I know, this may sound like a strange concept to be exploring on an environmental blog. So just to be clear, in no way am I endorsing climate change or arguing that it is a positive phenomenon. However, I do think that is useful to understand that there are people out there with something to gain from climate change. These people may not be who you think. I’m not speaking about big oil execs, overfishing fishermen or politicians enjoying generous donations to remain complacent. They are the ones that benefit from the causes of climate change. In the end, they will suffer just like the rest of us. So who will benefit from the effects? The answer to this question forms a piece of the climate change problem and could be important in the fight against it.
One of the most intuitive benefits is weather. For people in colder or more moderate climates, an increase of 1 or 2 degrees would be quite pleasant. As you move further away from the equator (towards generally more prosperous countries), you’ll find longer summers and earlier springs, to the delight of the common resident. You’ll also find lower mortality or injury from cold weather in those areas. Additionally, when the ice starts melting more, ship transportation routes persistently blocked by ice will be open more often, making trade cheaper and easier.
There are also some limited benefits to agriculture. In the very short term (you know, before the whole frequent drought and flood thing that is going to happen), areas in higher latitudes will experience increased productivity. An increase in carbon in the air has been shown to make plants grow better. This is good news for farmers in places such as the USA and the UK, until their plants have no water. A study from 2010 by Ashenfelter and Storchmann of Princeton and NYU has shown that European agriculture will benefit too. They show that a 1 degree increase in temperature will increase the quantity and quality of vineyards in the Moselle Valley in France by 30%.
And that’s more or less it. That’s all of the benefits I could find. Two paragraphs. I hope this is the only post I write where you are left thoroughly unimpressed. Because that’s what the benefits are; unimpressive. None of these pros come even close to offsetting or even adequately compensating anyone for the potential negative consequences of climate change. There is a reason no one argues for climate change but rather denies it is happening. But at least now you have the full picture and know both sides.
I hope when you were reading this you also realised a subtle detail. Most of the benefits only seem to apply to rich countries. It seems quite ironic that the countries that played the largest role in getting us into this mess are now the only ones reaping any sort of benefits. So, not only will the poorer nations bear the brunt of climate change, but they also get none of the upsides.
But hey, if we don’t manage to stop climate change at least we’ll be able to enjoy some French wine.
References
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11151-010-9256-6
https://www.thoughtco.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-global-warming-1434937
https://skepticalscience.com/global-warming-positives-negatives-basic.htm
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zwjjjxs/revision/7
https://www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-qa/are-there-positive-benefits-global-warming