HOW GREEN IS MY WHISKEY?
Nearly two decades ago, former vice president of the United States Al Gore and film director Davis Guggenheim teamed up to make a documentary about climate change titled An Inconvenient Truth. Released in 2006, the film detailed what was happening to planet Earth as a result of the unchecked and barely regulated polluting by corporations and individuals. The documentary pointed out the planetary emergency we were (and still are) facing due to human-induced global warming, and it was a serious wake-up call to the world about the devastating effects of pollution and human-induced climate change. The film was adored by critics, yielded two Oscars (Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Score), and unintentionally provided a litany of material to late-night talk show hosts.
One of the key areas focused on by the film was the increase in carbon dioxide (CO) levels in the Earth’s atmosphere and its role as a primary contributor to the rising levels of greenhouse gases (GHGs). These gases seal in the Earth’s heat, causing a spike in temperature that is melting the Arctic polar ice cap, which in turn is impacting global sea levels. Any sharp rise levels in Earth’s atmosphere and subsequent climate change will affect all areas of agriculture – particularly soil quality, water supply and seasonal temperatures – so is a threat to the very building blocks of whiskey: trees, grain and water.
