Irish Examiner view: Real threat of Gulf Stream collapse

unless efforts to reduce carbon emissions are redoubled, then the fate the Gulf Stream is already set in stone
Irish Examiner view: Real threat of Gulf Stream collapse

Waves crash onto Portmagee Harbour in Co Kerry during a massive sea swell following Storm Erin. An AMOC collapse would plunge Western Europe into extreme cold winters and summer droughts, as well as adding 50cm to sea levels. Picture: Don MacMonagle

The potential collapse of the Gulf Stream, an integral part of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) has put Ireland firmly in the crosshairs of destructive climate change.

Scientists have concluded that such a collapse can no longer be considered a low-likelihood event, particularly so as recent climate models indicated this was unlikely before 2100, but further studies indicate the tipping point that makes an AMOC shutdown inevitable will occur within decades.

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