Instead, and depending on how much more carbon dioxide we emit, the research says, the planet may not see large ice sheets build for 100,000 years. (It takes a very long time for atmospheric carbon dioxide to be naturally removed again from the atmosphere.)
Indeed, with all the atmospheric CO2, we’re currently headed in the opposite direction: We’re now seeing major changes in Greenland and Antarctica, though it’s not clear yet just how much of these remaining ice sheets we could lose.
“The next two glacial inceptions will be suppressed by the current cumulative emissions, plus the emissions we will unavoidably have over the next 40 to 50 years, even if we keep global warming below 1.5 to 2 degrees,” Schellnhuber* said.
“The ice ages are called off, if you like, by human interference,” he said.
*Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Scientists say human greenhouse gas emissions have canceled the next ice age by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment. Washington Post, Jan 13, 2016
Read original article at 2016 SkS Weekly Digest #3
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