Beer may be dearer due to climate change

Sydney, Apr 8 (UNI) For all those who can't live without a pint of beer a day, it's better to keep a stock of it because due to climate change, beer may get dearer.

According to a scientist in New Zealand, beer will be in short supply, more expensive and may even taste different as climate change affects barley production.

Drought conditions in parts of world where malting barley was grown was likely to get worse, according to Jim Salinger of New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

''It will mean either there will be pubs without beer or the cost of beer will go up,'' he said. The dry areas of Australia, where barley is grown would become drier and water shortages would get worse.

''It will provide a lot of challenges for the brewing industry,'' Dr Salinger said. He said breweries could be forced to look at new varieties of malt.

He told the Institute of Brewing and Distilling convention in Auckland today that by 2100, the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases - measured in equivalent amounts of carbon dioxide - would be double, and possibly four times pre-industrial levels, leading to further climate warming.

''Most areas in Australia where malting barley is cropped are likely to experience producing declines,'' he said.

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