Losing Beer to Climate Change

What does it take to get the public mobilized against climate change? If rising ocean levels won’t do it, perhaps losing a classic beer will.

Climatologists in the Czech Republic say the quality of Saaz hops, used to make Pilsner lager, has decreased in recent years, according to New Scientist. Their study found higher air temperatures have led to a steady decline in the concentration of alpha acids, which produce the delicate and bitter taste of pilsners.

Nicola Twilley of the blog Edible Geography suggests a Climate Change Tasting Menu. It would feature foods local to her native England, like olive oil from Devon and rosé from Kent. For the main course, test-tube grown imitation meat from animals endangered by climate change. And for dessert? Fruits and nuts that could be devastated by the declining winter chill trees require to be productive.

Ah, the bittersweet taste of global warming.

(Photo by HonzaKuki via Flickr/Creative Commons)