The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is an ocean current system that helps distribute heat and regulate weather around the world. Unfortunately, with global warming driving higher air temperatures in the Arctic, scientists have observed a slowing of this vital current system —and without bold action, it could collapse, resulting in greater weather extremes, the shifting of the tropical rain belt, and other severe impacts.

Recent reporting has highlighted potential solutions, like the scientific study that explored building a dam across the Bering Strait. But efforts like these come with enormous technical, economic, and environmental risks with no guarantee of success. The dam study in particular found that closing the Bering Strait delayed the AMOC's collapse in some scenarios, but accelerated it in others.