The concept of a tipping point is quite terrifying. Essentially what it proposes, as if humanity allow warming to a certain point there could then become a feedback loop, making us regaining control next to impossible.
For instance, in the Arctic currently the sea ice reflects a great deal all of the sun’s energy straight back into space. The concern is that as the sea is substantially darker than the ice, as our warming continues the ice cover the arctic seas will soak up more of the sun’s energy. This in turn will lead to more sea ice melting, and so it goes on.
Another arctic tipping point of concern is the vast quantities of methane that are trapped in the permafrost. At one time the Arctic was far warmer and therefore had a great deal of plant matter, much of this is lying under the permafrost. However without the permafrost layer all this methane will escape. Being a substantially more efficient warming gas than carbon dioxide this could have a dramatic impact on the world’s temperature-melting more permafrost and allowing even more methane into the atmosphere.
Both of these feedback loops could have terrifying results for the human race. You would think therefore that we would do something to stop it happening. Yet because of a significant vocal minority, that exists in almost all countries on earth we are not doing this. In the USA much of this climate doubters have found a home in the republican party. Unfortunately in the UK these people have found a home largely with the conservative party, and while they have made an effort to scrub this climate change denying side of their party it still pulls many of the strings. One such example was David Cameron’s attempt to rebrand the conservative party has been good for the planet- with it’s little tree icon-followed only a few years later with David Cameron notably saying I’ve had enough of this green “bleep”.
To make progress and avoid these horrific feedback loops, the world’s population must stop voting for short-term gain and elect political leaders who are actually going to try to leave a better world for our children than they found.
