Friday, Dec. 04, 2009
German Beer
The famous beer-making regions of East Germany could suffer from a drop in production due to climate change-induced water shortages. Water is vital to grow barley and hops and using cheaper alternatives like corn isn't possible in Germany because of strict regulations about what you can make beer with. Hops, a preservative and flavoring agent grown in northern climates, require moist soil, a hard-winter freeze and a hot summer. As the weather warms, those conditions may vanish. The European Union recently funded a major $9 million irrigation system for hop farmers in Germany so this crop can survive the hot summers to come.