Quote:
Originally Posted by Ganoderma
hmm i see. so its the warm water currents that are stopping the ice caps from spreading towards the equator? seems to make sense.
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Well, there are not the sole reason the globe isn't covered with ice. They are a contributing factor.
Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the climate is extremely complicated. There is almost nothing (actually, probably nothing) regarding the climate that is simply affected only by one other thing.
This is why I get frustrated with people saying that man's CO2 is the complete cause of global warming.
I also get frustrated at those that point at the poor mistaken people that think the above and say 'see GW can't exist because those people are wrong'.
In many parts of nature there seem to be tipping points. Ecological systems can 'bend' quite a bit. But if pushed too far they break. Similar to a tree in the wind, it will bend but if the wind becomes too great it will suddenly snap or get uprooted.
The atlantic current has already been measured at only 80% strength, so it is weakening now. We may not see any adverse effects until it gets cut off entirely, or we may see some affects at 75%. More study is needed.
