# Did the BP oil spill screw up the ocean conveyor belt system **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 18, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187 "2010-09-18T14:23:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/1 "2010-09-18T14:23:21Z")
I remember in an inconvenient truth Al Gore said that flooding from Greenland could totally screw up the conveyor belt system in the Atlantic and as a result change the climate in Europe. I found this website claiming that the BP oil spill did the same thing already, but I haven’t found any other sites or new sites that corroborate the story. I don’t know how much stock I’d put in this article, but has anyone heard any other organizations saying the same thing about the BP spill and the conveyor system? [http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2010/09/14/life-on-this-earth-just-changed-the-north-atlantic-current-is-gone/](http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2010/09/14/life-on-this-earth-just-changed-the-north-atlantic-current-is-gone/) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/2 "2010-09-18T14:40:01Z")
IANAScientist but I’d be shocked if the oil spill could mess up the ocean conveyor. Big as it was it is a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to the conveyor. The Greenland thing was a worry because it represents a truly colossal amount of fresh water being thrown in the ocean which they feared could mess things up. All the oil spilled comes nowhere close to those amounts. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/3 "2010-09-18T21:33:34Z")
Can’t imagine using Gore’s piece of propaganda for anything other than comic relief. Most likely the reason you’ve found a lack of collaboration… ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/4 "2010-09-18T23:52:55Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > I don’t know how much stock I’d put in this article… > > [http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2010/09/14/life-on-this-earth-just-changed-the-north-atlantic-current-is-gone/](http://www.infiniteunknown.net/2010/09/14/life-on-this-earth-just-changed-the-north-atlantic-current-is-gone/) Why not? The [loop current varies wildly](http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/loopcurrent.asp) from year to year and month to month. Anyone suggesting permanent changes in it based on, _at most_, a couple of months of data, is **nuts**. movie [2005-2006](http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/loopcurrent_2005-2006.mpg) ---
**Author:** ![Mozart1220](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@Mozart1220](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mozart1220)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/5 "2010-09-20T16:26:43Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > Can’t imagine using Gore’s piece of propaganda for anything other than comic relief. Most likely the reason you’ve found a lack of collaboration… He did pick an appropriate title didn’t he? Republicans (read oil complany supporters) just refuse to admit fossil fuels do any damage, as the cash keeps rolling in. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/6 "2010-09-21T01:28:05Z")
This is new to me. I don’t see how the spill would effect the conveyor belt. It does nothing to the volume and does not change the temperature. It just poisons the water. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-bp-oil-spill-screw-up-the-ocean-conveyor-belt-system/554187/7 "2010-09-21T03:21:41Z")
The link in the OP tells us about the shocking, earth-shattering fact that the Gulf loop current has broken off and formed an eddy. **Squink** ’s link tells us how that happens every 6 to 11 months. So, my money is on No Ice Age. If Greenland were to melt, however, there is a concern all that cold, fresh water would mess with the Gulf Stream. Not sure it would cause an ice age, but it certainly would affect the climate in Europe. Totally separate issue, though.