The Gulf Stream is a small part of a large, global-scale ocean \u2018conveyor belt\u2019 of circulation, driven by winds and by differences in temperature and salinity, known as the \u2018Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation\u2019 (AMOC). The AMOC has been measured since 2004 by an international observation system called RAPID, in which the UK plays a leading role. These measurements have shown a slowing over the last decade, however much of this may be from natural variability.<\/p>
<\/p>
A recent assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), published in the Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate, found some evidence to indicate the AMOC has already weakened relative to the pre-industrial period (1850 \u2013 1900), and finds it very likely that the AMOC will continue weakening over the rest of the 21st<\/sup> Century.<\/p> <\/p> A large slowing of the AMOC would be expected to cause more winter storms over northern Europe, a decrease in marine biological productivity in the North Atlantic and changes in sea level. These effects would be superimposed on the effects of climate warming due to greenhouse gases, and they are included in the climate model projections used by the IPCC. At this stage we do not have evidence that the observed weakening of the AMOC has had a detectable impact on the UK climate.<\/p> <\/p> The second Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) published in 2017 identifies risks to flooding and coastal change as one of the UK\u2019s top six risks from climate change. The second National Adaptation Programme (NAP) published in 2018, sets out a plan of actions across Government to address these risks (amongst others identified in the CCRA) over the following 5 years. In addition, updated UK Climate Projections (UKCP18) are a key tool to help the Government, businesses and the public understand the future climate and enable them to make climate-resilient decisions.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4062", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-03-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-03-17T17:55:06.88Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "13"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Environment, Food and Rural Affairs"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Climate Change"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the Gulf Stream is slowing; and whether any such slowing is having an effect on (1) the UK's climate, and (2) any increase in extreme weather events, including flooding.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3682", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Truscott"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Truscott"}
], "uin" : "HL2247"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1181816", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1181816/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " We are not aware of any peer-reviewed scientific studies that predict the end of the human race in the next century as a result of climate change. The scientific consensus, as represented by the assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, projects that climate change over this century and beyond will have increasingly negative impacts on human and natural systems, with the potential for impacts that are severe and, in some cases, irreversible. The evidence does not point to humanity going extinct because of climate change.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4336", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Callanan"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Callanan"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-03-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-03-09T17:09:28.417Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Climate Change"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any peer-reviewed scientific studies or reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predict the extermination of the human race in the next century as a result of climate change.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/68", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Lilley"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Lilley"}
], "uin" : "HL2078"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1179309", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1179309/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The UK\u2019s NDC will be based on robust analysis undertaken for domestic climate change mitigation policy which, in line with the requirements of the Climate Change Act, is informed by advice from the independent Committee on Climate Change.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4134", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Spelthorne"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kwasi Kwarteng"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-03-02", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-03-02T14:29:48.457Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-02-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Climate Change"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to consult the Committee on Climate Change on the UK's Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement 2015.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/62", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Southampton, Test"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Alan Whitehead"}
], "uin" : "18431"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1176339", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1176339/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Following our departure from the EU, the UK will be bringing forward its own, increased NDC well ahead of COP26. The UK NDC will be built on the foundations of well-established UK analysis and policy development for domestic climate change mitigation, used to set the UK\u2019s fifth carbon budget (2028-32) under the Climate Change Act.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4134", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Spelthorne"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kwasi Kwarteng"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-02-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-02-14T11:42:34.98Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "201"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-02-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Climate Change"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the process is for the UK establishing its intended nationally determined contributions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/62", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dr Alan Whitehead"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Southampton, Test"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dr Alan Whitehead"}
], "uin" : "12811"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1176344", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Prime Minister"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1176344/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member the Member for Oxford East on 7 January 2020, UIN 224.<\/p> <\/p>