Post Oil Perth

When I read the news lately I am absolutely flabbergasted at the incompetence displayed by our governments in the face of post oil.

They just don’t seem to get it!

Any high school kid could understand that as oil becomes less available relative to demand, it can be expected to go up in price. I’m sure you are with me so far…

Is our economy really too hot?

Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch but as fuel prices go up, wouldn’t you expect the prices of everything that takes fuel to produce would also go up? Here I’m talking particularly about food. And the other big thing affected by rising oil prices is, of course, transport. Since virtually everything we use has a transport cost associated with it, we should be seeing the prices of most things going up. And of course we are!

I’m sure most people would be able to join the dots and understand this. But, it seems, governments can’t.

In Western Australia our rising living costs are being blamed on an overheated economy. The knee-jerk reaction? Put up interest rates! Government economists are assuming that its business as usual and acting accordingly. But what we’re really seeing is the early effects of a society based around cheap and readily available energy having the rug pulled out from under it.

Local businesses hit by latest Government Policy

And I was amazed to read in today’s West Australian that the federal government is changing the rules to make it easier for other mega-grocery chains to do business in Australia. They say this is an attempt to increase competition so that food prices will be as low as possible.

What it’s really going to achieve is the wiping out of our few remaining food manufacturers. Just this week that locally owned business Mrs Mac’s Pies is suffering a blow to its viability due to competition from duplicate “home brand” pie lines introduced by Coles.

As the bite of post oil reality sinks in, and transport costs become prohibitive, we are going to be relying more and more heavily on local producers and manufacturers, and yet, here is our government putting them out of business!

Biofuels not helping

Heard also today that in the UK they have investigated rising food prices and food shortages. The UK government is reportedly embarrassed and surprised to discover that the production of biofuels has contributed significantly to the problem. Why? Because the Government themselves has promoted biofuel production and “didn’t see it coming”.

Oh, duhh!!!! It’s a no-brainer! If good agricultural land is being switched from food to fuel production, then naturally a shortage of food will be the result.

So what’s the message behind this rave?

If you are hoping that the government is going to act in time to save us all from the painful effects on our society of post oil, you may be in for a very unpleasant shock. This is one of those crucial moments in the history of humanity when it will be up to the people to rise to the occasion.

At such times, we can either create the change that’s needed, or have it forced upon us. Which will you choose?