What does fiscal responsibility, concern about the environment, and a nice cold beer have in common? If you guessed my Dad then you’re right, but what I’m talking about is the Brewery Climate Declaration.
When it comes to beer, more people are involved in the business than you might think. Aside from the customers and brewers, there are people who transport, distribute and package beer. When a brewery hires one brewer, they indirectly create 45 other jobs. With over 2,800 breweries in the United States, the brewing industry generates over $246 billion every year! This makes the brewing industry a major job creator in the United States.
With all of these benefits, who would try to prevent these brewmasters from helping Americans quench their thirst? Well, if you live on this planet, which you do, unfortunately it’s you.
Climate change is pulling a President Woodrow Wilson, and trying to put a damper on the beer industry. Air and water pollution are causing the ingredients of beer to become more expensive. As a direct result of air pollution caused by human activities there have been warmer temperatures and extreme weather where hops are harvested. Price of hops, one of the main ingredients of beer, has skyrocketed by 250 percent over the past decade according to ceres. org. That’s on par with the rise of gas prices! On top of that, clean water is becoming scarcer in the brewing industry because of drought and reduced snowpack.
Luckily, the brewing industry loves making beer more than consumers love drinking it. This has led to innovative, cost-effective and green solutions in the industry. The Brewery Climate Declaration is all about taking a stand and minimizing the industry’s carbon footprint. It is promoting practices such as measuring greenhouse gas emissions, using recycled steam as energy and becoming LEED certified.
Breweries aren’t just stepping up to the plate – and hitting a home run I might add – they are challenging the entire industry to make these practices the new standard. Companies like New Belgium, Deschutes Brewery and even Guinness are the forerunners in this movement. With these breweries, and many more, the brewing industry is becoming a model for environmental responsibility.
The next time you’re scrambling for cash for the weekend because you spent all of your money on textbooks and school supplies, call your parents with confidence. Tell them you are not spending their money foolishly on beer, but rather, investing it wisely in an industry that is environmentally friendly and supports economic growth. It should work like a charm.
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This article is part of the Campus Green Guide, a free custom publication of Ball State Unified Media.
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