Climate Change Update: Joe Sixpack, Climate Voter?
Doubling the price of a beer? Forcing us to choose between a beer or a burger? This is the grim news bombshell that may finally turn Joe Sixpack into a climate voter.
It’s true: Climate change is now projected to affect the availability and price of both beer and meat. A principal ingredient, barley, is a fairly minor crop so far as worldwide human grain consumption goes. However, barley is a major ingredient in both beer and livestock feed. And climate change projections indicate that the primary growing areas for barley will become less well-suited to that crop’s cultivation as the globe’s climate continues to heat up.
This means there will be increasing pressure on a possibly shrinking supply of barley. The price of both beer and meat is likely to increase as a result.
Joe Sixpack will not be a happy camper if this happens—and the prospect of football games accompanied by lemonade could be used to direct his attention to the need to do something about it now.
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