- The-Thickness-0.mp3
- The-Thickness-0.mp4
- The-Thickness-I.mp3
- The-Thickness-I.mp4
- The-Thickness-II.mp3
- The-Thickness-II.mp4
- The-Thickness-Unplugged-Unleashed.mp3
- The-Thickness-Unplugged-Unleashed.mp4
- The-Thickness-acoustic.mp3
- The-Thickness-electric.mp3
[Intro]
The thickness of the air
Is getting hard to bear
At any rate
Can you endure or tolerate
[Verse 1]
For every degree
In the mercury
Seven percent more humidity
[Chorus]
The thickness of the air
Is getting hard to bear (are you aware?)
At any rate
Can you endure (any more)
Or tolerate (even perspirate)
[Bridge]
Do you know
Will the sweat flow
[Verse 2]
Watch the temperature soar
Can you endure
The water vapor
Man’s great caper
[Chorus]
The thickness of the air
Is getting hard to bear (are you aware?)
At any rate
Can you endure (any more)
Or tolerate (even perspirate)
[Bridge]
Do you know
Will the sweat flow
Do you know
Will the heat grow
Do you know
How to say no
(no, no, no)
[Chorus]
The thickness of the air
Is getting hard to bear (are you aware?)
At any rate
Can you endure (any more)
Or tolerate (even perspirate)
[Outro[
Do you know
How to say no
(no, no, no)
A SCIENCE NOTE
The greatest health risk from climate change to those alive today is the increased moisture content in the air (relative humidity) combined with the increased temperatures. Climate change and rising temperatures significantly increase the humidity in the atmosphere due to the relationship between temperature and the air’s capacity to hold moisture. The Clausius-Clapeyron equation describes this relationship, indicating that for every 1C (1.8F) increase in temperature, the air can hold about 7% more water vapor.
A Wet-bulb measures the temperature read by a thermometer covered in a wet cloth. As water evaporates from the cloth, evaporation cools the thermometer. This mirrors how the human body cools itself with sweat. The higher the heat and humidity (heat index), the harder it is for sweat to evaporate. The study Adaptability Limit to Climate Change Due to Heat Stress found that a wet-bulb temperature of 35C (95F) at 100% humidity, or 115F at 50% humidity, would be the upper limit of safety, beyond which the human body can no longer cool itself by evaporating sweat from the surface of the body to maintain a stable body core temperature.
When the “wet bulb” temperature reaches a temperature too hot for humans to sweat, it is referred to as the “wet-bulb temperature threshold” or simply the “wet-bulb limit.” This limit represents the maximum temperature at which evaporation from a wet surface, such as the skin, can effectively cool the human body through sweating. Beyond this threshold, the body’s ability to regulate its internal temperature becomes severely compromised, posing a significant risk to human health and well-being.
When the temperature exceeds the wet-bulb temperature threshold, the human body faces significant risks of heat-related illnesses and potentially fatal heatstroke. Under such conditions, the body’s ability to cool itself through perspiration is severely compromised, leading to a rapid rise in core body temperature. As a result, individuals may experience symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, rapid heartbeat, nausea, and confusion. Without intervention, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, a life-threatening condition characterized by a core body temperature above 40°C (104℉), accompanied by neurological symptoms such as seizures, delirium, and loss of consciousness. Heatstroke requires immediate medical attention and can be fatal if left untreated.
Exposure to temperatures exceeding the wet-bulb threshold poses a grave risk to human health and highlights the urgent need for effective measures to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, which can exacerbate extreme heat events and increase the frequency of conditions exceeding this critical threshold.
* Our climate model uses chaos theory in an attempt to adequately account for humans and forecasts a global average temperature increase of 9 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Everybody has the responsibility not to pollute. There are plenty of things you can do to help save the planet. Stop using fossil fuels. Consume less. Love more. Here is a list of additional actions you can take.