Good Thursday morning from my muggy midwestern mitten state, where I’m here to welcome you to today’s free chat session.
Storms brought rain and wind throughout the state yesterday, and this morning I’m noticing mushrooms sticking out from the lawn, as if in answer to the question “How moist is it?”
Seriously, what do I have to complain about? As I’m not one of those in the region who suffered structural wind damage or flooding, it’s just another day to observe unexpected results of climate change. So many have it much worse.
Today’s Topic
We’ve all heard by now, I’m sure, that waters off the Florida coast at Manatee Bay near the Florida Keys reached hot tub temperatures this week — 101.1°, with some minor dispute from local climatologists that this is a world record. Alarming but not necessarily unprecedented. Whatevs.
There was a study published Tuesday that warned of an oceanic tipping point on its way, possibly by mid-century. An analysis of 150 years of data show that the Atlantic water circulation of cool-to-warm and warm-to-cool exchange like a conveyor belt has become slower. From the article:
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) is a major tipping element in the climate system and a future collapse would have severe impacts on the climate in the North Atlantic region. In recent years weakening in circulation has been reported, but assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), based on the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) model simulations suggest that a full collapse is unlikely within the 21st century. Tipping to an undesired state in the climate is, however, a growing concern with increasing greenhouse gas concentrations.
While discussions between climate scientists pointing to this uncertain instability of the ocean current do not indicate “The Day After Tomorrow” sci-fi cinematic results, it is definitely a blazing red flag that could lead to a drop in temperatures in northern Europe and elevated warming in the tropics, as well as stronger storms on the East Coast of North America.
(Read more at Washington Post.)
Is there any news more alarming than this?
Again, this is Coffee Talk, a free chat with an alternative target topic, so….
Let me know what you find.
Make it a great Thursday!