The climate crisis is coming for your syrup. #shorts #science #SciShow

Hosted by: Hank Green (he/him)

Emma Dauster: Writer
Sarah Meismer: Fact Checker
Amy Peterson: Script Editor
Madison Lynn: Videographer
Faith Schmidt: Script Supervisor
Savannah Geary: Editor, Associate Producer
Aimee Roberts: Animator
Daniel Comiskey: Editorial Director
Sarah Suta: Producer
Caitlin Hofmeister: Executive Producer
Hank Green: Executive Producer

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[aaronl]

Fun Fact: Canada has the strategic maple syrup reserve, which we can draw out of during a bad harvest. I can’t find a number of how much maple syrup is currently in the reserve, it _can_ hold 45 Million kg of syrup, so probably a few million below that.

It also famously was robbed in 2011-2012, it was the biggest heist in monetary value in Canadian history

[theblaqknight]

As a Canadian, this news makes climate change more terrifying than ever.

[faenethlorhalien]

Joke's on you, I don't have maple syrup, BECAUSE IT'S ALREADY TOO EXPENSIVE.

[elibaum]

And this why Canada has a maple syrup reserve.

[drivingmissmolly]

Not to fear! Many trees produce a sap that can be made into a delicious syrup. Big leaf maple AKA the Oregon maple produces sap that tastes almost exactly like sugar maple sap AND the big leaf maple has a much longer sap flowing season; from November to March!

[DominoPivot]

Nearly 20 years ago, I read a short story in a sci-fi book, but this one was different. It didn't have clones, robots, AI, flying cars or time machines. It just had a teary-eyed old man sharing the very last batch of maple syrup in the world with his grandchildren.

Back then I didn't really get why they put that story in a sci-fi book. Now it's the only one I remember. Definitely helps me appreciate the small things that might not be eternal.

[firecracka]

Season is ending earlier, yes, but in that shorter time, we get WAY more syrup. Trees 20 years ago got a decent flow, but now it's like a flood. Some get so much syrup they can't process it all.

[randomchocolateenjoyer]

This is one way to get people to take action against climate change. Especially Canadians

[Tick]

That was a terrifying moment, and I’m not even Canadian

[danielbickford]

there's also option C, plant trees further north as the climate warms. admittedly it would take a bit to get a reasonable size tree but it's still an option

[CG_Hali]

Was born in Quebec's Maple Capital region (around Victoriaville - very close to where they also invented the real poutine by the way - and where 80% of the world's syrup is made). There's a micro-climate there making it warmer and that's why maple trees were so prolific in the past compared to deciduous. But yes, now what happens if they start not producing enough? We've known since the 90's that climate was changing. Everyone there talks about it every year, how the season was worse than usual or devastating news about a farmer who had to close his maple shack cause he can't make it profitable anymore due to decrease output. Everyone there literally knows someone with a sugar shack owner (friend, family, coworker). Add to that how covid killed a lot of their profit margins for 2 years, and it has been very hard for the maple industry already. We fear small farms will be taken over by big companies instead but at least it's an industry protected by the government (though not without its problems). I buy mine in advance to save money as prices have inflated due to climate change and inflation. It lasts for years (don't worry about that 'expiry date', it's pure sugar!). And please, don't bother forking out more for 'organic' label. It's ALL organic!!

[oscarcacnio]

Funnily enough, I had that happen to someone I know a few weeks ago. Syrup started flowing earlier than expected, then all of a sudden it's just been a barrage of winter storms.

[myphone]

That's not the main problem. Sugar maples used to be as far south as Georgia, until the Jamestown colony introduced earthworms to North America. They eat the leaf mulch that maple seeds sprout in, so maple trees only reproduce far enough north that the ground freezes solid and kills the earthworms. The book 1493 by Charles Mann had a section on that.

[adelaideralston]

How did the algorithm know I was eating maple syrup?

[timetravelkitty]

I live in Vermont and the seasons have changed just since I moved here from nyc. It still hasn’t frosted yet! Insane

[KitsuneTriforce]

A few years ago one of the sugar maple trees in my yard started producing waaay more sap than usual ( causing a very sticky mess all over my mom’s car) and it smelled like someone had poured gallons of maple syrup all over the place. This had never happened before and hasn’t happened since. It was interesting and very strange.

[Draygarth]

I am a Canadian and these are all facts. Though the maple sugar camp my family buys our annual crate from actually had a record amount of syrup last year even though the season was short. So don't panic yet.😊

[LeadTrumpet]

New York maple syrup producers have already been adapting. They started tapping in February because of the insanely mild winter.

Winter came in March this year 🤦

[TragoudistrosMPH]

No pancakes, no peace.
*glares at fossil fuel companies*

[colinrobertson]

As a Saskatchewanian, having the temperature go from -30 to plus 25 in less than a week makes this small window seem like the entirety of the season we erroneously call spring