Seems pretty much a Given that the Earth is experiencing Climate change, I dont think this is even up for debate anymore. Is it "Caused" by Human activity...not likely, as the evidence thus far points to a continuous shifting climate long before we had technology. We might be speeding things up a tiny bit, but that does not mean we are the cause.
Will we experience more extremes in weather...I say yes, and actually think we are seeing it manifest everyday. This does not mean to me, that increased Carbon output is the cause, nor does it keep me up at night. That said, there are concerns in my mind for my kids, and what the change will mean to them. Climate change is an extremely complex issue, and even those who study this as a living are hard pressed to understand the variables involved in the Dynamics of our planets Water/Air interaction.
Watching the Polar changes over the last decades has finally forced me to accept this is a real phenomenon, and does cause me a bit of worry if I think too hard on it. But there is literally, nothing we can do about it, as it is most likely irreversible, and a primarily natural occurance. My biggest worry is the slow down, or God Forbid failure of the North Atlantic Conveyor......this would really suck.
"The North Atlantic loop of the THC is controlled by the sinking of dense (cold and salty) water at high latitudes. The density of seawater is a result of both temperature and salinity (salty water is denser than fresh water, and cold water denser than warm water). Although the Gulf Stream water is saltier than the deep water below, it is much warmer, so its density is lower, and it remains on the surface. On its journey north, the water releases heat to the atmosphere, and cools gradually, until it is cold enough for its density to match that of the deep layer. Sinking can begin.
At this stage the surface water is still warmer than the deep water, but it also saltier, so its density matches that of the deeper water, allowing the two layers to mix. Should the surface water freshen for some reasons, it would have to cool further before it can sink. Sufficient freshwater input might reduce salinity to the extent that the surface water could not possibly sink, even at sub-zero temperatures.
Paradoxically global warming could create precisely this effect. Increased rainfall, melting of sea ice, glaciers and the Greenland ice sheet are all possible consequences of higher temperatures, and could reduce North Atlantic surface salinity sufficiently to slow down or even stop the formation of deep water. If this happens, the THC may shut down. Once stopped, the heat conveyor may take time to recover, and the consequences would be a cooling of northwest Europe. "
http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/rapid/sis...c_conveyor.php