Yeah, that's the 'positive feedback loop' where warming causes faster warming, leading to tipping points in the climate system. A stable climate is all about energy equilibrium between the Sun (heat source), the land, ocean, atmosphere, and space (heat sink).
The most critical tipping point is the loss of the Arctic sea ice cover, which will cause an albedo flip. Right now, white sea ice reflects 90% of incoming solar insolation back into space. After the first summertime 'blue ocean' event in the Arctic, that energy balance is flipped as 90% of the sun's incoming energy will be absorbed by the dark ocean water.
Almost nobody outside of climate science circles is aware that Arctic sea ice largely floats on top of a relatively shallow layer (~150m) of colder, fresher seawater. The deeper layers come from the Atlantic and they are much saltier (which is why they sink) but also much warmer (like +4C).
The first Arctic hurricane that mixes up this surface lens of fresh water with the warmer, saltier deep layer will prevent the surface from refreezing. This nearly happened during the Summer of 2012. There's enough heat at depth (~2000m layer) to last through about 4 Arctic winters without refreezing if the fresh water lens goes (read about vertical overturning currents and heat transfer in seawater).
SURPRISE!
I you not,
this is why I am a TSLA investor. I own no other equities, nor do I plan to diversify. Acheiving meaningful ACTION on human causes of climate change is the reason I choose to post here now, instead of at Neven's Arctic Sea Ice blog and forum (where I have 10 years of comment history).
This is
VERY REAL. The Arctic albedo flip is a one-way tipping point for the climate, and even going to net
NEGATIVE CO2 emissions will not flip it back once Winter sea ice goes.
We are mostly oblivious to the very real threat faced by civilization; the disruption of the
equable climate with which we have prospered over the past 10 thousand years. Once the Wintertime Arctic sea ice cover goes, it's not coming back during this millenium, and the climate (especially in N. Europe) will be forever altered.
We are rolling the dice with the worl'd dumbest experiment by delaying the switch to renewable energy, all for the (short-term) financial benefit of some fossil fools.
Sad. Mad. Time for change. It's unstoppable now, but can not come soon enough. We must work to
ACCELERATE that inevitable change, both to prevent and to minimize future damage caused by our past use of fossil fuels. That's why I support Elon and the Mission:
"Tesla's mission is to accelerate the world's transition to sustainable energy."
Word.
