Image: https://origami-book.comA six-pack of beer could go up by an extra €17 in Ireland.
Crippling droughts, rising sea levels, forest fires and deadly storms... and now a potential global beer crisis - There's nothing climate change wont effect warn scientists.
The effects of global warming are likely to lead to sharp falls in crop yields of barley, an essential ingredient in a pint of beer.
Droughts and heat waves were expected to cause barley declines of up to 17% in parts of the US, Europe, Australia and Asia where the grain is grown most.
This could result in a steep beer price rise.
According to the US scientists' the price of a six-pack of beer could go up by an extra €17 in Ireland.
Research co-author Dr Steven Davis, from the University of California at Irvine, US, said: "The world is facing many life-threatening impacts of climate change, so people having to spend a bit more to drink beer may seem trivial by comparison.
"But there is definitely a cross-cultural appeal to beer, and not having a cool pint at the end of an increasingly common hot day just adds insult to injury."
Barley is an essential ingredient in beer Because most of the world's barley is used to feed livestock, the researchers say they will take priority over the production of beer.
Co-author Dr Nathan Mueller, also from the University of California at Irvine, said: "Current levels of fossil fuel consumption and CO2 (carbon dioxide) pollution - business as usual - will result in this worst-case scenario, with more weather extremes negatively impacting the world's beer basket.
"Our study showed that even modest warming will lead to increases in drought and excessive heat events in barley-growing areas," added Dr Mueller.
