A crucial system of ocean currents may be on course to collapse. This country just declared it a national security threat

⭐ Enjoy illuminem? Join our Community, with the best of what we offer!
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on CNN or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Iceland has officially declared the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) — the vast ocean system that regulates temperatures across the Atlantic — as a national security threat
• The decision follows mounting scientific evidence that the AMOC may be moving toward a destabilizing slowdown, with possible collapse within this century

🔭 The context: The AMOC acts like a giant heat conveyor belt, carrying warm tropical water northward and returning cold water south
• Its weakening is driven by warming oceans and freshwater influx that disrupts salinity and heat balance
• For Iceland — whose relatively mild climate depends on this circulation — a collapse could bring extreme cooling and increased storms, sea ice pushing as far south as the island’s coastline, disrupted transport, infrastructure, fisheries, and energy systems, and severe economic and societal instability
• Aided by new research raising “grave concerns,” Iceland’s National Security Council has now designated AMOC instability as an existential risk, requiring whole-of-government planning

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: An AMOC collapse would have global, not regional, consequences:

• Rapid sea-level rise along the U.S. East Coast and parts of Europe
• Major monsoon disruptions across Asia and Africa
• Global food system shocks from crop failures
• Intensified flooding, storms, and extreme winters across Europe
• Cascading system impacts lasting for centuries

• Climate scientists say AMOC collapse can no longer be considered “low likelihood,” placing it among the most dangerous tipping points facing humanity

⏭️ What’s next: Iceland is launching a coordinated national strategy to assess impacts, strengthen resilience, and prepare emergency plans
• Scientists urge other nations — especially in Europe and North America — to adopt similar national risk assessments
• Further research into early-warning indicators will determine whether the AMOC is approaching a point of no return

Explore carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies on Data Hub™ — the first platform designed to help sustainability providers generate sales leads!

Click for more news covering the latest on climate change