Feeling dizzy and unwell after cycling to work in Japan’s punishing summer heat, warehouse worker Isao Tabuchi headed for his company’s newest acquisition: a refrigerator for humans.
Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events around the world. The impact of rising temperatures on businesses in the world’s fourth-biggest economy is real. A survey in July by Teikoku Databank found that 50 percent of companies said intense heat had disrupted their operations. Almost 88 percent said they had upgraded efforts to help workers cope with the heat.
This year, the weather office began using a new word “kokushobi” or “cruelly hot day” when temperatures hit 40C , urging the public to treat extreme heat like a natural disaster. “I was really surprised by this new concept of putting people into a kind of refrigerator, and I found it very appealing that by going inside that refrigerator, a person’s body can be cooled in an instant to a safe temperature,” Kono told AFP.
