[Intro]
Ticking time-bomb
Countdown
Better call your mom
Look around
[Verse 1]
Who knows
We stacked the dominoes
There goes
Discover… knocking over
[Bridge]
[Instrumental]
Cascading
Escalating
[Chorus]
Have we come to
(As in regain consciousness)
Or have we come to
(The end of the line)
Awareness
Of our place in time
[Verse 2]
We know
Knocking over the domino
There we go
Falling down in a row
[Bridge]
[Instrumental]
Cascading
Escalating
[Chorus]
Have we come to
(As in regain consciousness)
Or have we come to
(The end of the line)
Awareness
Of our place in time
[Bridge]
Ticking time-bomb
Countdown
Better call your mom
Look around
Cascading
Escalating
[Outro]
Have we come to…
Come to the end of the line
A SCIENCE NOTE
A September 2024 report published in the journal Science concluded that a 9-day seismic event in September 2023 was triggered by the collapse of a Greenland glacier and mountain, resulting in a 200-meter tsunami. The initial shockwaves traveled from the Arctic to Antarctica within an hour. Trapped in a fjord, the tsunami generated recurring 90-second seismic events as the wave repeatedly bounced between the fjord’s walls.
Tipped Tipping Points, Feedback Loops, and the Domino Effect
Tipping points are Critical Milestones that directly impact the rate of acceleration in climate change by multiplying the number and intensity of feedback loops. Identifying and understanding these tipping points is crucial for climate science and policymaking. Crossing multiple tipping points has led to the domino effect, resulting in a much more rapid and severe climate change than currently projected.
Push a glass toward the edge of a table and eventually it will fall off on its own. No matter how slowly or meticulously you push… no matter how you weight or fill the glass, it will reach a tipping point and fall off before being pushed completely off the table. No matter whether you believe the glass is half-empty or half-full, when the tipping point is reached it will plummet out-of-control to its end. This is science not fate, faith, nor belief. Human induced climate change has resulted in environmental tipping points being breached.
Tipping points, when crossed, trigger self-sustaining feedback loops that are no longer dependent on human activity. Similar to when a domino topples over hitting two more dominoes that in turn fall hitting more dominoes. Thus, the name The Domino Effect. It can also be visualized as The Snowball Effect. A tipping point is like a snowball rolling down a hill growing in mass and velocity (momentum). When a tipping point is crossed, it results in cumulative and reinforced global warming.
9 Climate Change Tipping Points Crossed
At least nine tipping points have been crossed. The first dominoes have fallen and will continue to knock down more tiles with each escalating step. The crossing of these nine climate tipping points represents a critical threshold in the Earth’s climate system, with potentially irreversible consequences for global ecosystems and human societies:
- Greenland Ice Sheet Collapse: The melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet has accelerated in recent years, leading to increased rates of ice loss and sea level rise. As glaciers retreat and ice shelves collapse, vast quantities of freshwater enter the ocean, disrupting marine ecosystems and contributing to global sea level rise.
- West Antarctic Ice Sheet Collapse: Similar to Greenland, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is experiencing rapid melting and destabilization. The collapse of this ice sheet has the potential to raise sea levels by several meters, inundating coastal areas and triggering widespread impacts on infrastructure, agriculture, and human populations.
- Labrador-Irminger Seas/SPG Convection Collapse: The collapse of convection in the Labrador-Irminger Seas, part of the North Atlantic Ocean, could disrupt the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This circulation pattern plays a crucial role in regulating global climate and ocean circulation, influencing weather patterns and heat distribution worldwide.
- East Antarctic Subglacial Basins Collapse: The East Antarctic Ice Sheet contains vast quantities of ice, much of which is grounded below sea level. The collapse of subglacial basins in East Antarctica could lead to rapid ice loss and contribute to sea level rise, with potentially far-reaching consequences for coastal regions and global climate stability.
- Arctic Winter Sea Ice Collapse: Arctic sea ice has been declining rapidly in extent and thickness due to rising temperatures. The loss of winter sea ice in the Arctic not only accelerates regional warming but also affects global weather patterns, ocean circulation, and biodiversity in the Arctic ecosystem.
- East Antarctic Ice Sheet Collapse: While traditionally considered more stable than its western counterpart, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is also vulnerable to collapse under continued warming. The disintegration of ice shelves and glaciers in East Antarctica could significantly contribute to sea level rise and alter ocean circulation patterns.
- Amazon Rainforest Dieback: Deforestation, drought, and climate change threaten the resilience of the Amazon Rainforest, the world’s largest tropical rainforest. The dieback of the Amazon could result in decreased rainfall, increased carbon emissions, and loss of biodiversity, impacting regional and global climate systems.
- Boreal Permafrost Collapse: Permafrost in the northern regions of the globe contains vast stores of carbon in the form of frozen organic matter. As permafrost thaws due to rising temperatures, it releases greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, further exacerbating climate change and creating a feedback loop of increased warming.
- Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Collapse: The collapse of the AMOC, driven by changes in ocean temperature and salinity, could have profound consequences for global climate stability. Disruption of this circulation pattern could lead to abrupt shifts in weather patterns, including changes in temperature, precipitation, and ocean currents, with far-reaching impacts on ecosystems and human societies.