of sex... and even for the shut ins. Look you're at home in the dark, she's there next to you, you're both kinda bored... meh.

The US is simply undergoing the same thing most other affluent first world countries are going through. Between the stress and the llong work ours required to meet the cost of living... well.. who has the energy for screwing.

 

[Zipzip the Penguin]

I'm honestly dumbfounded that anyone funded this.

I had a lot of questions just from the article. Now I just have more. I'm confused, angry, sad, and more than a little bit disappointed this even happened.

 

[EndlessSporadic]

Someone forgot to science when they scienced.

 

[F-I-D-O]

Or decreasing birth rates could be part of the generally studied social trend that as countries become more developed, birth rates decline. By "developed" I mean less of a reliance on manual labor jobs and better health care/social care, which mitigate the idea that a couple needs children to watch after and provide for them in their old age.
Or, as the first response said, genitals and reproductive cells tend to behave better at very specific heat ranges, and fertilization at the more extreme ranges becomes more difficult.
There's also the element of in hotter months, people might not want to be directly next to each other, while in colder months snowfall can make travel more difficult which leads to people finding activities to stay warm and occupied.

 

[Strazdas]

Interesting, i would have expected the opposite given that during the hot periods people tend to, you know, dress more sexily. There is a reason we call Spring the horny season. then agian maybe thats only a thing in the cold countries where summer is the only period people arent under multiple layers of clothes all the time.