No matter what your feelings are toward the current U.S. president-elect, I think most of us can agree on strong positive feelings about one thing: food. In our now incredibly divided country, at least we can count on extra guac, sushi dates and a mutual love for chocolate to bring us back together at the end of the day. Except pretty soon, we actually won't be able to do some of those things, if Trump's administration holds its ground on negating climate change.
President-elect Trump has chosen Myron Ebell, a known climate change skeptic, to run the transition team for the EPA. This is a pretty big deal.
The scientific evidence for global warming is all but undeniable, as ten of the warmest years this planet has ever experienced occurred within the last twelve. Carbon dioxide levels are increasing at an incredibly high rate, and scientists are more concerned than ever that the increasing environmental damage as a result of greenhouse gas emissions is irreversible.
So, food lovers everywhere, take note: Obama had our backs (read: stomachs), but under Trump's administration, it looks like our days with the following 11 foods might be dwindling.
1. Avocados
Imagine a brunch void of avocado toast. Imagine a trip to Chipotle with chips but no guac, even though you're totally willing to pay extra. That's what we're headed toward if we don't take steps to manage our impact on global warming.
Most of the avocados that we eat are grown on farms in California. Lately, however, the series of droughts in the golden state have put this beloved, if basic, fruit at risk. The droughts are the worst they've been in 1,200 years, and with no clear end in site, society's demand for avocados will be hard to meet--unless we acknowledge the rising global temperature that's only worsening California's situation each year.
2. Sushi
Ok, so this category really applies to all seafood, but the thought of a sushi-free world is particularly unfathomable to me. Not only is it devastating that the Great Barrier Reef has been pronounced nearly dead, but the acidification of our oceans makes it difficult for oysters, crabs, lobsters and shellfish to build their shells.
Rising sea levels are destroying shallow areas of the Ocean where fish reproduce, and unpredictable weather systems are destroying once vibrant ecosystems. Our fishing industry is struggling, and fishermen are losing their jobs because there are just simply not enough fish to catch.
3. Chocolate
Dessert as we know it is being seriously threatened by climate change. Rising temperatures aren't quite the problem for cacao beans, but instead, the decline in humidity that comes along with this type of climate change.
The world's top cocoa producers, Ghana and Cote De'Ivore, are predicted to produce less chocolate as temperatures rise and droughts ensue. There is some hope left, however, as cacao growers can breed seeds that have developed a resistance to drought, or taller trees can be replanted from other locations to provide the cacao trees with some much-needed shade.
4. Maple Syrup
Honestly, why even eat pancakes without syrup? Why wake up before noon if not for breakfast foods? Maple syrup isn't necessarily going away, but it is getting significantly less sweet.
The amount of sap it takes to make the syrup we know and love is now double what it once was. We can directly thank climate change for this sad truth because the sap produced by sugar maple trees has become diluted as a result of rising temperatures: it's only 2% sugar today, compared to 4% sugar just 50 years ago.
5. Wine
Cue panic among classy college students and actual adults everywhere. Oddly enough, some French vineyards are able to use the current higher temperatures to their advantage because they allow for early ripening and the full development of sugars, acids and tannins in grapes. Even so, though, the benefits aren't applicable to vineyards in places like California where high temperatures come along with crippling droughts.
In that case, the temperatures simply do not match up with the crop's necessary rainfall, so the harvesters are unable to pick the grapes at an optimal time–which means the quality of wine is getting worse.
6. Coffee
The world is about to get a whole lot grumpier in the mornings since coffee crops are struggling to grow these days. Certain coffee farmers in Brazil, the world's leading coffee producer, have confirmed the loss of up to 90% of their crops because of an unending drought. Overall, the production of robusta, a certain coffee bean used to make espresso and instant coffee, is down 30% this year across Brazil.
With temperatures continually on the rise, and water levels declining, the areas suitable for coffee growth are going to be cut in half by 2050 if we don't continue our efforts to respond to climate change.
7. Apples
You know that feeling of eating a perfectly crisp apple and fulfilling all of your basic fall needs in one bite? Well, unfortunately, though apples will still be around, the experience of eating them is looking like it will be significantly less enjoyable.
The hardness and acidity of apples has faced a pretty extreme decline as the planet has gotten warmer, based on a 40-year study of Japanese apple orchards. The structural change of apples is due to a similar problem facing the grapes used in wine: early ripening due to higher temperatures yielding sweeter and softer fruit. In order to maintain the crunch and tartness of this beloved fall fruit, climate change must be controlled.
8. Corn
Summertime BBQs might never be the same. Water shortages, heat waves and unpredictable weather patterns are causing a decrease in corn production across the U.S.
Not only is this troubling from a climate standpoint, but our economy could lose trillions of dollars. Corn affects the gas we use everyday because it is required for ethanol production and the foods we eat regularly because 35% of the crop is grown specifically for animal feed. Yet corn has proven mostly unadaptable to the heat and drought: growers in the Midwest could lose up to 15% of their yield in the next 50 years.
9. Peanuts and Peanut Butter
Our beloved baseball stadium snack, airplane staple, sandwich spread, and the best friend of chocolate is also in grave danger. Peanuts face a different kind of climatic obstacle. Heat alone does not affect the legumes' growth, but it does cause the production of a toxic mold that ruins the peanut plants.
Drought is also a major problem for peanut production. The nuts are pretty high maintenance, and when rainfall doesn't happen on schedule, we get higher prices, and by 2030, we're likely to have significantly less peanut butter overall.
10. Beer
Frat boys, hold on to your Solo cups. As temperatures rise in the United States, major beer production locations, such as Washington State, are in trouble. Washington gets hot and dry in the summertime and therefore relies on winter snow for water supply. If temperatures continue to rise, there will be less and less snow to count on.
Washington declared a drought emergency in 2015 thanks to the resulting wildfires running rampant throughout the state. The effects on beer are particularly worrisome seeing as we desperately need it in order to drink our way through Trump's presidency.
11. Beans
There's a whole generation of kids out there who are never going to know why beans are good for your heart. Bean farmers in Africa are getting stressed out as weather becomes unpredictable and rising temperatures are bringing more pests to their crops. Beans are necessary for the food security of large portions of Africa and South America, making the issue even more concerning.
Farmers are doing their best to grow rapidly maturing beans in order to capitalize on short growing seasons and to grow drought-resistant beans, but the erratic nature of climate change and rainfall continues to pose a significant problem for this high protein food: periods of both too little and too much rain can render an entire crop of beans inedible.
The future does not look bright for any of these foods, but if we all do our part, there is hope that we can slow down the damaging effects of climate change. I encourage you to challenge the changes we are about to see in the EPA by limiting your energy consumption, rethinking your transportation methods and minimizing your waste–your stomach will thank you later.