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Lightning, IT Diffusion and Economic Growth Across US StatesThomas Barnebeck AndersenUniversity of Copenhagen - Department of Economics Jeanet Sinding BentzenUniversity of Copenhagen - Department of Economics Carl‐Johan DalgaardUniversity of Copenhagen - Department of Economics Pablo SelayaUniversity of Copenhagen - Department of Economics; Visiting scholar September 10, 2009 University of Copenhagen Department of Economics Discussion Paper No. 09-18 Abstract: Empirically, a higher frequency of lightning strikes is associated with slower growth in labor productivity across the 48 contiguous US states after 1990; before 1990 there is no correlation between growth and lightning. Other climate variables (e.g., temperature, rainfall and tornadoes) do not conform to this pattern. A viable explanation is that lightning influences IT diffusion. By causing voltage spikes and dips, a higher frequency of ground strikes leads to damaged digital equipment and thus higher IT user costs. Accordingly, the flash density (strikes per square km per year) should adversely affect the speed of IT diffusion. We find that lightning indeed seems to have slowed IT diffusion, conditional on standard controls. Hence, an increasing macroeconomic sensitivity to lightning may be due to the increasing importance of digital technologies for the growth process.
Number of Pages in PDF File: 60 Keywords: climate, IT diffusion, economic growth JEL Classification: O33, O51, Q54 working papers seriesDate posted: September 17, 2009Suggested CitationContact Information
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