No, no, don’t call this a doomsday cult which simply comes up with anything they can think of, no matter how ridiculous and counter-intuitive, no matter how un-science. Definitely not a cult
Why climate change could make some places colder
As much of the Northern Hemisphere continues to bake in a year of unprecedented heat waves linked to climate change, one paradoxical consequence of rising global temperatures is that some areas of the world could become much colder.
A study published this month by researchers at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research found that the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) current system could be on the verge of collapse. The conveyor belt system transports warm surface ocean water from the tropics, up along the coast of Florida to the northern Atlantic Ocean. Colder water sinks and is moved along the ocean floor to the south, helping to regulate the global climate.
“That’s one of the reasons that the climate in Europe is so pleasant,†Harold Wanless, professor of geography and urban sustainability at the University of Miami, told Yahoo News. “You go to the same latitude over in Newfoundland and Labrador, it’s pretty harsh in the winter.â€
The system’s collapse, which researchers have concluded is in part caused by the melting of Arctic ice, could result in the dramatic cooling of parts of Europe and North America. But the extreme cold in those locations would not be the only change. The current system is also responsible for the wind that propels storms that cross the Atlantic, which in turn helps regulate sea levels.
And, see, that could only happen because of your obsession with your fossil fueled vehicle, eating meat, and taking showers longer than 2 minutes.
“It’s one of those events that should not happen, and we should try all that we can to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible,†Niklas Boers, the lead author of the study, told the Washington Post. “This is a system we don’t want to mess with.â€
While scientists are attempting to confirm the study’s findings, ample research has shown that climate change is already wreaking havoc with the jet stream, the river of wind circling the globe driven by temperature differences between latitudes. With the Arctic warming faster than any other place on Earth, the temperature differential between latitudes has become less pronounced, destabilizing the jet stream.
As a result, polar vortex events like the one that crippled the Texas power grid this winter become more likely.
So, they published a study with conclusions that cannot be verified, news outlets are jumping on it, the lead author wants Government to force citizens to change their lives (does Niklas realize this applies to himself?), and, if we don’t, we’ll get more big winters storms. Not a cult.
Read: Your Fault: Some Places Could Get Colder From Climate Crisis (scam) »