Scientists Worry Slow Circulation Will Increase Climate Change
- NPG
- March 17, 2021
- NPG Commentary
- 1 Comment
March 23, 2021
Scientists Worry Slow Circulation Will Increase Climate Change
Study Finds Atlantic Ocean Circulation is Slower Now than the Past 1,000 Years
Scientists have proven circulation in the Atlantic Ocean has decreased. The current, which plays an integral role in redistributing heat throughout the planet, is now slower than it has been in at least 1,600 years. Scientists have determined “part of this slowing down is directly related to our warming climate, as melting ice alters the balance in northern waters.” Published by the journal Nature Geoscience the study strengthens previous evidence of a weakening circulation system in the Atlantic Ocean.
Previously, it had been determined that circulation had decreased by 15% since 1950. The new research establishes the weakening current is unprecedented in the last 1,000 years, “and by the end of the century, it is estimated the circulation may slow by 34% to 45% if we continue to heat the planet.”
Discussing the repercussions of the slowing circulation, Dr. Levke Caesar, a climate physicist at Maynooth University in Ireland, said, “As the current slows down, more water can pile up at the U.S. East Coast, leading to an enhanced sea-level rise (in places like New York and Boston).” Speaking of European weather patterns such as storms and heatwaves, Dr. Caesar explains: “The European heatwave of summer 2015 has been linked to the record cold in the northern Atlantic in that year – this seemingly paradoxical effect occurs because a cold northern Atlantic promotes an air pressure pattern that funnels warm air from the south into Europe.” As circulation continues to dwindle and the Earth continues to warm, Dr. Caesar believes we will continue to experience more extreme weather such as storms, heatwaves, and droughts.
There are many small ways an individual can work towards the reversal of climate change, such as:
- Save electricity by turning off lights and unplugging appliances that are not in use
- Stop paper statements and pay bills online
- Share helpful information with your friends and family via social media
- Compost
- Recycle
- Short showers
All reasonable efforts should be made to reduce climate change. Regarding this new information about the circulation in the Atlantic Ocean, CBS News stated, with hope: “But humans do have some agency in all this, and the decisions we make now in terms of how quickly we transition away from fossil fuels will determine the outcome.” And, Dr. Caesar said, “Whether or not we cross the tipping point by the end of this century depends on the amount of warming, i.e., the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere.”
NPG believes that the single best way to reverse climate change is to slow, halt, and eventually reverse population growth. While other efforts are valuable, we must recognize that the number of people using resources and producing waste is the biggest factor in the equation. Even if we could by some miracle reduce everyone’s carbon footprint by 20% over the next 50 years, the net effect on the environment will still be worse than it is today because we will have added more than 20% to the total population of users, producers, and emitters!
To read more about population issues, please explore NPG’s Forum paper series, notably:
Climate Change, Migration and National Security, by Edwin S. Rubenstein
The True Environmental Disaster – The Silence on Our Growing Overpopulation, by Michael G. Hanauer
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Greeley Miklashek, MD
Dr. Caesar left out the most significant action needed to save the planet: don’t bring another innocent new life into this dying world. Questions? Stress R Us