Monday morning and the alarm is blaring; it’s time to get up. Into the kitchen I go, looking forward to my first cup of freshly brewed coffee. Oh no!!! Who drank all the coffee? Half asleep, I drive down the mountain to the nearest store in pursuit of my favorite coffee beans. NO COFFEE!! You must be kidding me? I approach the first sales associate I see and ask in a grizzly bear tone, “Where is the coffee?” She proceeds to tell me there is a supply shortage and the delivery trucks are limited due to a shortage of diesel fuel.
The news reported the East Coast is being hit with lack of diesel fuel, but I live in the Rocky Mountains. This can’t be happening! There was a diesel shortage in 2008 right before spring that year. This time the shortage is happening prior to fall. Not good. Somehow, I don’t see a non-diesel vehicle delivering my coffee to the store. It would be interesting to watch them try.
My mind is envisioning no cereal for the kids. Unhappy kids, unhappy parents, and that’s just the beginning. Farm equipment such as tractors and combines also operate with diesel. This equipment is responsible for planting, harvesting, and bailing hay. Without diesel the produce will not get picked, and no shipment can be made for processing or delivery. Also, what about those Christmas presents I ordered from Santa Claus for my kids? No diesel, no deliveries from Amazon, FedEx, and UPS. Scrooge has just hit the holidays!
Planning to visit grandma for the holidays by plane? You may want to consider an alternative mode of travel. Jet fuel uses the same fuel components as the delivery trucks.
Temperatures are starting to drop and the first day of winter is a little over a month away. In the Rockies, we’re already seeing snow and temperatures dipping into the single digits. Utilities are starting to buy heating oil, but what happens when there isn’t any? Better service your wood fireplace and get those extra blankets that you have stored away ready. You may need them this winter.
We thought things were bad during COVID-19, but that had nothing to do with diesel. We receive 70% of our petroleum products, distillate inventory, that we use to create diesel from Russia. Yes, that Russia which is at war with Ukraine. We’ve stopped importing all products from Russia for the foreseeable future. Where will our distillate inventory come from? Next question.
If only we could become more independent in producing our own petroleum products, which we are entirely capable of, barring government control and red tape. That would save us from facing empty grocery shelves. My coffee would be brewing, and my children would be enjoying their favorite sugar cereal. We would be one happy family. And the sales associate would not go running the next time she sees me in the store.