Time to Freak Out: Beer Is Threatened by Climate Change

These problems are obviously not limited to beer — droughts and extreme weather are going to have an adverse impact on all sorts of crops, not just the ones involved in the production of beer — but hops in the United States are primarily grown in the Pacific Northwest, which has experienced rising temperatures in recent years, which has resulted in smaller crops at a time when demand is on the rise. This has meant that climate change is also likely contributing to increases in the cost of beer as well.

Many breweries have been doing their best to become green in response, either by brewing their beer in green buildings, or by using green energy to power their operations. You can help, too, by buying local beers that have lower carbon footprints than beers imported from out of country or out of state. I, personally at least, will be damned if I let the oncoming climate apocalypse cut into my beer consumption.

h/t: Grist