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New study predicts climate change could cause beer prices to soar

If all the data on global warming hasn’t scared you yet, maybe this will: Rising temperatures could mean less beer. A new study published in the peer-reviewed British journal Nature Plants reported that current predictions of the next few decades see beer becoming scarce and thus more far expensive — as much as twice the cost by some estimates. This scarcity will be the result of a decrease in the production of barely, the main ingredient in beer. Scientists have long known that barely is one of the most heat-sensitive crops. The predicted severe droughts and extreme heat could cause significant losses. Average barely crop losses could range from three to 16 percent, depending on the severity of the climate change. In the US alone, shortages could reduce the amount Americans drink by up to 900 million gallons — that’s 9 billion bottles of beer! According to the study, this decrease in…