When it comes to measuring the impacts of the climate crisis, we tend to fall upon two simple metrics: human fatalities and economic losses. These data points are extremely useful for understanding what we would be exposing ourselves to if we fail to reduce emissions, but they only capture part of the suffering extreme weather and collapsing ecosystems will bring.
Take, for instance, a recent study examining temperature-related mortality. Europe’s biting cold tends to be deadlier than its heat.