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posted by Fnord666 on Saturday August 10 2019, @06:18PM   Printer-friendly
from the because-Florida dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

The Gulf Stream, the warm current that brings the east coast of Florida the mixed blessings of abundant swordfish, mild winters and stronger hurricanes, may be weakening because of climate change.

Visible from the air as a ribbon of cobalt blue water a few miles off the coast, the Gulf Stream forms part of a clockwise system of currents that transports warm water from the tropics up the east coast and across the Atlantic to northwestern Europe. In the frigid climate near Greenland, the water cools, sinks and flows south again, rolling through the deep ocean toward the tropics.

This marine circulatory system has reached its weakest point in 1,600 years, recent studies show, having lost about 15% of its strength since the mid-20th century. Scientists disagree on whether climate change or natural cycles account for the slowdown. But a consensus has emerged that climate change will lead to a slower Gulf Stream system in the future, as melting ice sheets in Greenland disrupt the system with discharges of cold fresh water.

A weaker Gulf Stream would mean higher sea levels for Florida's east coast. It could lead to colder winters in northern Europe (one reason many scientists prefer the term climate change to global warming). And it could mean that a lot of the heat that would have gone to Europe would stay along the U.S. east coast and in Florida.

"If you slow down the sinking of water in the North Atlantic, that means you have a pileup of waters along the eastern seaboard of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico," said Brenda Ekwurzel, director of climate science for the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental group. "That means that you have increased regional sea level rise just from that ocean circulation change. So that's not good for New York City, Norfolk or along Florida."

-- submitted from IRC


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  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 10 2019, @08:12PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 10 2019, @08:12PM (#878437)

    Yes, the climate is always changing... The repeated mention of that fact we are inundated with daily is meaningless babble of no use to anyone. Here is someone with something useful to say: http://www.iceagefarmer.com/ [iceagefarmer.com]

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  • (Score: 1, Offtopic) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 11 2019, @01:05AM (4 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday August 11 2019, @01:05AM (#878602) Journal

    Good post - and if you allow it to, it makes a point. If everyone who is concerned about global warming and rising seas were to get off of their asses, and DO SOMETHING, they could easily assure an uninterrupted food supply for future generations. Instead of blabbering, they should be planting fruit and nut trees, each of which will supply food for years to come. They could start a mulch heap somewhere, almost anywhere, and use it to plant crops. Even small time hobby gardeners can experiment with creating hardier cultivars.

    But, it seems that whining and complaining is easier than DOING SOMETHING. Not just whining and complaining, but whining and complaining in that screechy voice.

    sarcasm We need a new age Arbor day. Everyone is REQUIRED to plant a tree each year. No choices involved. We gotta plant trees to save the children! We'll have extreme leftist liberals deputized to ensure that everyone gets a funky purple hand stamp guaranteed not to wash off for six months when you plant your required tree. And, of course, when you plant your required tree, you may also plant another dozen, for a small fee. /sarcasm

    • (Score: 2) by captain normal on Sunday August 11 2019, @03:58AM (3 children)

      by captain normal (2205) on Sunday August 11 2019, @03:58AM (#878680)

      Sounds all great and good, but if one lives in the concrete jungle of a big city where can one plant a tree?

      --
      When life isn't going right, go left.
      • (Score: 2, Offtopic) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 11 2019, @06:26AM (2 children)

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday August 11 2019, @06:26AM (#878728) Journal

        See my sig.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 11 2019, @07:58AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday August 11 2019, @07:58AM (#878761)

          Ok, but can you plant trees there?

          • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday August 11 2019, @08:13AM

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday August 11 2019, @08:13AM (#878765) Journal

            If the trees care about your feelings, they're likely to allow you to anything you like. Unless, of course, you're a logger.