The effects of climate change will be largely positive for Iceland, according to a new report from the country’s environment ministry, quoted on Morgunbladid Online.
The report states that increasing global temperatures are likely to have a largely positive effect on the quantity and variety of plant life farmers will be able to cultivate.
Changes in snow patterns and sea levels will likely pose challenges to the country, however.
The report states that the country may have to change its entire farming practices to adapt to changes in climate; including new plant diseases and changes in winter weather.
Some other scientists predict, however, that if the warming Gulf Stream stops in the future, Iceland and Northern Europe could in fact become much colder than they presently are.
The Gulf Stream could theoretically stop, as it relies on delicate salt balances in the seawater which can be disturbed by large amounts of fresh water entering from melting ice.
This is a very interesting article on Iceland – it typifies the way greenhouse science can seem contradictory to the public. On the one hand Iceland is warming at the moment changing the kind of plants used in agriculture. On the other hand if enough ice melts changing the salt balance in the water the gulf stream may well stop and the short period of warming can be followed by colder temperatures than now. This is a very difficult concept to get across to the general public that the weather patterns seem to be able to vary widely from one extreme and back again.
Thanks fo linking these two issues int he one articles.