Ocean circulation, tipping points and the climate breakdown debate are themes of a public lecture by an international expert hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this Wednesday.
The lecture in Dublin’s Mansion House is due to be delivered by Prof Stefan Rahmstorf of the University of Potsdam.
Prof Rahmstorf is internationally renowned for his work linking climate change to a significant slowdown in the Gulf Stream system.
He recently co-authored an important paper highlighting evidence of how fossil fuel companies had denied and questioned climate science in public, while privately acknowledging the seriousness of the issue.
The EPA says he will discuss how continued melting of the Greenland ice sheet in the coming decades could contribute to further weakening of the Gulf Stream.
This will have important consequences for the ocean ecosystem, the weather in the North Atlantic region, regional sea levels and the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide.
He will explore how close we already are to the Gulf Stream tipping point; and he will comment on his recent examination of fossil fuel companies’ awareness of the seriousness of climate change over 40 years ago, and the difference between their public statements and internal knowledge.
The lecture, hosted by the EPA with Dublin City Council, will also be streamed online and forms part of the National Dialogue on Climate Action.
“Understanding the evolution of climate change and the ocean is essential if we are to understand our future,”EPA director-general Laura Burke said.
“ This knowledge can help inform policy to manage our responses and adapt to the future climate conditions.”
The free event in the Mansion House Round Room at 7 pm on Wednesday, April 19th, requires registration through the following link.
The event will also be recorded and uploaded to the EPA YouTube channel.