“Their urgent message to policymakers is clear: the risks associated with an AMOC collapse demand immediate and decisive measures to mitigate climate change.”
I learn so much from you. You explain scientific data so it is easily digestible. Thank you for being an excellent teacher about the complexities of climate science for those without your expertise.
It’s a pity this important information gets buried underneath the headlines about that ‘convicted, brain-damaged felon with a dubious track record of failures and bankruptcies’ who would not only bury but massacre findings and exhortations of the world’s best climate scientists. No, the planet will not wait while American voters dither about what should be a no brainer.
It must be painful for the American environmental movement to sit on their hands, doing anything they can not to hinder Kamala Harris in her efforts to convince some in the 'middle ground' to join her. The prospect of preserving the environment for next generations is so frightening for voters that the environmentalists have to stay quiet. The absurdity of this situation will be hard to explain when we later look back at this phase of history. It's like doctors being too frightened to menstion a potential deadly, but still curable, disease to a patient to avoid upsetting them.
I had not read your article about the 25th Amendment, as I live in a county in Florida that experienced serious effects from the tornados that passed through before Hurricane Milton on October 9th. I lost electric for several days, but thankfully did not suffer serious damage as so many others did in my neighborhood. With hurricanes, you can anticipate to some degree where they will make landfall, but a tornado is like someone dropped a bomb randomly, & which you don’t know where it will land. There is no basement in this part of Florida where you can hunker down, as your house may be four feet above sea level. When I got my electricity back I had over 2,000 emails to deal with. Ah well, first world problems! I was blessed to escape and my heart goes out to those who lost their lives and those who lost their homes, & had serious damage.
Regarding the 25th Amendment…it is not easy to invoke it. They don’t need to do so! DJT isn’t interested in the work of being President; he is interested in the prestige and trappings of the job. He is easily manipulated with praise & flattery, so can be set up as a puppet President, where he signs his name to laws with a flourish of his Sharpie pen, as his cult members & sycophants stand around him applauding & praising him. Meanwhile behind the scenes, J. D. Vance & Thiel & Musk & others draft laws that benefit them. Marshal law will be invoked so no more contentious elections will be necessary, and Trump can be President for life, which at the rate he’s going won’t be long, and then Vance can take over. Project 2025 will become the Law of the Land.
I voted all blue yesterday at early voting. I hope with all my being that I can celebrate Madam President in January 2025. I will be 80 years old, & anticipate that this will be the last election that I will be around for. From my lips to God’s ears.
Hi Jean, I'm glad to hear your house didn't suffere serious damage. And yes, your analysis makes more sense. It would also give more legitimacy to Vance once he takes over. If they lose Trump too soon, they risk losing the devoted supporters who seem to believe in Trump more than in the rest of the cult. The world holds its breath for what some voters in a few Amerian states will decide for the future of the world.
"However, climate change and the potential collapse of the AMOC will have everlasting consequences for humanity. This risk is so consequential that world leaders should stop enjoying the luxury of ignoring it and pushing decision-making forward until after the next elections or until another government moves first."
There have been murmurs about this today but nothing concrete and nothing trending as it should. Capt. Ellis is a new character of history for me. Thank you for bringing this to us. 🌻
Hi Mike, yes, these numbers are shocking! Since a few years now, we all experience climate change in our daily lives. That is new; some five or ten years ago you really had to look for an example or name a region far away like the Amazon, to give examples of climate change. With biodiversity we start to see the same thing; it used to be about the Northern White Rhino: far away, exotic, a story from the news. Now, I start to hear friends mentioning that they miss certain types of birds, and butterflies. The wasp (and I'm not a fan of wasps) is now becoming a threatened species in the Netherlands. Just until three or four years ago, they were always pestering everyone in august. They may be less cudly than say a Koala, but they do contribute to the ecosystem balance. I expect that in some years, more people will be talking about biodiversity loss as we experience it in our own lives. And that is, like with climate change, frightingly late to take action.
Well, these guys appear to be pretty dangerous; and unchecked they could permanently end a good, nearly 250 yr run of a civilisation. But destroying another 250 yrs into the future for the whole world deserves a LOUD shout out!!! And thanks for your efforts to amplify that, Alex!!! 💔 But I do know who needs to win this election for anyone to have a chance at even modest change…🤯🤯🤯
That said, what can mitigate this, with that kind of fresh water dump/ice sheet melt already underway? Can you share possible mitigations?
The only option is a rapid move away from fossil fuels. Add to that a string of other measures, but it all comes down to lowering our emissions. Talk about more renewable energy is only relevant where it replaces fossil fuels but globally we still emit more greenhouse gasses every year. Had we started in the 1990s, we would have had the luxury of just slowly replacing our energy system, now it should be all hands on deck. The most maddening thought is that we can do it, we have the know-how, the technology, and the money. It's just a completely lack of leadership and cooperation.
