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Not a lot of planning going on

It's a strange day, news-wise.

However, there are the usual doom and gloom stories which predict a dire future for the planet and mankind so let's take a look at a few of those and examine how much of this is media-hype and how much is reality.

First, the imminent collapse of the Gulf Stream.

OMG, Europe is going to freeze!

For information on this story I've chosen not to use the mainstream (tabloid) media but instead, a *slightly* more objective source.

I say "slightly" because the Science Daily website is more of a clearing house for press releases on science topics. There's no guarantee that what's published here is any more reliable than what you'll read in the Daily Mail but at least it doesn't have a team of new interns trying to turn it into the stuff of nightmares.

The story on Science Daily tells us that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is reaching a "tipping point" and we run the risk of major changes to key ocean currents such as the Gulf Stream. If these currents stop, change direction or (worst case) reverse flow, major climate changes will ensue.

Apparently levels of flow in the AMOC are presently at their weakest in over 1,000 years and that's worrying climate scientists.

There is belief that these changes are being driven by the effects of climate change themselves although there is also acknowledgement that the experts are a bit light on data here... not having any long-term measurements on which to base predictions or theories.

Bottom line however, is that if the currents are affected in any significant ways, Europe could see a rather cold period ahead.

To show how daft the tabloid media is, I saw the Daily Mail publish a piece last week (can't be bothered finding a link) in which they suggested that the Maunder Minimum (mini-ice-age) of a few hundred years ago was down to a change in the AMOC. As far as I'm aware there is no other evidence to support this assertion and the Maunder Minimum was pretty much entirely caused by a change in the sun's output.

Another *very* interesting story out today (and this time it *is* the Daily Mail) suggests that the UK is about to find itself woefully short of electricity, just as the growth in EVs kicks in.

Apparently a good percentage of the UK's nuclear power stations are due to be decomissioned during the next decade and the construction of their replacements is already significantly behind schedule and over-budget. This could lead to a huge energy crisis if the announced plans to ban the sale of petrol-powered vehicles from 2030 onwards remains in effect.

A little research from potentially more reliable sources suggest that indeed, the UK power grid is already under huge strain so things do not look good for the future.

New Zealand should be watching, learning and acting pre-emptively to avoid similar issues here.

With climate change already significantly affecting our rain patterns and producing extended drought conditions that might affect our hydro schemes, we really do not have a lot of time to get our act together and create energy security for the future.

It seems that our power companies are more interested in chasing short-term profit and gouging customers than they are in planning and preparing for a future that will make far greater demands on the infrastructure we presently have. As I've said countless times before, the shift to EVs will be *much* faster than most have anticipated and if we are not ready for it then we'll be caught with our trousers down and a real risk of a massive electricity shortage.

Ah well, that's it for today... I hope you have brighter news in your day.

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