Thought this article fit well behind the 6 AM article. These are broad shifts that are occuring in the surface movements of our plants. Our surface is a living one. These moving waters and winds directly impact humanity. The big thing to consider – our broad human society with its highly developed global markets and intercontinental trade depends on relative consistency. Sun rising and setting won’t charge – but whether crops are available will affect railroads built, and factories invested in and boat contracted. Without predictability human investment slows. Human productivity drops. Complexity begins to grow. This could help us, move us forward by kicking us in the ass – or it could kill a lot of us.

SOURCEThe recent weakening we have found was likely driven by warming in the north Atlantic and the addition of freshwater from increased rainfall and melting ice. University of Potsdam in Germany found that the currents  had reduced in strength by around 15% since 1950, pointing to the role of human-made greenhouse gas emissions as the primary cause. Our techniques point to a weakening of the AMOC since about 1850, again by about 15% to 20%. Importantly, the modern weakening is very different to anything seen over the last 1,600 years, pointing to a combination of natural and human drivers.

Sign up for a weekly digest of solar industry news, delivered to your inbox every Tuesday.