Possible AMOC collapse should focus all our minds

April 28, 2026

This very fine article by David Spratt deserves widespread readership, not least by Richard Marles, Penny Wong and all those who have a hand in determining foreign policy. We need to replace “It’s the economy stupid” with “It’s the climate, stupid”. The latest report suggesting the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could collapse before 2100 should be the absolute focus. Iceland is rightly worried to be concerned. It will cease to be habitable. As George Monbiot writes in the Guardian this week: “…the net impact in northern Europe would be periods of extreme cold – including events in which temperatures in London fall to -19C, in Edinburgh to -30C and in Oslo to -48C.” The implications for food production are huge, and in turn, mass migration. It’s not just Europe, but monsoons will be affected, causing havoc to billions in Asia and Africa. And even without AMOC, we have the super El Nino to worry about that may start to have an impact in Australia as early as next month. It too will affect food production, along with higher diesel and fertiliser prices. Any energy policies that do not include a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels must be deemed immoral.