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	As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, the temperature of western Europe may increase at first.		forward: Questions
			Measurements show that the level of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. (Graphs by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NOAA Climate Monitoring & Diagnostics Laboratory) Global warming may cause Europe’s winters to be colder than they are now.
	Slowly over time, however, climate models predict the temperatures in Europe will most likely drop creating an extremely harsh climate. The reason temperatures in Europe are expected to drop over time as carbon dioxide increases is related to the Gulf Stream current in the western Atlantic Ocean. Computer models predict the Gulf Stream current in the Atlantic Ocean may not flow as far north as it does now. If the Gulf Stream does not flow as far north, air coming from Canada will not be warmed as it travels towards Europe. When this happens, the air reaching Europe will likely be much colder making Europe a much colder place to live . Winters are likely to become bitter cold and storms are predicted to be much more severe and happen more often. Summers may also become cooler causing a shorter agricultural growing season. Europe’s agriculture is expected to become less productive and its climate less hospitable, disrupting the lives of many people.		Cooler summers could impact agriculture in Europe. (Photograph courtesy USDA)
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