Jos, 7 °C; snow in Agadez, north of Kano – what if this change in climate (not change in weather) is being driven, not by atmospheric carbon load as most scientists are thinking. What if it is being driven by more fundamental forces like the switch in the earth’s magnetic field? About just 150,000 years ago, the North Pole was where we now call West – with absolute implications for the climate, naturally. What if the earth is entering a part of the Milky Way that is filled with cosmic dust that has slightly reduced insolation? What if we are entering another Ice Age? Scientists know that the earth is always in between Ice Ages but it has not been possible to know if we are just entering or coming out of one. What if this is a proof?
But the first issue is more relevant, given current findings that the North Magnetic Pole is drifting so fast eastwards and has since crossed from Canada into Russia. The magnetic pole is determined by the ‘shape’ of the liquid core of molten iron in the centre of the earth. The drift means that core has been impacted by factors that has changes the shape of the rocks that contain it. If the magnetic poles drift, it could affect wind patters and possibly the tilt of the earth (from the present 23.5° that has defined our age) which is a recipe for wholesale climate change. I believe we will be hearing a lot more on this from experts in the weeks ahead. If the reasons for climate change is found to not be merely atmospheric and carbon-related as being generally speculated, the impact on sociology and politics will be deep. It means some countries will rather soon become inhospitable by hard science and this will trigger serious emigration all across the globe with far reaching implications for the political map of the world as we know it today. Whatever happens – even in doomsday scenario, areas within 10° North and South of the equator will experience the least drastic changes compared with areas in higher latitudes. Nigeria is inside that range.