Well, a big ‘hello’ to anyone who actually still reads this site!
As hurricane Katrina’s after effects hit the American public, with a state of emergency declared, and martial law in some parts, it’s going to take some clearing effort to fix. Shame really, New Orleans was an American city that I might have liked to visit! (Jazz capital and all that!)
Still, the effect on oil prices – they’ve topped $70 a barrel now – will be long effected. Oil production has been heavily slowed in the region, and as demand already out-strips supply, this might be the final nail in the coffin for petrol prices.
The snag is, oil affects everything. It’s the only fuel we use for transport. And, as we transport everything from all over the world with no respect to the distance, only cost, we’re using more than we have to. Excessive plastic packaging which is pointless at the best of times just adds to our woes. What can we do? Use less oil. How do we do it? Who knows? It’ll take action from the top companies all over the world. Not just the oil giants, but the food companies, the consumer services that produce things, governments, everywhere will have to act as one unit to try and help drive down the price of oil.
In the meanwhile though, get a pay-rise and prepare for higher prices not just for petrol, but for food, clothes, CDs, anything that needs to be transported from anywhere to get to your door. It’s going to be a tough ride, but what choice do we have?