Ladies and Gentlemen, climate change has finally become a serious issue for millions of Americans. What did it take for us to pay attention, you ask?
Sriracha.
Exactly.
In a cruel visitation of climate impacts, the ongoing drought in the Southwest US and northern Mexico has led to a virtually non-existent harvest of the jalapeno-hybrid pepper used in Sriracha. The chili only has a four-month growing season and needs pretty constant irrigation. This means this picky pepper isn’t a particularly climate-resilient one.
So, if you haven’t already got your sriracha stash, you likely won’t be able to find much for the rest of the year. The company that makes Sriracha isn’t taking any more orders until September and it’s doubtful they’ll be able to fulfill orders until some months after that.
So, if the floods, wildfires, storms, dry reservoirs, and species loss hasn’t convinced us yet, we should at least let our failing Sriracha stores (and potatoes, bananas, wine, chocolate and any number of other things that keep us fed and happy), impel us to get on the climate action bandwagon.
Also, better stock up on the gojuchang instead.
Well, damn.