Southern Spain's Vineyards Dying Under Impact Of Warming - Bloomberg

[hatrack]

May 22 (Bloomberg) -- Global warming is killing vineyards in southern Spain, threatening a 2 billion-euro ($2.4 billion) wine industry and forcing grape growers to move to cooler climes of the Pyrenees.

Winemakers from Europe's largest grape-growing nation are shading vineyards, developing heat-resistance crops and moving to mountainside locations. Temperatures may rise 7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century, said Jose Manuel Moreno, professor of climatology at the University of Castilla La Mancha.

Any increase in temperature in Spain may make it impossible to produce wine in lower areas, according to Xavier Sort, technical director of Miguel Torres SA, the maker of Sangre de Toro wine. The average maximum day temperature in Spain during the summer is 29 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit).

``Agriculture will need to change, and there will be winners and losers,'' Moreno said in a telephone interview. ``Warming will harm plants that last more than one season, such as grape vines, the most.''

EDIT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aOtFFme4Nv74&refer=europe

Yes, there will be winners and losers, Mr. Moreno. Many more of the latter than the former, I suspect, but you can't make an economic omlet without breaking a few climatic eggs, now can you?

[acmavm]

1. Global warming? Not according to the White House and Faux

News.

[SteppingRazor]

2. All right. That tears it...

When global warming caused ice caps and glaciers to melt, I sat back and did nothing.

When it ripped a hole in the ozone layer, I sat back and did nothing.

When it caused increased cases of skin cancer, I sat back and did nothing.

BUT GOD DAMN IT, WHEN GLOBAL WARMING RUINS PERFECTLY GOOD BOOZE, IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING!!!!!

[MidwestTransplant]

3. I saw a study that said that the Sahara would expand into S. Europe

in the next 50 years creating an extreme dislocation of people. It was a CIA study I believe.

[orwell]

4. Why do the Spanish Vineyards...

...hate America?

[cliss]

5. Not only that, but the desertification

is spreading to southern France. Can you imagine? Beautiful Provence, instead of lovely lavender fields, you'll see Saguaro Cactus and cowboys sitting by the campfire, roasting marshmallows (just kidding).

Seriously, though, I have relatives who have vacation homes in Southern France. They've been complaining that it's unbearably hot. Last summer, there were brush fires that burned for several days.

It's happening.

Wanna buy a nice vacation house in Southern France?