Shortages aren't just for oil anymore

And now it's happened to the trucks. Diesel prices jumped this past week and we're starting to see the effects.

In past weeks, the oil shortage has mostly been affecting people around here in little ways: more carpooling, having to schedule time at the gas station, idle talk of switching to bikes, that sort of thing. Now, it's starting to impact everyone in unpredictable ways.

Trucks are starting to have the same problems cars were having earlier. Random lines at diesel pumps and occasional difficulty finding diesel at all means that trucks are being delayed. We don't normally think about it, but trucks are an integral part of our lifestyle.

Factories in Indianapolis are used to just-in-time delivery for their assembly lines. With trucks delayed, parts are piling up and have to be stored while they wait for late deliveries. That also means they're paying people to just stand around. People are starting to call in to work to find out if they're needed before they drive in. It does save on gas, but at what cost?

Those of us in Bloomington aren't immune to problems either. Stores have weird shortages and surpluses depending on when you go in. With people travelling less than they used to, it leads to some odd purchases and hoarding. I've seen people buy cases of bottled water, as if they knew there were a crisis but weren't sure about the details.

The farmers market was a little off this week too. I'm sure the farmers would like to cut back on their travel, but they can't make any money if they don't come. Vegetables don't keep forever and they've already been planted, so there's no much they can do. Well, not much except raise their prices. Since the market is the only place people can consistently get what they want, demand is high. Most farmers are selling out within an hour or two of opening despite the higher prices.

Never want for food or fire

Shelter is still pretty easy to find (although more on that later), but food is becoming increasingly difficult to buy. Growing and transporting food is one of the most petrolium-heavy industries around and, unfortunately, we're transporting it further than every before.

If we assume that food travels about 1500 miles to get to our tables, we can figure out how much more expensive it'll be as soon as the market catches up to the oil crisis.

1500 miles is about 50 gallons of gas, which now costs $150 more than it did some weeks ago. Sure, that's amortized over the number of products carried in each truck, but that still adds up.

Luckily, our trucks use diesel, so we're not seeing huge price increases yet. As soon as people start switching from gas to diesel, though, demand is going to skyrocket and prices will follow, which means that now is the perfect time to wean yourself from distant foods.

Try to eat food that comes from within 100 miles of you. Most funky organic grocery stores will have sections for local products but if they don't, there may be a local group who will tell you. Here in Bloomington, the Local Growers Guild maintains a map of all food producers within 100 miles.

Another good way of getting local food is to head out to farmers markets. Since they have to drive up themselves, nobody is coming from too far away. Not only will you be able to get some great food, you can meet the people who are growing it for you. These are also the people who are going to be hit hardest when fertilizer becomes more expensive, so they can use your support now.

The best option, of course, is to grow your own food. If you have a little plot of land, you can grow vegetables and fruit, but you might also be able to raise chickens for fresh eggs and eventually meat. Even in towns, you can often raise chickens if your neighbors agree.

Let's get started decentralizing our food production!

A widening gyre

We all knew it was coming, but now it's official: oil shortages are coming. History repeats itself, so it's only a matter of time before we have rationing and all that entails. We'll change our behavior once again as a ritual to win back the favor of the gods of oil. This time, will we be able to maintain the changes? Or will we revert as soon as the crisis appears to pass, drive our SUVs and tear down the solar panel and the wood-burning stove? Or maybe this will be our last chance and the choice will be made for us by the inexorable climb of oil costs.

Sure, it'll take a groundswell to make any real changes but as above, so below. When will our leaders get it together and actually lead for once?