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  • Coffee faces its own climate catastrophe ☕ Here’s why (and what we can do about it)

Coffee faces its own climate catastrophe ☕ Here’s why (and what we can do about it)

Plus: The EU gets tough on fossil fuels (probably)

Happy Tuesday! Today we'll explore the threat climate change poses to coffee production, discuss the EU's tough new stance on fossil fuels, and reveal the real culprit behind deforestation in the Colombian Amazon (hint: it's not cocaine). Let’s dive right in 👇:

Matcha's Gulp

Will climate change decaffeinate the planet? 😴

Rising temperatures threaten to massively destabilize global coffee production: as much as half of the land suitable for the process could be unusable as soon as 2050. This is bad news for those of us who can’t function without a burst of caffeine in the morning… or the afternoon… or the evening. So, how can we avoid a full-blown coffee crisis?

A recent article outlines a range of potential solutions. These include switching to indoor farming techniques (more reliable, but less romantic – and with the potential to bankrupt small-scale farmers) and breeding more resilient strains of coffee bean (definitely possible, but requiring a lot of hard work). Let’s hope we find a solution that works for coffee producers, coffee drinkers, and the planet 🧑‍🌾 ☕ 🌎

The EU gets tough on fossil fuels... probably 🇪🇺

A draft document indicates that the European Union is preparing to adopt a tough diplomatic stance on climate change. This will see the block call for a global-phase out of fossil fuels – including oil and gas – “well ahead of 2050”. This comes after previous U.N climate talks resulted in a commitment to phase down coal usage – a vague pledge criticized by a number of climate groups.

But of course, this is all still a draft – and as we know, fossil fuel lobbyists (as well as crafty politicians) have a rare talent for watering down climate policy.

Colombia grapples with roots of deforestation 🇨🇴

For years, Colombian politicians have blamed the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest on cocaine production. But according to a new study, the real culprit isn’t coke: it’s cows.

In 2018, cattle-ranching in the Colombian Amazon was responsible for 60 times as much forest clearance as coca cultivation. So, while a ‘war on cows’ might not sound as exciting as the ‘war on drugs’, a shift in strategy is needed if politicians really want to protect one of the planet’s greatest treasures.

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