| Rising seas, intensifying droughts, worsening floods — these are well-known effects of climate change, the consequences of pumping too much heat-trapping pollution into the air. Now, we may be able to add another unexpected outcome of human-induced warming to that list: Rats. Lots and lots more rats. Urban rat populations are booming around the world due in large part to rising average temperatures, according to an analysis of 16 cities published Friday. The findings have hairy implications for warming cities already struggling to deal with the destructive pests, which spread disease, contaminate food with urine and feces, bite people and pets, chew through wiring in homes and cars, and cause an estimated $27 billion in damage a year in the United States alone. About 40 percent of the overall increase in rat sightings is linked to rising temperatures in cities, according to the analysis. Researchers also found that the more densely populated a city is, and the less green space it has, the more urban rats thrived. |
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