The prom king of alcoholic beverages, beer is about to suffer a shortage due to the climate change.
The yields of beer`s main ingredient, barley, declined sharply in periods of extreme drought and heat. Although the frequency and severity of drought and heat extremes increase substantially in the range of future climate scenarios, the vulnerability of beer supply to such extremes has never been assessed.
Average yield losses range from three to 17 percent depending on the severity of the conditions. A decrease in the global supply of barley leads to a dramatic regional decrease in beer consumption and an increase in beer prices. Although not the most concerning the impact of future climate change, climate-related weather extremes may threaten the availability and economic accessibility of beer.
According to CNN, global warming will be the lead cause in a substantial decrease in barley crop yields and a sharp rise in the price of a pint. The findings appeared in the Journal of Nature Plants.
If you don't want that to happen -- if you still want a few pints of beer -- then the only way to do it is to mitigate climate change.
