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Coral reef collapse is a positive feedback for global warming. Coral reefs take in carbon dioxide and are a support for oceanic biodiversity. When coral reefs bleach and die as a response to increased temperatures and ocean acidification, carbon sinks are eliminated and CO₂ accumulates in the atmosphere, and global warming is further enhanced.

Real life example: Over 50% of shallow water corals have died since 2016 due to repeated marine heatwaves and bleaching events.

If coral reefs collapse at the current rate, the implications of this for coastal communities and marine food webs are far-reaching.

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Boreal forest is a positive feedback loop in global warming. Boreal forests contain enormous stores of carbon in forests and in the permafrost. When global temperatures rise, more forest fires and melting of the permafrost liberate CO₂ and methane into the atmosphere. It speeds global warming, which leads to additional forest fires and further melting of the permafrost.

Real life example: Widespread fires in Siberia and Northern Canada and thawing permafrost in those areas are releasing enormous quantities of carbon, liable to create a long-term change in the forest ecosystem.

What might happen if the boreal forest switches from a carbon sink to a carbon source permanently?

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Carbon sequestration techniques can break positive global warming feedback loops. Natural environments such as rewilded forests and peatlands contain a great deal of carbon. When they are re-established, they take up more CO₂, and warming is reduced, minimizing risks of additional habitat destruction. But when degraded or parched, they emit sequestered CO₂ and become sources, not a sink—a potential positive feedback loop.

Healthy peatland/forest → CO₂ absorbed → Climate cooling Compared to Drained/damaged → CO₂ released → Warming → Increased drying

UK and Indonesia peatlands: Rewetting peatlands through projects proves that we can prevent enormous carbon emissions and restore previous harm.

Yes, restoring natural ecosystems such as peatlands and forests could actually prevent the climate from tipping into runaway warming.

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Both sea ice and landfast ice reflect the sun's light by having a high albedo. When temperatures rise, the ice melts, exposing darker surfaces such as ocean or rock, which absorb more heat. More heat is produced, and more ice melts, further warming and increasing sea levels—a self-sustaining and destructive loop.

Ice cover decreases → Surface albedo decreases → Heat is absorbed more → Temperature increases → More melting of ice.

Greenland and the Arctic Ocean: Sea ice extent has plummeted since the late 20th century. Arctic sea ice in 2020 reached the second-lowest level in recorded history, supporting amplified warming.

What are the long-term global implications if this feedback loop is allowed to proceed unabated—particularly for coastal dwellers?

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As temperatures globally are increasing, species are migrating upwards or northwards in an endeavor to survive. They invade and disrupt pre-existing ecosystems, and ecosystem functions are compromised. For instance, the dwindling of crucial species like Arctic moss or forest fauna in the boreal regions lowers the capacity of the system to sequester CO₂—resulting in increased levels of greenhouses and more warming.

Mountain pine beetle in North America: With warmer winters, the insect moved north into new territory, decimating pine forests that typically sequester a lot of carbon. Dead trees get drier and become fuel for wildfires, releasing enormous amounts of CO₂.

What occurs when species outstrip their capacity for adaptation—or the ecological systems they rely on disintegrate?

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Solar Activity & Global Warming

Consider whether global climate change is caused by alterations in solar radiation, including sunspots and irradiance.

Correlation: Greater solar activity in the past has correlated with short-term warming of Earth.

But in more recent decades, the causality is not as strong. Solar activity since the 1970s has plateaued, whereas temperatures have risen steeply. That disrupts the trend and indicates that solar variation alone cannot be responsible for global warming in the modern period.

Rather, evidence indicates human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases (particularly CO₂) are the dominant causal agent.

Differentiating between correlation and causality enables scientists to focus on what is truly initiating climate change, rather than what appears to be related.
If we incorrectly blame solar cycles, we might overlook the true threat posed by human-produced rising greenhouse gases.
Knowing about causation allows us to build evidence-based solutions, inform international policy, and safeguard the future.

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Explain: It leads to the thawing of frozen soil, or permafrost, when the Earth becomes warmer. It releases trapped methane gas into the air. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that traps heat, leading to warming. Warming increases, melting more and more permafrost, which further enhances the process.

Real Example: Methane emissions from the permafrost in Siberia has occurred.

Scientists found enormous craters in the Russian Arctic in 2020, which were formed by explosions of methane from melting soil.

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