Whilst I totally agree we need to dump fossil fuels ( our house doesn’t use any) every individual can adopt and advocate a vegan lifestyle from today. Our grandchildren will curse or thank us. That’s our choice.
Yes, or at least eat less meat. And even if you believe you can’t live without meat (spoiler: you can; I’m a vegetarian and alive…) stop eating beef that has a huge greenhouse gas footprint. And while we are at it: your health and animal welfare are other valid arguments to become vegan, vegetarian, or at least a less-meat eater / flexitarian.
He can be "lawless", a Fascist, a Dictator and an unhinged con man while she must be "flawless" in speech, policies and of course in her laugh. Double standard much? They are not even taking the same exam. Still, she must rise. Still, she must win.
And while America fumbles, we see through the prism of the AMOC collapse, how interconnected our planet is; how our actions have global consequences; how one election can turn the tide.
It seems so easy for America to make the right choice; to stop twisting into pretzels to justify voting for a man that has not and will not ever put something bigger than himself over his own ego. The global stakes cannot be higher and if America elects Trump, we simply cannot go any lower. Que lastima.
Thanks Sharon, there is not one person I know in Europe who understands why the choice between the two can be so complicated for Americans. And I know that many Americans don't understand it either. The prospect of him winning is frightening at so many levels, it will turn the world into a very dark chapter.
Only if he wins…..Hope prevails. 🕊️The AMOC issue is profound and deserves much more attention. So good to be back from my climate catastrophic retreat. I was always a believer but now I realize there is truly no safe place. It is very unsettling.
I remember them talking about the North Atlantic Current being crucial and the dangers of it changing in The Day After Tomorrow. It feels like if this scientific fact made it into a Hollywood movie in 2004, it was probably well-known at the time. My first thought was that there always seems to be something more important going on - which I then saw was a point you were making too. And in this case it's been decades. I realize that the North Atlantic Current is only a small part of the entire AMOC system, but even Hollywood knew!
I do worry about Norway and its - up to now - year-round ice-free coast. Can't wait to go back to Tromsø later this year. A place where people are aware of the fragility of our planet. The Arctic is one of the areas that are heavily affected. And the amount of ice that is lost in Greenland that you mentioned is just too great to imagine. And that's all fresh water dumped into the ocean. Yikes!
Thank you for raising awareness. I'm definitely going to read the next headline where AMOC is mentioned.
Thank you, Evelyne. That movie picked up a sliver of the AMOC story and ran away with it in a true Hollywood fantasy; a missed chance to educate the public. It's not worth watching unless you're a fan of the genre; it speeds up the overturning to an event that takes place in minutes. Since I have no recollection of how it ended I guess I must have switched timely to another channel.
I think it started out with actual facts, that's the part I remember most because I read up on it after. Then went into Hollywood fantasy. Happy ending of course - at least for some.
Thank you Alex for this point that puts the fundamental emergencies of our planet into perspective.
The occurrence of new and dangerous climatic phenomena - which you have explained very clearly - and the severe alert of experts should in principle raise the question of the timetables and content of the actions planned for the fight against climate change.
In particular, the ONU Charter established as constitutive principles of international security and sustainable development.
Her motto is "Peace, dignity, equality on a healthy planet"
The member nations have responsibilities in this regard, which they cannot permanently relegate to the background, according to their individual policy and priorities.
Let us hope, on the basis of these principles of action and responsibility,
that the urgent decision of priority, active and coordinated cooperation can quickly be imposed to win this race to maintain our « healthy" planet and the pursuit of its sustainable development🙏🌎
A. Guterres is a man of conviction, lucid, who knows how to « alert » States and put them in front of the terrible reality of the damage of climate change, he does not hesitate to designate the culprits, without demagogy.
I remember in June 2023, at the « Summit for a New Global and Financial Pact », held in Paris, he denounced during his speeches in the french medias :
« the « pitiful » response of the world to the climate emergency, which leads us to a « catastrophe » ».
The fight against climate change is surely become the fight of his life... and he works on it with energy and courage.
“Their urgent message to policymakers is clear: the risks associated with an AMOC collapse demand immediate and decisive measures to mitigate climate change.”
I learn so much from you. You explain scientific data so it is easily digestible. Thank you for being an excellent teacher about the complexities of climate science for those without your expertise.
It’s a pity this important information gets buried underneath the headlines about that ‘convicted, brain-damaged felon with a dubious track record of failures and bankruptcies’ who would not only bury but massacre findings and exhortations of the world’s best climate scientists. No, the planet will not wait while American voters dither about what should be a no brainer.
