Feedback loops
Reading time: 1 minuteTL;DR
Climate feedback loops speed up or slow down changes. Like eating carbs make you crave more carbs. Or going downhill on your bike makes you go faster.
Feedback loops are a natural part of the climate system, but they are the reason why things will change more quickly as we get warmer.
Some examples - as snow and ice melt, the amount of sun reflected back out to space decreases, which causes more warming … which causes more snow and ice to melt.
Explanation
These feedbacks loops are part of how the global climate system works and how different parts of that system interacts with each other. The feedback loops themselves may mean that some of the science underestimates the rate of change we are going to see as the world warms. Of course it could go the other way, but we need to err on the side of caution and not blind optimism.
Feedback loops and tipping points are related but different concepts.
Further reading
Climate Feedback Loops and Tipping Points
Feedback loops make climate action even more urgent, scientists say