The Coronavirus, Climate Change, and Exponential Growth

By Andrew Quist

In a recent article in Politico, economist Howard Kunreuther and psychologist Paul Slovic observe that the exponential growth of novel coronavirus cases around the world mirrors the growth of carbon dioxide concentration in the air—the impetus of the climate change crisis. Slovic and Kunreuther cite research demonstrating that people are unable to intuitively grasp the steep increases that occur when something is growing exponentially. Our inability to intuitively understand exponential growth makes it all the more imperative that we use our rational modes of thinking to appreciate the consequences of risks like climate change and pandemics. As the novel coronavirus outbreak has shown, if we fail to adequately prepare for known risks that increase exponentially, we are putting our society and the planet in grave danger.

Source:

Kunreuther, H., & Slovic, P. (2020, March 26). What the coronavirus curve teaches us about climate change. Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/26/what-the-coronavirus-curve-teaches-us-about-climate-change-148318

Photograph by U.S. Food and Drug Administration