The dangers of thermohaline circulation change for European coasts include the possibility of a rapid shut- down of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (after: Parry et al., 2007), potentially causing:• Reductions in run-off and water availability in southern Europe;• Major increase in snowmelt flooding in Western Europe;• Increased sea-level rise on Western European and Mediterranean coasts;• Reductions in crop production with consequent impacts on food prices;• Changes in temperature affecting ecosystems in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, e.g. affecting biodiversity, forest products and food production;• Disruption to winter travel opportunities and increased icing of northern ports and seas;• Changes in regional patterns of cold and heat-related deaths and ill health;• Movement of populations to southern Europe and a shift in the centre of economic gravity;• Requirement to refurbish infrastructure towards Scandinavian standards.
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