What would happen if climate change just stopped?
This is a great question – which has several parts to it. If we stop putting large amounts of greenhouse gasses that cause climate change (like carbon dioxide and methane) into the atmosphere, it would still take several decades for warming to slow down and stop. This is because the high levels of these gases already in the atmosphere will take a long time to breakdown (in the case of methane) or be absorbed into the ocean and forests (in the case of carbon dioxide). Sea level will also continue to rise for many decades, even if we stop emitting these gases today. Stopping carbon dioxide emissions would help slow down ocean acidification, benefiting marine life and fisheries.
If climate change itself were to suddenly stop – which would be great if you had a magic wand – there are some positive things that would happen. The Earth would stop warming, and we would no longer experience the increasing temperatures and heatwaves associated with climate change. The rate of sea-level rise would also slow down. Melting glaciers and ice sheets, which are major contributors to sea-level rise, would decrease their rate of melting. The Arctic region, which has experienced significant ice loss, would start to recover. Sea ice would become more stable, which is important for the functioning of polar ecosystems. If climate change stopped completely tomorrow, many ecosystems that have been disrupted by climate change, such as coral reefs, forests, and polar environments, would have a better chance of recovering.
There would be good things that are very important to humans. Stopping climate change could improve food security by reducing crop failures and the negative impacts on agriculture caused by intense floods and droughts. Human health risks would also be reduced, as there would be less exposure to extreme heat – and many people can die during intense heatwaves.
It's important to note that while these are positive outcomes, stopping climate change would not necessarily reverse the effects that have already occurred. Many changes to ecosystems and landscapes are irreversible, and some consequences, such as the loss of certain species, may be permanent. Furthermore, global climate change is a complex process, and a sudden stop could also have unintended consequences. I hope you can think of some of these unintended consequences!
