THIS country has declared an 'existential threat' as another Ice Age looms

Climate change and global warming have led Iceland to declare an existential threat as the country starts preparing for the worst-case scenario. This is because of the potential collapse of a major Atlantic Ocean current system. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation carries warm water from the tropics to the northern Atlantic. It is responsible for maintaining a moderate climate in northwestern Europe and the northeastern US in winter, and also influences other weather patterns. But scientists say this current flow is at risk of damage from the thawing Arctic ice and meltwater from Greenland's ice sheet. If the AMOC collapses, an ice age could begin. Several regions in Northern Europe could shiver in extreme low temperatures, with more snow and ice marring the areas.

"(This) is the first time a specific climate-related phenomenon has been formally brought before the National Security Council as a potential existential threat," Iceland Climate Minister Johann Pall Johannsson said. Notably, this would not be the first time that AMOC would collapse. It also happened before the last Ice Age, which ended about 12,000 years ago. The government has jumped into action, taking note of which policies and actions can save the day. Issues such as energy, food security, infrastructure and international transportation are being assessed to understand how this scenario can affect these areas.

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A new ice age?

In October, the Nordic Council of Ministers funded a "Nordic Tipping Week" workshop where 60 experts analysed how this change in current will affect society. Norway's environment ministry said it was trying to understand whether AMOC would pose a security risk. "There is tons of research on the likelihood of when exactly things are going to happen," said Aleksi Nummelin, a physical oceanographer at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

While Iceland has taken note of the problem on the highest level, the current collapse would also be bad news for other countries, such as Africa, India and South America, according to scientists. This will trigger a change in long-term rainfall patterns, which farmers in these countries depend on. Antarctica would also start heating up faster, where the effects of climate change are already showing.