A major Colorado craft brewer says its business already is
experiencing the impacts of climate change. Fort Collins’ New
Belgium Brewery has been creating specialty brews since 1991,
and sustainability director Jenn Orgolini said anyone who enjoys
the company’s product should be concerned about the climate.
“This is not a problem that’s going to happen someday, and this
is not a problem that’s just going to impact some industries,”
she said. “If you drink beer now, the issue of climate change is
impacting you right now.” Some of those impacts include higher
prices for raw materials or scarcer products such as specialty
hops. Orgolini says more beer is produced in Colorado – from
craft brewers to major players such as Coors and Anheuser Busch
– than in any other state. Her message comes as scientists, too,
are attempting to ring alarm bells about the climate. Climate
extremes are getting more common, a new report from the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says, and the planet
is getting warmer. More th