Uploaded June 2010 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In 2005 the media told us we were on the brink of another ice age. What happened?
SOURCES:
(in chronological order)
Movie clip at the beginning from "The Day After Tomorrow"
Broeker's hypothesis that melting ice will interrupt thermohaline circulation:
"Thermohaline Circulation, the Achilles Heel of Our Climate System; Will Man-Made CO2 Upset the Current Balance?" -- Wallace S. Broeker, Science (Nov 28 1997)
Linkage of glaciation to shut down of AMOC:
"A model for Northern Hemisphere continental ice sheet variation"
-- R. G. Johnson and B. T. McClure, Quaternary Research (Sep 1976)
See also "Was the Younger Dryas Triggered by a Flood?"
Wallace S. Broecker, Science (May 26, 2006)
"Slowing of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 25° N"
-- Harry L. Bryden et al, Nature (Dec 1, 2005)
NEWSPAPER HEADLINES SHOWN:
"Britain faces Big Freeze as Gulf Stream Loses Strength"
-- The Times (Dec 1, 2005)
"New Gulf Stream fears bring UK Ice Age warning"
-- The Evening Standard (Sep 6, 2001)
"Scientists probing a dying current bring worst climate fears to the surface."
-- The Australian, (Dec 5, 2005)
"Fears of Big Freeze as Scientists Detect Slower Gulf Stream"
-- The Independent (Dec 1, 2005)
RealClimate quote "while continued monitoring of this key climatic area is clearly warranted, the imminent chilling of the (sic) Europe is a ways off yet" at
realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/05/gulf-stream-slowdown
Richard Wood saying Britain and Scandinavia should cool if Gulf Stream slowdown was real:
"Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age"
-- New Scientist, (Nov 30, 2005)
newscientist.com/article/dn8398-failing-ocean-current-raises-fears-of-mini-ice-age.html
Gavin Schmidt saying surface temps should have dipped:
"Scientists Say Slower Atlantic Currents Could Mean a Colder Europe"
-- New York Times (Dec 1, 2005)
Robert Dickson saying much more data was needed to determine whether a slowdown was underway:
Ibid.
Harry Bryden saying not sure if change was temporary or signals a long-term trend:
"Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age"
-- New Scientist, (Nov 30, 2005)
newscientist.com/article/dn8398-failing-ocean-current-raises-fears-of-mini-ice-age.html
Bryden says a variable signal, but too early to detect any trends:
"No new ice age for western Europe."
-- New Scientist, (Nov 7, 2006)
newscientist.com/article/mg19225763.900-no-new-ice-age-for-western-europe.html
Wunch saying it's a complicated story reduced to a fairytale:
Ibid.
"Sea change: why global warming could leave Britain feeling the cold"
-- The Guardian (Oct 27, 2006)
guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/oct/27/science.climatechange
"Can in situ floats and satellite altimeters detect long-term changes in Atlantic Ocean overturning?"
-- Josh K. Willis, GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS (Mar 25, 2010)
"New climate change myth: Gulf Stream is NOT slowing down"
-- Daily Mail (Mar 30, 2010)
dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1262096/Global-warming-slowing-Gulf-Stream.html
"IS BRITAIN ON THE BRINK OF A NEW ICE AGE?"
-- Daily Mail (Dec 2, 2005)
thefreelibrary.com/IS+BRITAIN+ON+THE+BRINK+OF+A+NEW+ICE+AGE%3f-a0139358882
"Global warming 'will bring cooler climate for UK'"
-- Daily Telegraph (Dec 1, 2005)
telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4198339/Global-warming-will-bring-cooler-climate-for-UK.html
"Gulf Stream is not slowing down, scientists claim."
-- Daily Telegraph (Mar 30, 2010)
telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7536760/Gulf-Stream-is-not-slowing-down-scientists-claim.html
1970s ice age myth busted at "Climate Change -- Anatomy of a Myth" on Potholer54 YouTube channel
In 2005 the media told us we were on the brink of another ice age. What happened?