It must be painful for the American environmental movement to sit on their hands, doing anything they can not to hinder Kamala Harris in her efforts to convince some in the 'middle ground' to join her. The prospect of preserving the environment for next generations is so frightening for voters that the environmentalists have to stay quiet. The absurdity of this situation will be hard to explain when we later look back at this phase of history. It's like doctors being too frightened to menstion a potential deadly, but still curable, disease to a patient to avoid upsetting them.
I had not read your article about the 25th Amendment, as I live in a county in Florida that experienced serious effects from the tornados that passed through before Hurricane Milton on October 9th. I lost electric for several days, but thankfully did not suffer serious damage as so many others did in my neighborhood. With hurricanes, you can anticipate to some degree where they will make landfall, but a tornado is like someone dropped a bomb randomly, & which you don’t know where it will land. There is no basement in this part of Florida where you can hunker down, as your house may be four feet above sea level. When I got my electricity back I had over 2,000 emails to deal with. Ah well, first world problems! I was blessed to escape and my heart goes out to those who lost their lives and those who lost their homes, & had serious damage.
Regarding the 25th Amendment…it is not easy to invoke it. They don’t need to do so! DJT isn’t interested in the work of being President; he is interested in the prestige and trappings of the job. He is easily manipulated with praise & flattery, so can be set up as a puppet President, where he signs his name to laws with a flourish of his Sharpie pen, as his cult members & sycophants stand around him applauding & praising him. Meanwhile behind the scenes, J. D. Vance & Thiel & Musk & others draft laws that benefit them. Marshal law will be invoked so no more contentious elections will be necessary, and Trump can be President for life, which at the rate he’s going won’t be long, and then Vance can take over. Project 2025 will become the Law of the Land.
I voted all blue yesterday at early voting. I hope with all my being that I can celebrate Madam President in January 2025. I will be 80 years old, & anticipate that this will be the last election that I will be around for. From my lips to God’s ears.
Hi Jean, I'm glad to hear your house didn't suffere serious damage. And yes, your analysis makes more sense. It would also give more legitimacy to Vance once he takes over. If they lose Trump too soon, they risk losing the devoted supporters who seem to believe in Trump more than in the rest of the cult. The world holds its breath for what some voters in a few Amerian states will decide for the future of the world.
I am so pleased you were able to withstand the dangers of the tornadoes and hurricane. I look forward to celebrating Madame President as well.
Thank you.
What Rena said. Glad you're safe.
"However, climate change and the potential collapse of the AMOC will have everlasting consequences for humanity. This risk is so consequential that world leaders should stop enjoying the luxury of ignoring it and pushing decision-making forward until after the next elections or until another government moves first."
There have been murmurs about this today but nothing concrete and nothing trending as it should. Capt. Ellis is a new character of history for me. Thank you for bringing this to us. 🌻
British history is filled with remarkable characters like Ellis, which makes it fun to follow their lives and to describe them.
To the (more than) worrying AMOC news I add the most recent update to WWF’s 2024 Living Planet Report. https://www.worldwildlife.org/publications/2024-living-planet-report.
There is no Planet B, so humanity had best start paying attention to what really matters.
Hi Mike, yes, these numbers are shocking! Since a few years now, we all experience climate change in our daily lives. That is new; some five or ten years ago you really had to look for an example or name a region far away like the Amazon, to give examples of climate change. With biodiversity we start to see the same thing; it used to be about the Northern White Rhino: far away, exotic, a story from the news. Now, I start to hear friends mentioning that they miss certain types of birds, and butterflies. The wasp (and I'm not a fan of wasps) is now becoming a threatened species in the Netherlands. Just until three or four years ago, they were always pestering everyone in august. They may be less cudly than say a Koala, but they do contribute to the ecosystem balance. I expect that in some years, more people will be talking about biodiversity loss as we experience it in our own lives. And that is, like with climate change, frightingly late to take action.
Well, these guys appear to be pretty dangerous; and unchecked they could permanently end a good, nearly 250 yr run of a civilisation. But destroying another 250 yrs into the future for the whole world deserves a LOUD shout out!!! And thanks for your efforts to amplify that, Alex!!! 💔 But I do know who needs to win this election for anyone to have a chance at even modest change…🤯🤯🤯
That said, what can mitigate this, with that kind of fresh water dump/ice sheet melt already underway? Can you share possible mitigations?
The only option is a rapid move away from fossil fuels. Add to that a string of other measures, but it all comes down to lowering our emissions. Talk about more renewable energy is only relevant where it replaces fossil fuels but globally we still emit more greenhouse gasses every year. Had we started in the 1990s, we would have had the luxury of just slowly replacing our energy system, now it should be all hands on deck. The most maddening thought is that we can do it, we have the know-how, the technology, and the money. It's just a completely lack of leadership and cooperation.
Whilst I totally agree we need to dump fossil fuels ( our house doesn’t use any) every individual can adopt and advocate a vegan lifestyle from today. Our grandchildren will curse or thank us. That’s our choice.
