Gird yourselves for some major disappointment, pancake lovers of America, because your favorite topping for those pillowy mounds of goodness may be in super short supply for a while.
That's right: There is apparently a major maple syrup shortage coming to the U.S., and we have global warming to blame.
According to Food and Wine magazine, farmers throughout the nation have been reporting that the production of maple syrup has taken a huge hit, and it's mostly due to the bizarrely warm temperatures in the Northeast, where the majority of America's maple syrup is produced.
Of course, it's not actually that bizarre -- environmentalists, scientists and many others have been warning us all about global warming for some time now, and encouraging people to begin taking active steps to cut down on their contributions to this global disaster. Is the threat of naked pancakes enough to make deniers of global warming change their ways?
You see, because the warmer temperatures hit for such an extended period of time, rather than just for a temporary bout, it has actually ended up forcing maple-sap collection to end earlier than usual, said Gary Bilek, president of the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup Producers Council, to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
"For the sap to keep running, we need warm days followed by cold nights, below freezing, to drive the sap down and keep the trees from budding," Don Hess, owner of Duck's Maple Farm, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "If it doesn't get cold again, I'm done."
We know that avocado toast is currently seeing its heyday for brunch fans everywhere, but let's be honest: The classic combo of pancakes and maple syrup has never really gone out of style. And that's not to mention other combinations with maple syrup that foodies know and love: waffles and maple syrup, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes with maple syrup ... we could go on and on!
The reality is that if the nation doesn't produce as much of the sweet syrup as it usually does, it's going to begin costing us a lot more to buy maple syrup. So prepare yourselves for that reality, pancake fans!