TEMPERATURE AND HOW PEOPLE ADAPT IN RELATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND SINGAPORE.

Abstract

My paper successfully replicates findings from ‘Temperature and the allocation of time: Implications for climate change’ (Graff Zivin and Neidell, 2014), and extends their findings across more recent time periods with newly available survey and weather data. My results show an attenuation of the impact of temperature shocks on individuals’ decisions on time allocation, suggesting evidence of adaptation to temperature shocks over time. I also study the effects of temperature shocks on time allocated to indoor leisure in Singapore, where fluctuations in temperatures are less extreme due to the tropical climate. Despite this, temperature shocks still play a part in shaping Singaporeans’ leisure consumption patterns. I find evidence of increased usage of gym facilities at high temperatures, and observe heterogeneous effects of temperature shocks at different periods of the day.