Yes, or at least eat less meat. And even if you believe you can’t live without meat (spoiler: you can; I’m a vegetarian and alive…) stop eating beef that has a huge greenhouse gas footprint. And while we are at it: your health and animal welfare are other valid arguments to become vegan, vegetarian, or at least a less-meat eater / flexitarian.
He can be "lawless", a Fascist, a Dictator and an unhinged con man while she must be "flawless" in speech, policies and of course in her laugh. Double standard much? They are not even taking the same exam. Still, she must rise. Still, she must win.
And while America fumbles, we see through the prism of the AMOC collapse, how interconnected our planet is; how our actions have global consequences; how one election can turn the tide.
It seems so easy for America to make the right choice; to stop twisting into pretzels to justify voting for a man that has not and will not ever put something bigger than himself over his own ego. The global stakes cannot be higher and if America elects Trump, we simply cannot go any lower. Que lastima.
Gracias, Alex.
Thanks Sharon, there is not one person I know in Europe who understands why the choice between the two can be so complicated for Americans. And I know that many Americans don't understand it either. The prospect of him winning is frightening at so many levels, it will turn the world into a very dark chapter.
Only if he wins…..Hope prevails. 🕊️The AMOC issue is profound and deserves much more attention. So good to be back from my climate catastrophic retreat. I was always a believer but now I realize there is truly no safe place. It is very unsettling.
I remember them talking about the North Atlantic Current being crucial and the dangers of it changing in The Day After Tomorrow. It feels like if this scientific fact made it into a Hollywood movie in 2004, it was probably well-known at the time. My first thought was that there always seems to be something more important going on - which I then saw was a point you were making too. And in this case it's been decades. I realize that the North Atlantic Current is only a small part of the entire AMOC system, but even Hollywood knew!
I do worry about Norway and its - up to now - year-round ice-free coast. Can't wait to go back to Tromsø later this year. A place where people are aware of the fragility of our planet. The Arctic is one of the areas that are heavily affected. And the amount of ice that is lost in Greenland that you mentioned is just too great to imagine. And that's all fresh water dumped into the ocean. Yikes!
Thank you for raising awareness. I'm definitely going to read the next headline where AMOC is mentioned.
Thank you, Evelyne. That movie picked up a sliver of the AMOC story and ran away with it in a true Hollywood fantasy; a missed chance to educate the public. It's not worth watching unless you're a fan of the genre; it speeds up the overturning to an event that takes place in minutes. Since I have no recollection of how it ended I guess I must have switched timely to another channel.
I think it started out with actual facts, that's the part I remember most because I read up on it after. Then went into Hollywood fantasy. Happy ending of course - at least for some.
Thank you Alex for this point that puts the fundamental emergencies of our planet into perspective.
The occurrence of new and dangerous climatic phenomena - which you have explained very clearly - and the severe alert of experts should in principle raise the question of the timetables and content of the actions planned for the fight against climate change.
In particular, the ONU Charter established as constitutive principles of international security and sustainable development.
Her motto is "Peace, dignity, equality on a healthy planet"
The member nations have responsibilities in this regard, which they cannot permanently relegate to the background, according to their individual policy and priorities.
Let us hope, on the basis of these principles of action and responsibility,
that the urgent decision of priority, active and coordinated cooperation can quickly be imposed to win this race to maintain our « healthy" planet and the pursuit of its sustainable development🙏🌎
And the UN is doing such good work in this regard. I had hoped for the Nobel Peace prize for the (Secrtary General of the) UN.
Oh yes 👌, he surely deserves it, it’s true !
A. Guterres is a man of conviction, lucid, who knows how to « alert » States and put them in front of the terrible reality of the damage of climate change, he does not hesitate to designate the culprits, without demagogy.
I remember in June 2023, at the « Summit for a New Global and Financial Pact », held in Paris, he denounced during his speeches in the french medias :
« the « pitiful » response of the world to the climate emergency, which leads us to a « catastrophe » ».
The fight against climate change is surely become the fight of his life... and he works on it with energy and courage.
Thank you so much Alex!
I'd like to share this an Bluesky, you haven't posted it there jet. Will you?
Hi Susanne, feel free to do so. When I had finished this, it was late and I went to bed. I will post it on social media in a few hours. :-)
still waiting...
👍❤️
Done ✅😊
Oh I went to a concert and totally forgot. Sorry. Will do so in a few minutes!
The ice caps are melting - so sadly too late. Humans blew it and must now face the consequences.
But there is still the urgency to mitigate and adapt. A three degrees Celsius warmer world is far worse that a two degrees warmed world.
Thanks for bringing attention this!!
It is so hard to read this and the comments --today--after the election. But I'm glad I did.