SOURCES:
(in chronological order)
Movie clip at the beginning from "The Day After Tomorrow"
Broeker's hypothesis that melting ice will interrupt thermohaline circulation:
"Thermohaline Circulation, the Achilles Heel of Our Climate System; Will Man-Made CO2 Upset the Current Balance?" -- Wallace S. Broeker, Science (Nov 28 1997)
Linkage of glaciation to shut down of AMOC:
"A model for Northern Hemisphere continental ice sheet variation"
-- R. G. Johnson and B. T. McClure, Quaternary Research (Sep 1976)
See also "Was the Younger Dryas Triggered by a Flood?"
Wallace S. Broecker, Science (May 26, 2006)
"Slowing of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 25° N"
-- Harry L. Bryden et al, Nature (Dec 1, 2005)
NEWSPAPER HEADLINES SHOWN:
"Britain faces Big Freeze as Gulf Stream Loses Strength"
-- The Times (Dec 1, 2005)
"New Gulf Stream fears bring UK Ice Age warning"
-- The Evening Standard (Sep 6, 2001)
"Scientists probing a dying current bring worst climate fears to the surface."
-- The Australian, (Dec 5, 2005)
"Fears of Big Freeze as Scientists Detect Slower Gulf Stream"
-- The Independent (Dec 1, 2005)
RealClimate quote "while continued monitoring of this key climatic area is clearly warranted, the imminent chilling of the (sic) Europe is a ways off yet" at
realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/05/gulf-stream-slowdown
Richard Wood saying Britain and Scandinavia should cool if Gulf Stream slowdown was real:
"Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age"
-- New Scientist, (Nov 30, 2005)
newscientist.com/article/dn8398-failing-ocean-current-raises-fears-of-mini-ice-age.html
Gavin Schmidt saying surface temps should have dipped:
"Scientists Say Slower Atlantic Currents Could Mean a Colder Europe"
-- New York Times (Dec 1, 2005)
Robert Dickson saying much more data was needed to determine whether a slowdown was underway:
Ibid.
Harry Bryden saying not sure if change was temporary or signals a long-term trend:
"Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age"
-- New Scientist, (Nov 30, 2005)
newscientist.com/article/dn8398-failing-ocean-current-raises-fears-of-mini-ice-age.html
Bryden says a variable signal, but too early to detect any trends:
"No new ice age for western Europe."
-- New Scientist, (Nov 7, 2006)
newscientist.com/article/mg19225763.900-no-new-ice-age-for-western-europe.html
Wunch saying it's a complicated story reduced to a fairytale:
Ibid.
"Sea change: why global warming could leave Britain feeling the cold"
-- The Guardian (Oct 27, 2006)
guardian.co.uk/environment/2006/oct/27/science.climatechange
"Can in situ floats and satellite altimeters detect long-term changes in Atlantic Ocean overturning?"
-- Josh K. Willis, GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS (Mar 25, 2010)
"New climate change myth: Gulf Stream is NOT slowing down"
-- Daily Mail (Mar 30, 2010)
dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1262096/Global-warming-slowing-Gulf-Stream.html
"IS BRITAIN ON THE BRINK OF A NEW ICE AGE?"
-- Daily Mail (Dec 2, 2005)
thefreelibrary.com/IS+BRITAIN+ON+THE+BRINK+OF+A+NEW+ICE+AGE%3f-a0139358882
"Global warming 'will bring cooler climate for UK'"
-- Daily Telegraph (Dec 1, 2005)
telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4198339/Global-warming-will-bring-cooler-climate-for-UK.html
"Gulf Stream is not slowing down, scientists claim."
-- Daily Telegraph (Mar 30, 2010)
telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/7536760/Gulf-Stream-is-not-slowing-down-scientists-claim.html
1970s ice age myth busted at "Climate Change -- Anatomy of a Myth" on Potholer54 YouTube channel
