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posted by martyb on Monday October 03 2016, @01:06PM   Printer-friendly
from the do-you-want-[endangered]-fries-with-that? dept.

Some of our favorite foods and drinks could be considered "endangered" because the places where they are grown are being severely impacted by climate change. If this isn't proof that we need to do something about climate change, I don't know what is. To start off, here are a few foods that are part of our every lives that might not be around for long.

  • Coffee
  • Chocolate
  • Beer
  • Maple Syrup
  • Seafood: Lobsters and Salmon
  • Peanut Butter
  • Potatoes

What can we do about it?

Some farmers and researchers have started looking into bringing back ancient or near-extinct crops that might be better suited for this new reality.

Amaranth is one example. Once considered a sacred grain by the Aztec, amaranth was banned by the Spanish because it was used in sacrificial ceremonies.

[...] Cultivated in Ethiopia for more than 7,000 years, the enset plant is known as the "false banana" because of its similarity to the banana tree. It can withstand heavy drought and heavy rain, making it a plant that can naturally withstand climate change. [It] produces two times more food per unit of land than cereal crops.

[...] While most plants making a comeback are known for being drought resistant and having a high tolerance for heat, other plants (like taro) can be grown in flooded areas, a concern for rising sea levels in Asia and other parts of the world.

[...] Some believe that [...] seed banks are the best way to prepare for climate change. John Torgrimson, executive director of the Seed Savers Exchange in the United States, told Truthout that "while not every traditional variety tastes great or looks great, its genetics may be invaluable 50 or 100 years from now when the climate is different. There are qualities in varieties that we don't even know about. It might be resistant to a particular disease; it may grow well in a particular region; it may have certain traits that will allow us to deal with climactic conditions going forward. Diversity is an insurance policy".


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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 04 2016, @01:50AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 04 2016, @01:50AM (#409770)

    To extend the growing season. In hot areas, greenhouses providing a shading function, in colder areas they provide a warming function, the general purpose is regulation of temperatures toward whatever is desired to grow certain crops.

    I am the anon who asked the question. It was meant to be rhetorical. It is true that a greenhouse does extend the growing season that is not their primary purpose though and a structure made out of shade net would better serve your shading function as it allows cooling airflow better then even a vented greenhouse can.

    The primary purpose of a greenhouse is to increase CO2 levels and raise temperature. Hence, greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, etc. That's why I have one. Most plants grow better in a greenhouse, most plants can use up to 8 times the amount of CO2 that is currently in our environment and for most species growth is more rapid in higher temperatures. Of course greenhouse management is a lot of work, so we tend to reserve the privilege of growing in the greenhouse for those plants that will not grow well outdoors in our environment.

    TLDR; we build greenhouses because most plants prefer higher temperatures and increased CO2. Global warming is going to suck for mammals until we adapt. Insects and plants are going to be like yeah! Of course increased plant growth and larger and more active insects also means increased carbon sequestration which means reversal of the greenhouse effect which means, what!?!

    Anyway, it is very early where I live, so....

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