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The UK’s climate is facing an uncertain future after fresh research revealed the full destructive impact of greenhouse gases has been shielded by rising sea levels.
Scientists at Bangor University have discovered the ocean waters have absorbed half of all man’s CO2 emissions but claim nature’s effective filtering system could soon stop working.
In the report, researchers warn the UK should be prepared to “feel the full climatic brunt” despite carbon-reducing measures and legislation to slash the nation’s output of greenhouse gases.
They found the 130m rise in sea levels since the last ice age has prevented the UK from suffering the full impact of man-made global warming as more harmful greenhouse gases have been absorbed by the oceans.
Currently only about half of man-made CO2 emissions stay in the atmosphere. The remaining 50 per cent is absorbed by the sea and land-based systems such as forests.
However, according to the study, the oceans could soon stop acting as a gas sponge, doubling the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and forcing an urgent recalculation of current climate change theories and predictions.
Researchers believe the UK could be hit hard by more extreme weather conditions with colder winters and scorching summers, torrential rainstorms and further flooding.
According to Dr Tom Rippeth, senior lecturer at Bangor Universitys School of Ocean Sciences, it is crucial to understanding the natural processes controlling the absorption of CO2 to better understand and predict future climate change.
He said that looking at past climates helps us understand more about how our climate works
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