Oil Prices - PEI and King Canute - We all have to work together
Craig Avery, a lobster fisherman from Northport, says fishermen already struggling to make ends meet have been dealt another blow. He said his fuel costs alone will increase this year by more than $5,000. (Guardian)
“With the low price of lobsters that we already have, we have no way of making that up,’’ said Avery.
Fishermen have been receiving $4-$4.50 per pound for lobster.
“Bait prices have gone crazy. Fuel is going up. We’re catching the same amount of lobsters. Expenses will be up $8,000-$10,000. There’s nothing there left.’’Fishermen and farmers are not the only ones affected by skyrocketing gas prices. Tourism operators are bracing for the worst. A new Rand McNally survey says two-thirds of Americans planning road trips this summer are either altering their plans to shorten their trips or cancelling altogether.
High fuel prices are also pushing up food prices and taxi drivers in Charlottetown are calling for an increase in fares to cover the costs of skyrocketing gas prices.
The issue was front and centre at the P.E.I. legislature Wednesday. Conservative Mike Currie called on Premier Robert Ghiz to honour his promise to end mid-month gas price adjustments. “You broke that promise,’’ said Currie. “Clearly he’s not concerned about the well-being of Islanders. I guess when you have a gold credit card to buy your gas, you’re not really concerned.’’
Ghiz said when the promise was made last year world oil prices were not as volatile. “I wish I could control the price of oil,’’ the premier said.
The people also thought that King Canute was all powerful. He was held responsible for the weather, for crops, the the health of his people. Fed up with taking responsibility for things he could not control - he set up a demonstration. He had his Throne taken down to the tide's edge and commanded the tide not to come in.
Of course it did.
Folks the energy tide is coming in and there is nothing that "King" Robert can do about it and shifting the blame onto the government for massive forces acting in the world is as much use as hoping that King Canute could stop the tide.
So what can we do then?
We have to pull our head out of the sand and start to thinking our way through our new reality. The trends for energy prices have been clear for years. We are now going into a new world where most if what we took for granted will have to change. Let's explore this.
We can't hope to keep the world we had.
Fishermen who have $200,000 worth of capital tied up in a diesel boat and who sell to a broker have a business that cannot work anymore. There may be a fishing business but not structured as it is now.
Farmers who rely on oil based inputs and on moving their produce across the world and on selling not to customers but to middle men will have no business. There will of course be farming but not designed as it is.
Cab driver driving Crown Victorias getting 14 miles to the gallon and taking one passenger at a time have a business that does not work anymore. There will be cabs but not like this.
A Tourism business that relies of quick road trips aimed at lower middle income people will not have a market. There will be tourism but not like this.
A school system that buses all the kids for up to 2 hours a day and that heats big schools will not have a model that works. There will be schools but not like the ones we have now.
Businesses that rely on their workers to drive in every day will not have a workforce. There will be businesses but not like the ones we have now.
People who heat with oil, drive a gas guzzler and have no insulation in their houses will not be able to afford food let alone taxes.
People who struggle to feed and eat will not be able to pay taxes. You can expect the tax base to come under pressure and so on.
There will be a future but not based on how we have structured our lives for a world of cheap oil. Our first act is to "see" what is really going on and to stop looking for help from people who cannot help us - this is about us and not "them".
Time to start thinking how we all live and work through. We don't have a lot of time. When we are pushed to the wall - we can become very creative - but not if the debate is confined to what can the Premier do for us. Not if the debate is all about "Bring back the life we have had.
Let's please accept what is going on and then start to think together abut what we could all do - I think that we will surprise ourselves with how smart we can be.












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