this post was submitted on 25 Jul 2023
539 points (96.4% liked)

World News

32112 readers
608 users here now

News from around the world!

Rules:

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Researchers have predicted the collapse of the AMOC could happen any time between 2025 and 2095 — far sooner than previous predictions, although not all scientists are convinced.

=====

What if...

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 104 points 1 year ago (59 children)

but other scientists are not so sure.

Is it just me who thinks we should act as if it is going to collapse soon, even if a few scientists aren't sure?

[–] CosmicSploogeDrizzle 178 points 1 year ago (5 children)

But what if it's all a hoax and we make the world a better place for no reason?

[–] [email protected] 74 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Won't someone think of the shareholders?

[–] Awthatsnotright 15 points 1 year ago

I am never going to recover financially from this.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (58 replies)
[–] virr 62 points 1 year ago (5 children)

TL;DR: New statistical model suggests that the AMOC (including gulf stream) could collapse to the much slower pattern by 2025 to 2095. This is a century earlier than previous predictions and the researchers were concerned. There is some questions on the accuracy of the model used, and that needs more research.

Personally I don't think we should wait for further testing to vet the model before acting. Try to do better now.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] RHSJack 42 points 1 year ago (3 children)

We could try to vote people who will take action OR incentivize consumers to be more proactive BUT. Neither is ever going to happen.

I was having dinner with my brother's family and we were watching an interview with some celebrity that my sister-in-law adores. Dude is heavy in green activism and lists fast food places which are bad actors for climate and also farmers rights, etc. So my SiL announces we are never eating at such and such place again (I can't remember, I never eat fast food anyway). The very next night they order takeout from said fast food place. They also always order same day deliver from Amazon despite it never actually arriving same day, but they get packages every damn day. Tons and tons of packaging for crap they always throw out or give away to neighbors eventually. This isn't unique to them.

This is MOST of America and I suspect the rest of the developed world. We are effed.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

cant elect people in america who would do anything, when we're busy trying to fend off full blown fourth reichdom by electing the least awful candidate each election.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] sturlabragason 34 points 1 year ago (10 children)

Goodbye Iceland my old friend.

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Well that’s pretty scary.. I mean, at least the scientists say that it’s more likely the current will just slow down rather than completely collapse? But then again, all the climate change models predicted a much more conservative timeline on when we would be experiencing the effects of climate change than what is actually happening in the real world now.. so idk, scary shit man ☹️

[–] [email protected] 37 points 1 year ago (4 children)

they also have admitted to only announcing the most optimistic results because nobody would believe them if they didn't, and if people did it would be devastating

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If how conservative they've been in the past is any indication, this is going to happen next monday

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] [email protected] 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] MisterFrog 26 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I made a poster about this for an assignment when I was primary school, like 18 years ago. Ffs

[–] Kandorr 18 points 1 year ago

We should have listened, but your poster was washed from the main stream media!

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago

Title gore.

[–] PrincessLeiasCat 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

If anyone wants to read more about AMOC, here is a description from NASA along with the NASA illustration that was in the article:

June 5, 2023

BRIEF: As the ocean warms and land ice melts, ocean circulation — the movement of heat around the planet by currents — could be impacted. Research with NASA satellites and other data is currently underway to learn more.

Edit: climate.nasa.gov is fantastic for this kind of stuff, btw. They have tons of data from their satellites you can download, visualizations, videos, charts, graphics, tutorials...just all sorts of things. It's very cool.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

As long as we finally get colder weather and snow in Germany again, I'm all for it. No, not really because it's horrible but I try to see the positive things.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

You might like the weather but you'll have some issues with an utterly collapsed food chain

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (4 children)

did we see this movie already?

load more comments (4 replies)
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago

I can remember a time when elon musk was still saying smart things... like if there's even a 1% chance of it destroying the planet. We should do everything to avoid it.

[–] WeebLife 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

insert meme of sitting inside house burning down "this is fine"

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] FatTony 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

What would this result in, if this happens?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I asked Bing chat a similar question. Here the sobering answer:

The Gulf Stream is a crucial system of ocean currents that plays a vital role in Earth's climate. If it were to collapse, the consequences would be significant and abrupt. Some of the potential consequences include:

  • Fast sea level rise in the Atlantic¹
  • More extreme winters in Western Europe¹
  • Disruptions to monsoon systems in the tropics¹
  • Greater cooling and more powerful storms across the Northern Hemisphere¹
  • Severe disruption to the rain that billions of people rely upon to grow crops in Africa, South America, and India¹
  • Extreme cold to Europe and parts of North America¹
  • Raised sea levels along the U.S. East Coast¹
  • Endangerment of the Amazon rainforest and Antarctic ice sheets¹

It is important to note that scientists are warning that the Gulf Stream could collapse at any time². The shutdown of this ocean current could lead to serious consequences globally, impacting heat and rainfall distribution². A major Atlantic current could collapse by midcentury as a result of climate change, prompting extreme cold in Europe and sea level rise along the eastern coast of the U.S., according to a study³. It is crucial that we take action to prevent this from happening.

(1) Gulf Stream: A crucial system of ocean currents is showing signs of .... https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/world/climate-gulf-stream-collapse-warning-study-intl/index.html.

(2) Atlantic Ocean currents system could collapse this century from climate change: study. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4118630-atlantic-ocean-currents-system-collapse-climate-change/.

(3) The Gulf Stream Is in Danger of Collapsing as Early as 2025. https://www.theinertia.com/environment/gulf-stream-collapse-2025/.

(4) Gulf stream could collapse as early as 2025, study suggests. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/25/gulf-stream-could-collapse-as-early-as-2025-study-suggests.

(5) Scientists Are Warning of Gulf Stream Collapse | Futurism. https://futurism.com/collapse-ocean-currents-freeze-north-america-europe.

Edit: deleted a dead link

[–] SoonaPaana 21 points 1 year ago (2 children)

So nothing major right? Business as usual.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

I don't know about the former, but yes to the latter.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›