CL-105 Matt Osgood Isnt Sure What To Do
Right now, a lot of things seem really bad. There are microplastics embedded in all of our bodies\u2014including millions of bodies now stripped of autonomy, thanks to the Supreme Court. Wildfire season is heating up (literally), everything costs more than it used to, and it\u2019s hard to escape this pervasive feeling of existential dread permeating every corner of our lives which, unfortunately, also includes beer.
In his piece titled \u201cSlow-Dancing in a Burning Room \u2014 The Cost of Climate Change on Beer\u2019s Favorite Crop,\u201d published on May 12, 2022, Matt Osgood shares insights from farmers and scientists about the impending changes hops face in light of what he calls the \u201cunbiased chaos of natural disaster.\u201d It\u2019s dire out there, he explains, but he believes the best chance for beer lies solely in the hands of human ingenuity mixed with technological advances.\xa0
Today, Matt and I discuss our collective responsibilities as beer drinkers and journalists, but also as citizens of the world\u2014a world that seems like it\u2019s changing no matter what we do. But by claiming our power as individuals, we retain the hope that our children and our children\u2019s children stand a fighting chance of not just existing, but enjoying Earth\u2019s bounty, including craft beer. All of these issues are intertwined, and it can feel like playing whack-a-mole when making decisions. But this push and pull of human restraint against human destruction only continues to gain importance, making conversations such as these crucial for the future of beer, people, and Earth. Let\u2019s dive in.