# Could We/Should We Divert Ocean Currents? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 22, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594 "2004-10-22T14:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594/21 "2004-10-24T09:13:34Z")
How could this current change be done, do you have any idea of the magnitude of what you are talking about ? We can’t stop a medium sized hurricane, yet the amount of energy involved in ocean currents is many thousands of times that. The flow in the gulf stream alone is up to 200 kilometres wide and 200 metres in depth, not at the same time as these vary along the flow. It moves as much water as all the rivers in the world, multiplied by 100, energy transported is 1.4 Petawatts, which is quite a large number. We simply do not have the ability to willingly change this, though climate change may do so, wehter we like it or not, and the odds are that its a change we really do not want as evidence suggests that changes to the gulf stream flow coincide with ice ages. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594/22 "2004-10-24T11:07:23Z")
And who’s financing this little endeavor? The Underpants Gnomes? Step 1: Change the ocean currents Step 2: Step 3: Profit! ---
**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594/23 "2004-10-24T11:22:07Z")
We’ve messed with the climate enough by accident, and look where that has got us. Without a complete, concise and proven knowledge of the climate we should not even begin to think about making changes, who knows where they will lead? ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594/24 "2004-10-24T12:48:15Z")
I now have a brand new Dumbest Idea I’ve Ever Heard. ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594/25 "2004-10-24T13:23:50Z")
You think we could melt the polar ice while we’re at it? That’d put a lot of fresh water back into the world ecosystem which would benefit life by releasing more oxygen into the atmosphere. I know there might be some downfalls with this idea…but think about the benefits! You think it could work? 😃 **ralph** we’re just yanking your chain buddy, we still love ya. Actually, I like my idea much better the more I think about it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594/26 "2004-10-24T16:24:15Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > We simply do not have the ability to willingly change this, though climate change may do so, wehter we like it or not, and the odds are that its a change we really do not want as evidence suggests that changes to the gulf stream flow coincide with ice ages. The thing about chaotic systems is that you have sensitive dependence on initial conditions. We just might have the ability to do something that would change the ocean currents because this is a non linear situation. His curtain might be torn to shreds by mother nature, but who knows if it is enough to cause a big change? Ever watch a graph of a chaotic system where suddenly the behavior jumps into a different part of the strange attrator AND STAYS THERE? It might not do anything, but the scary part is that it might to a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-we-should-we-divert-ocean-currents/270594.md?page=1)