Climate change in Ireland has become a hot topic issue in recent years as there has been more and more evidence that it is having a real impact around the world, and Ireland is no exception.
The proposed impact that climate change in Ireland will have has been heavily debated since the environment has become more of an important issue.
Climate change, alongside global warming, has been an issue that has unfortunately been swept under the rug by successive governments.
Still, it is getting harder to ignore as there is more evidence than ever that it has a real impact on Ireland and the rest of the world.
Climate change is defined as the shift in the earth’s natural climate and ecology spurred by human activity such as radiation, deforestation, and pollution.
In this article, we will list what we believe will be the top five effects that climate change in Ireland will have.
5. The oceans will acidify – marine life will suffer
It is believed that climate change will hugely affect our ecosystem thanks to the absurd amount of pollution in our oceans, which cover 71% of planet earth. Thus, the possibility of ocean acidification has become a frightening prospect.
According to Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Ocean Acidification will have harmful effects on marine organisms and has the potential to disrupt global marine ecosystems.”
Not only will ocean acidification harm Ireland’s marine life, but it will also forever damage and change our marine ecosystem.
4. Storms will worsen and intensify in strength – more severe storms ahead
As it stands, Ireland already has its fair share of bad storms now and then, but climate change in Ireland could make them a lot worse.
One of the big effects that climate change will have on Ireland is that it will make the storms intensify and become more violent and erratic.
Events such as mega-storms, road flooding, and extended amounts of rainfall will sadly become a lot more common given the latest climate change indicators.
3. The water levels will rise – flooding will become more common
If climate change continues on the current path that it is on, then Ireland will see its water levels continue to rise in the near future.
Global warming, which is the slow and steady increase of the earth’s core temperature, is caused by the levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and other pollutants in the earth’s atmosphere.
As global warming continues to increase the temperature of the earth, more and more ice sheets and glaciers continue to melt, which causes a chain reaction that results in the overall sea levels rising.
If this continues, by 2100 there will be many coastal parts of Ireland such as Galway, Waterford, and Dublin that will be at risk.
2. Nature will shift and change – Irish wildlife will be affected hugely
Another big effect that climate change will have on Ireland is that it will cause nature to shift and change.
An example of nature changing would be that fisheries and waterways in Ireland that were once bountiful with fish will over time, due to climate change, become barren and more sensitive to changes in temperature.
This will cause native plant and animal species to retreat, migrate, and likely disappear.
Met Éireann sums it up perfectly when they say, “Higher temperatures in late winter or early spring results in butterflies appearing earlier in the year and birds shifting their migration patterns.
“The pace of future change will cause stress to ecosystems that are unable to adapt quickly.”
1. Temperatures will increase – global warming
In our opinion, climate change in Ireland’s biggest effect will be the increase in average temperature due to global warming.
The biggest evidence available that climate change is already having a strong impact on Ireland can be seen already as September 2020 was the hottest recorded September in Irish history beating out September 2019, which was, at the time, the hottest recorded September in Irish history.
This sure and steady increase is proof that global warming is happening here and now and is not just a worry for the future. This temperature rise will cause Ireland’s winters to become balmier as will its springs, summers, and autumns.
This unnatural increase in temperature could cause a whole host of problems for Ireland and its environment.
That concludes our article on climate change in Ireland and five effects that it will have on Ireland as a country. How big a threat do you think climate change is to Ireland?
