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Shout out to the gulf stream for keeping Ireland's climate significantly more temperate than our Canadian latitude neighbours. As kids when we looked out to sea

by j_french 10mo ago

Shout out to the gulf stream for keeping Ireland's climate significantly more temperate than our Canadian latitude neighbours. As kids when we looked out to sea on the west coast we thought next stop was New York, but it's more like Newfoundland. If (when?) the gulf stream gets significantly disrupted it's gonna be a major shock

CalRobert 10mo ago
Fortunately, Ireland’s woefully inadequate climate policies may help give us a chance to study the phenomenon of AMOC collapse within our lifetimes!
- Supernaut 10mo ago
  Ireland's climate policies, whether adequate or inadequate, can have very little affect on the evolution of the AMOC, or any other large-scale climactic phenomenon. There are vastly more influential factors at play all around the world.
  - CalRobert 10mo ago
    Inasmuch as it’s a country of five million people you are right in absolute terms, but considering the government’s shocked Pikachu face reaction to being held to the terms of an agreement Ireland signed up to it’s still a bit galling. https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2025/1027/1540633-analysis-comment-eu-climate-goals/ https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2025/1027/15406... Ireland “has the largest emissions per person in the EU for the sectors covered by the regulation.”
    - igleria 10mo ago
      And we are not even building enough housing as it is, imagine if we were...
      - CalRobert 10mo ago
        One of the best things Ireland could do is build lots of housing close to job centres so people don’t have to drive so far to work, or ideally can take public transport (or bike or walk) It’s remarkable seeing people commute to Dublin from tullamore or even athlone. Relying less on concrete would help too, wood construction seems to be getting more common at least.
- mikhailfranco 10mo ago
  For peat's sake!
fulafel 10mo ago
It's not indeed more at risk than previously thought - https://www.politico.eu/article/gulf-stream-could-collapse-lifetime-warn-eu-wopke-hoekstra/?reg-wall=true https://www.politico.eu/article/gulf-stream-could-collapse-l...
- fransje26 10mo ago
  TL;DR: "As far as current models suggest, we conclude that the risk of a northern AMOC shutdown is greater than previously thought,” Drijfhout and his colleagues wrote.
  - fulafel 10mo ago
    I had an accidental "not" in my comment (and edit window closed). Yep, that's indeed the message.
Supernaut 10mo ago
> Shout out to the gulf stream for keeping Ireland's climate significantly more temperate than our Canadian latitude neighbours. Here is research that argues to the contrary: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-source-of-europes-mild-climate https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-source-of-euro...
- graemep 10mo ago
  Interesting. Is there other research on this? How well tested is the mode? It is something i have wondered about because proximity to the heat in the sea is clearly an important factor too, so i am interested. Surely the Gulf Stream must have some impact?
  - alpinisme 10mo ago
    The article doesn’t say that the ocean is irrelevant just that it’s not the oceanic currents that dominate. The main thing is just having an ocean at all coupled with prevailing winds being west to east. Hence Seattle, which is mild but does not benefit from Gulf Stream like currents
    - graemep 10mo ago
      Yes, I get that. To clarify I meant proximity to heat in the sea "stored" from warmer times of the year without the effect of the Gulf Stream is clearly an important factor.

CalRobert 10mo ago

Fortunately, Ireland’s woefully inadequate climate policies may help give us a chance to study the phenomenon of AMOC collapse within our lifetimes!

Supernaut 10mo ago
Ireland's climate policies, whether adequate or inadequate, can have very little affect on the evolution of the AMOC, or any other large-scale climactic phenomenon. There are vastly more influential factors at play all around the world.
- CalRobert 10mo ago
  Inasmuch as it’s a country of five million people you are right in absolute terms, but considering the government’s shocked Pikachu face reaction to being held to the terms of an agreement Ireland signed up to it’s still a bit galling. https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2025/1027/1540633-analysis-comment-eu-climate-goals/ https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2025/1027/15406... Ireland “has the largest emissions per person in the EU for the sectors covered by the regulation.”
  - igleria 10mo ago
    And we are not even building enough housing as it is, imagine if we were...
    - CalRobert 10mo ago
      One of the best things Ireland could do is build lots of housing close to job centres so people don’t have to drive so far to work, or ideally can take public transport (or bike or walk) It’s remarkable seeing people commute to Dublin from tullamore or even athlone. Relying less on concrete would help too, wood construction seems to be getting more common at least.
mikhailfranco 10mo ago
For peat's sake!

fulafel 10mo ago

It's not indeed more at risk than previously thought - https://www.politico.eu/article/gulf-stream-could-collapse-lifetime-warn-eu-wopke-hoekstra/?reg-wall=true https://www.politico.eu/article/gulf-stream-could-collapse-l...

fransje26 10mo ago
TL;DR: "As far as current models suggest, we conclude that the risk of a northern AMOC shutdown is greater than previously thought,” Drijfhout and his colleagues wrote.
- fulafel 10mo ago
  I had an accidental "not" in my comment (and edit window closed). Yep, that's indeed the message.

Supernaut 10mo ago

> Shout out to the gulf stream for keeping Ireland's climate significantly more temperate than our Canadian latitude neighbours. Here is research that argues to the contrary: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-source-of-europes-mild-climate https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-source-of-euro...

graemep 10mo ago
Interesting. Is there other research on this? How well tested is the mode? It is something i have wondered about because proximity to the heat in the sea is clearly an important factor too, so i am interested. Surely the Gulf Stream must have some impact?
- alpinisme 10mo ago
  The article doesn’t say that the ocean is irrelevant just that it’s not the oceanic currents that dominate. The main thing is just having an ocean at all coupled with prevailing winds being west to east. Hence Seattle, which is mild but does not benefit from Gulf Stream like currents
  - graemep 10mo ago
    Yes, I get that. To clarify I meant proximity to heat in the sea "stored" from warmer times of the year without the effect of the Gulf Stream is clearly an important factor.