Many new factories are being constructed.
Unfortunately for corporate JCs the southern goobers continue to vote in unions despite opposition from southern governors.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/04/16/republican-governors-uaw/
Governors of six Southern states warn workers against joining UAW union
The article focuses on unions and right to work laws as a reason for the shift to the south. I suspect there is more to than that. Blue states in the north tend to have higher taxes (probably due to unions) and nasty winter weather.
Bottom line is population is shifting to the sunbelt for lower taxes and better weather (except for hurricanes). So south has an abundant supply of workers. And preference by immigrants (closer to home) is also a factor in keeping costs down.
Right to work laws is part of it but the effect tends to compound as derivative effects work into the system. (And you have to tolerate right wing politics.)
Air conditioning costs more than gas heat.
Steve
Sure. But isnât it easier to plow and shovel the sunlight?
Mike
Yes, per degree heating or cooling. However, even a 103°F day needs âonlyâ 30 degrees cooling to get to 72. A freezing temperature outside needs 40 degrees heating and when it get down to 10°F you need 60 degrees of warming. We wonât even discuss sub-zero weather⌠
DB2
Global warming will make those numbers change significantly over the years. Less heat needed and FAR MORE COOLING (at higher prices).
Keep in mind, a factory has a lot of machinery running inside. The machinery produces waste heat. In the winter, the machinery heat reduces heating load. In the summer, the machinery heat increases a/c load.
Steve
People do NOT live in factoriesâat least, not to MY knowledge.
How much warming are you expecting? We have already warmed about 2°C, call it 4°F, since 1880. Even if we warm another 4°F, letâs call it 5°F, then those heating and cooling degree-days are still lop-sided.
FWIW, I used 103° as some kind of summer example. Chicago only gets up to triple digits less than once a decade (and the record was set back in 1934).
The climate is warming, but winter is still winter.
DB2
People are generally more productive, when they are comfortable, and can focus on their work, rather than wiping sweat out of their eyes. People tend to âliveâ in the plant for 8-10 hours per work day.
Steve
Not as lop-sided as they used to be 60 years ago. We used to have a number of cold days and nights every winter (i.e. about -30F lows with daily highs no more than -15F). These are actual air tempsâon a large urban heat island (in MN). I know because we were out and about in that weather before dawn. Now, we pretty much do not have those temps at all, to speak of. It MAY get down to -20F one night or soâthen back to above 0F. With wind, any cold temp becomes much colder. We had to walk to school every day, uphill most of the way (really)âwith the proviso we were given a ride if the AM temp was below 0F. We were too close to the school to take a bus.
The auto plants tend to be in southern Michigan, and northern Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Not as extreme as MN. Here in metro Detroit, I have wondered, the last couple years, why I bother to put snow tires on the car in the winter, as there as been little snow, compared to 10-20 years ago.
Steve
They work at the plant and the work schedule is one they typically consider reasonable. If it was not, they would find another job elsewhere that better suited them (time, pay, benefits, etc). Remember: Shopping centers generally do not have to heat their facilitiesâall the people and equipment (lights, etc) all produce heat, which usually needs to be removed because it is far in excess of what the center needs. Nice to bring in âfreeâ cooling air, but it is hard to keep the indoor air temps reasonable when air distribution within the center is hard to control. Most factories have the same problem. Too much heat year 'round.
Here is a graph of the average temperature anomaly for CONUS, courtesy of the US Climate Reference Network:
DB2
Northern states have higher taxes because of a wealthier past. The ability to pay people in northern states that were more industrialized is better. People demand pay. Imagine that.
If you put a job in front of a southern man he wants pay as well. Shame on him.
Then the school teachers in the South will have expectations. My god.
Before you know it people will want rights and a return on their tax dollars. This is getting totally crazy
