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I often see people talk about potential positive feedback loops involved in climate change, but rarely are potential damping mechanisms mentioned. So let's talk

I often see people talk about potential positive feedback loops involved in climate change, but rarely are potential damping mechanisms mentioned. So let's talk about them. I'll share one. Methane consuming bacteria discovered under the West Antarctic ice shelf: https://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=242668 https://nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=242668 "The scientists say that if their analysis is correct, it could mean that a large reservoir of methane thought to lie under the vast West Antarctic Ice Sheet -- which encompasses 25.4 million cubic kilometers (6.1 million cubic miles) of ice -- is less likely to be released into the atmosphere."

pwarner 9y ago
Looks like this fern fixed it last time? So no worries then. Might take a while... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event
- meri_dian 9y ago
  Not that there are no worries, but the worst case scenarios being put forward are almost certainly not accurate. In fact it has been acknowledged that the worst case models submitted to the Paris Climate Accord talks were misleading in their assumptions.
  - mistermann 9y ago
    Anyone have a citation or rebuttal for this?
    - meri_dian 9y ago
      Here is some support, I've been trying to find the original article I read but it was based upon this research team's findings: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/17/climate-scientists-say-they-may-be-able-to-rule-out-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-the-best-ones/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/20... Apparently the worst case scenarios mentioned here were used as a focus during the Paris accords.
    - bigbugbag 9y ago
      yup. There was one published study that basically says that if they are right which is not proven then the worst case scenario is slightly less probable. But Paris Climate Accord are now dated, 2017 report from IPCC says the 2°C objective has already failed and we're heading for a 3 to 5°C average global temperature increase whatever we do by the end of the century, such a global average increase translate into a 6 to 10°C average continental temperature increase. With a 6 to 10°C temperature increase no known agriculture is possible.
- ImaCake 9y ago
  Reading about the interglacials makes me worry about what happens when the interglacial ends and we lose half of our farmland.
  - ghthor 9y ago
    Lots of suffering and death. Unless we act using our ability to make predictions about the future. Act now, speak out, reach for common ground with critics, avoid spending to much energy on trolls and lost causes.
mempko 9y ago
Another dampening mechanism. It turns out burning all that fossel fuel dims the sky. So while we made it hotter , we also have been cooling. Which means when we get off fossil fuels, the earth will warm faster and all that built up CO2 will reach it's full warming potential.
- lazyjones 9y ago
  > It turns out burning all that fossel fuel dims the sky Depends on how we burn it. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling We no longer produce sufficient SO2 due to clean coal plants and cars, so we have a problem.

pwarner 9y ago

Looks like this fern fixed it last time? So no worries then. Might take a while... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azolla_event

meri_dian 9y ago
Not that there are no worries, but the worst case scenarios being put forward are almost certainly not accurate. In fact it has been acknowledged that the worst case models submitted to the Paris Climate Accord talks were misleading in their assumptions.
- mistermann 9y ago
  Anyone have a citation or rebuttal for this?
  - meri_dian 9y ago
    Here is some support, I've been trying to find the original article I read but it was based upon this research team's findings: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/01/17/climate-scientists-say-they-may-be-able-to-rule-out-the-worst-case-scenarios-and-the-best-ones/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/20... Apparently the worst case scenarios mentioned here were used as a focus during the Paris accords.
  - bigbugbag 9y ago
    yup. There was one published study that basically says that if they are right which is not proven then the worst case scenario is slightly less probable. But Paris Climate Accord are now dated, 2017 report from IPCC says the 2°C objective has already failed and we're heading for a 3 to 5°C average global temperature increase whatever we do by the end of the century, such a global average increase translate into a 6 to 10°C average continental temperature increase. With a 6 to 10°C temperature increase no known agriculture is possible.
ImaCake 9y ago
Reading about the interglacials makes me worry about what happens when the interglacial ends and we lose half of our farmland.
- ghthor 9y ago
  Lots of suffering and death. Unless we act using our ability to make predictions about the future. Act now, speak out, reach for common ground with critics, avoid spending to much energy on trolls and lost causes.

mempko 9y ago

Another dampening mechanism. It turns out burning all that fossel fuel dims the sky. So while we made it hotter , we also have been cooling. Which means when we get off fossil fuels, the earth will warm faster and all that built up CO2 will reach it's full warming potential.

lazyjones 9y ago
> It turns out burning all that fossel fuel dims the sky Depends on how we burn it. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_cooling We no longer produce sufficient SO2 due to clean coal plants and cars, so we have a problem.