Anxiety is not a zero-sum game. Just look at how many things I can be worried about simultaneously! But because this level of stress is no good for anyone’s mental health, we want to applaud the folks at Bloomberg for putting together this stylishly designed “panic meter” of foods that may or may not disappear due to climate change.
Thanks to their analysis, we now know whether we should tear out our hair in fear of a vanilla shortage, or merely wring our hands doubtfully. Should I immediately hoard all the maple syrup, or am I safe just stockpiling a few gallon jugs? Do I need to talk to my therapist about the inevitable collapse of the worldwide almond supply, or can I save that for a future visit?
The list helpfully assigns each food a panic rating from 1 to 10, indicating how dire the ingredient’s future looks. (One thing we can’t help but notice: Nary a mention of bluefin tuna, ubiquitous at high-end sushi restaurants, and a fish the Monterey Bay Aquarium says we should stop eating.) The article also rationally addresses down some of the more alarmist food-extinction headlines, at which point I let out a breath of relief—until I saw what’s going to happen to global eel populations.
Give our friends at Bloomberg a click here.