Climate change sounds big. It’s the climate, for gosh sake, and it’s all around us! But if you’ll remember the book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Richard Carlson, he said don’t sweat the small stuff to keep the little things from taking over your life.
However, for climate change, we need to heed the small stuff.
Sriracha sauce is one of those small things.
Did you know that chili peppers, a main ingredient in the popular Sriracha hot sauce, have suffered deficient production because of climate change? Huy Fong, the manufacturer of Sriracha hot sauce, was mentioned in a USA Today piece (7-12-23). A 2022 announcement on the matter stated, “The company faced a “severe shortage” of red jalapeño peppers from farms in California, New Mexico, and Mexico experiencing hot temperatures and historic droughts.” Today’s result: One seller offered a 28-ounce bottle of Sriracha brand hot sauce for $80 apiece ($5 or $10 before the shortage). Yes, there are alternatives, but prices have increased there, too.
While you may not be a fan of Sriracha hot sauce, or any brand for that matter, the fact is that these small jalapeño peppers have succumbed to climate change. What other small things? Butterflies, ants, creepies, and crawlies of all kinds. For more on small things and agriculture, check out the content on page 118-119 in The Carbon Almanac
Small is Big
For small stuff and climate change, maybe see our piece on Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers. OR go to the Footnote on Page 21 of The Carbon Almanac to see how a small 1.8° F increase in average global temperature affects EVERYTHING.
Check out all the resources available at thecarbonalmanac.org.