Ouch!

[Aaron Summers Effler]

Environment

Beer Drinkers: Do Your Part for the Earth

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Global warming is killing one of the world’s most beloved industries: beer. Biofuels have created a shortage of the flavor-giving hops plant, Treehugger reports, and now, climate change has caused a number of barley crops to fail. Australian climate scientist Jim Salinger said that, at least in Australia, "It will mean either there will be pubs without beer or the cost of beer will go up."

While there’s still some suds left in the global keg, Tom Philpott over at Grist has a few brews that tread lightly on the earth. Philpott ran an admittedly unscientific taste test of some organic beers, including the North Coast Cru D'Or Belgian-Style Ale, which he describes as “a party in a bottle.”

—Bennett Gordon

[Kolin Hodgson]

We need to keep an eye on a plot for our own barley, learn malting and then we can forget about this whole issue! Barley - Hops - Water, it's not that hard!

Also, the whole biofuels issue is so poorly attended to that it's only a matter of time before the consequences of our lame crop choices for biomass become obvious. It's already happening. So many much better crops can be chosen.

Make no mistake, when the alcohol supply is threatened, people of all walks of life will rise up in protest! Alchy is just bad that way!

Environment

--Bennett Gordon

--
Kolin Hodgson
kol...@gmail.com

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. - Steven Wright

[Aaron Summers Effler]

Dude, you must have a hell of a lot more free time than I do! 

 

What we need to be doing is fermenting and distilling our spent grains to produce bio-fuel.  That would take the pressure off bio-fuel plant production, and we could get the farmers to straighten out their priorities and start growing barley again!

 

Between this and the environmental threat to honey/mead, what are we going to do!?  Are we going to need to learn how to brew Zima?  I wonder if you can make a country wine out of switchgrass....  I suppose we'll need to start dusting off our cider brewing skills- there's not a threat to apple production (at the moment), although colony collapse in the bee population may soon change that.

[Kolin Hodgson]

If I go into the brewing business, I'll have a lot more time on my hands!

 

Hey, what are you up to on May 16 (Friday)? Millish is back in town for the last time this Summer. Brewing would be really tough, but I was thinking maybe a late party?  I can host that (the band is sleeping at my house that night), but you were looking for an opportunity to celebrate Erica's publishing news. Any interest?
 

I don't know what you would have to do to switchgrass to make a palatable drink, but what's the harm in trying?