Slashdot Mirror
Ocean Current That Keeps Europe Warm Is Weakening Because of Climate Change (washingtonpost.com)
The Washington Post: The Atlantic Ocean circulation that carries warmth into the Northern Hemisphere's high latitudes is slowing down because of climate change, a team of scientists asserted Wednesday, suggesting one of the most feared consequences is already coming to pass (Editor's note: the link may be paywalled; alternative source). The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation has declined in strength by 15 percent since the mid-20th century to a "new record low," the scientists conclude in a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature. That's a decrease of 3 million cubic meters of water per second, the equivalent of nearly 15 Amazon rivers.
The AMOC brings warm water from the equator up toward the Atlantic's northern reaches and cold water back down through the deep ocean. The current is partly why Western Europe enjoys temperate weather, and meteorologists are linking changes in North Atlantic Ocean temperatures to recent summer heat waves. The circulation is also critical for fisheries off the U.S. Atlantic coast, a key part of New England's economy that have seen changes in recent years, with the cod fishery collapsing as lobster populations have boomed off the Maine coast.
The AMOC brings warm water from the equator up toward the Atlantic's northern reaches and cold water back down through the deep ocean. The current is partly why Western Europe enjoys temperate weather, and meteorologists are linking changes in North Atlantic Ocean temperatures to recent summer heat waves. The circulation is also critical for fisheries off the U.S. Atlantic coast, a key part of New England's economy that have seen changes in recent years, with the cod fishery collapsing as lobster populations have boomed off the Maine coast.
Don't get me wrong, I personally think that ACC is real, and a problem. But––
The story I heard on NPR [1] today said:
...scientists disagree about what's behind the sluggish ocean current...
but did go on to say:
The only thing we really can do is obviously try and prevent global warming because that's the root cause of why we think it's weakening now...
[1] https://www.npr.org/2018/04/13...
There is still some good conversation here on technical subjects, but on climage change it's a bunch of people who know very little about the subject being jerks.
. Yup, this science is definitely settled.
I'm sorry: the science is NEVER settled. If it is, it's dogma. You might as well stay with religion, because random($Holy_Book) is singularly, literally correct and everything else is absolutely wrong, and they'll TELL you that upfront. If you fight it, then either somehow you've misunderstood the words and need a re-education OR the $Evil_Deity has you under control. (The Earth, Gods Creation, is still the Center of the Universe, right? RIGHT?? If not, back in you go and we'll try it again later.)
All science can do is tell you what's WRONG, hopefully in a way so that you can find something next time that's NOT-QUITE-SO-wrong. Then: "Iterate." See: Iterate.
Seriously -- I applaud the flat-Earth nutcase (I think he's one too) that launched himself in a rocket the other month. But he thinks something, and he's out actively trying to prove it. I don't understand why lunar eclipses don't help -- I think it's because they believe the Earth has to be sitting on something: the "Down" thing. They "get" gravity as down, but can't figure out that for something floating in space, down is always near the center. (But way down there isn't down, it's UP.) But he's at least trying. I don't see why he can't fly an unmanned rocket with a GoCam on it and collect it himself, or radio down the pics. What, are the Illuminati going to intercept and change the SD Card / Radio Signals / have Elvis's UFO fly by it and hang pictures in front of the camera to deceive him? He wants to see it with his own eyes, except how does that change the UFO picture problem? (Unless of course he finds an edge. THEN it's a different story.)
HE'S taking action. When's the last time you (or *I*) did something like that? Here's a weird thing you could try. (Or just finish watching the video.) But the the MiB could be sponsoring the video -- that's why science wants everything out in the open and repeatable.
And that's why Sci and Rel don't mix -- Miracles are by definition NOT repeatable but science wants them to be, to find the edges and exceptions. And that's just fine, pick you poison. I'm an atheist but believe they're independent -- you can believe both at the same time. But some people want you to pick one EXCLUSIVELY over the other.
I'm a bad example since I've done just that -- except I'm actually an agnostic, and I really just don't care about the religion side. If so, then God and I will eventually be having a quick little chat. (I imagine it'll be a QUICK one before being smited: "Oh, hi there God -- well, shit." If not, then I imagine we won't, it'll be more: " " I'm anxious to find out, but not enough so to hurry along the process. BTW: Watch Youjo Senki / The Saga of Tanya the Evil
So what science experiments have YOU tried to re-validate lately? AGW? Dropping and timing light and heavy objects? Birds fly by ONLY flapping their wings? Fridge light always on or goes out? ANYTHING?
Science isn't special -- DO some. Explain things. Or explain why you CAN'T explain them. I was looking for the Feynman quote about a freshman lecture, but insead, this one fits better: 12th one down. -- "Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." It's NEVER settled, but the longer it goes the more " 'PLAININ' you got to do."
But I'm going to finish with the highest authority available, a quote from ANIME: "It's your fault for being unable to differentiate between religion and science." Trying to remember where that came from. Something about two little girls and a ?slug?, one is much more religious than the other -- hence the comment.
If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
The sad truth is most folks don't realize how fragile our planet is, it's a finely balanced chaotic system where a slight change in something as small as the CO2 concentration in the air is enough to cause a massive shift in climate. Nature normally takes thousands of years but we're essentially speeding it up into centuries or even decades. It's been known for years that the ocean sea currents could change with climate change and unfortunately it looks like it's coming true. If the oceans current shutdown it won't just cause Europe to get cooler. It could disrupt the monsoon rains which allow India to farm and provides water. If you have a billion people starving to death, I wouldn't want to explain to them how this wasn't my fault and I'm not sharing.
So when will the poles stop warming? Bonus question when will the increasing warming of the poles start to slow down due to this feedback mechansim?
People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people