Potential Food and Energy Shortage Across the World

Italians report an increase of 468 % in electricity price :wow:

I saw another such example in Italy a couple of days ago where a tiny ice cream shop displayed its July electricity bill which amounted to 7,400 EUR. A hotel owner told me that all their margin was eaten by the increase in costs. Their July electricity bill had gone up from 16-17K EUR last year to 75K EUR and the food costs for their restaurant had risen 25-30%. He said they would manage due to the high number of guests that came this summer but they weren't sure about other businesses nearby and how they would survive this fall.

This made me think about the article claiming that 6 out of 10 manufacturers in the UK were at risk of closing. When I first read it, I thought it was exaggerating the numbers to attract more readers and to instil fear, but getting first-hand information from business owners was very revealing.
 
Some examples of new monthly prices for gas in Germany:






First tweet: from 69,- to 477,- per month

Second tweet: from 180 to 644 per month

Third tweet: doubled.


And that's not even counting electricity costs, which have also skyrocketed!


Meanwhile, Robert Habeck, Germany's brilliant Green Minister of Economy and Climate Change (haha), had an embarrassing interview on TV that even the shill of a host couldn't believe and asked critical questions. He basically said that some companies, including small businesses like bakeries, might have to simply stop working for a while because it won't be profitable due to high energy prices etc. But then he says "don't worry, they won't go bankrupt, they will just have to stop producing for a while" :headbash:

See here: German economy minister under fire after comments on insolvencies
 
Wow, that’s unfathomable. I just reached out it to family members in Chicago and my Grandma’s sister from Spain came to live with in my Grandma’s house here in the US because she can’t afford to live in Spain anymore. She’s saying even people who make a decent living can’t afford to pay their expenses! Coming soon to the U.S. I’m sure!

With all this happening, all I can think of is “hard times create strong people”!
 
Some examples of new monthly prices for gas in Germany:






First tweet: from 69,- to 477,- per month

Second tweet: from 180 to 644 per month

Third tweet: doubled.


And that's not even counting electricity costs, which have also skyrocketed!


Meanwhile, Robert Habeck, Germany's brilliant Green Minister of Economy and Climate Change (haha), had an embarrassing interview on TV that even the shill of a host couldn't believe and asked critical questions. He basically said that some companies, including small businesses like bakeries, might have to simply stop working for a while because it won't be profitable due to high energy prices etc. But then he says "don't worry, they won't go bankrupt, they will just have to stop producing for a while" :headbash:

See here: German economy minister under fire after comments on insolvencies

I wonder what political tools like Robert Habeck think will happen to them once their work of destruction is finished (in 3-6 months time).
They will have outlived their usefulness for the PTB by then and may be thrown under the bus as scapegoats.

Does he really think he will be rewarded for leveling this civilization in order to try to build a 'sustainable' future?
He obviously doesn't understand that the Davos crowd is just talking about 'climate change' but doesn't believe in it just as he does.
 
US rail strike could pose some problems for food commodities and fuel.

Industries from big retailers to utilities are bracing for disruptions if a strike of the nation’s railways cannot be averted this week.

America’s railroads carry nearly 30% of the country’s freight, and a strike or a management lockout would cost the economy $2 billion a day, according to the Association of American Railroads.

Companies increasingly rely on rail to move their products around the country, pushing the volume of containers and trailers being transported by rail to 14.1 million units in 2021, from 5.6 million in 1990, according to AAR data.

Railroads act as the nation’s vital artery, moving everything from chemicals to chickens. “They are a cost-effective way to move products ” more than 500 miles, says Michael Dominy, head of supply chain research at Gartner. He says the biggest impact of a strike will be to the food supply.

FMI, the Food Industry Association, said in an email to Barron’s that while it is concerned with the potential effects of a rail strike, food retailers and suppliers are resilient. “We remain confident that the food industry will be able to adapt to these rapidly evolving circumstances and find solutions to keep goods flowing should a strike or lockout occur.”

The National Retail Federation warned Congress that an interruption in rail service now would be especially harmful. “We are in the middle of the peak import season as retailers bring in their holiday merchandise for the all-important fourth quarter,” said David French, the trade group’s senior vice president of government relations, in a letter to Congress. “Any rail network disruptions this month could have long-lasting negative effects on this important selling season.”

Retail giants including Walmart (ticker: WMT) and Amazon.com (AMZN) rely on BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern (NSC) trains to ship tens of thousands of containers domestically, the Journal of Commerce Online reported.

Railroads are also used to transport supplies and products for Nike (NKE), Coca-Cola (KO), Procter & Gamble (PG), and auto makers, said Dale Rogers, a professor of supply chain management at Arizona State University. Rail shipping appeals to more companies because it helps meet their energy sustainability goals, he said.

Logistics companies such as J.B. Hunt (JBHT), Hub Group (HUBG), and XPO ( XPO ) also have a stake. Spot rates would likely jump for truckload operators, which also include Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings (KNX) and Werner Enterprises (WERN), Cowen analysts wrote in a Monday note, as well as at brokerage operators such as C.H. Robinson Worldwide (CHRW).

In energy, roughly 70% of ethanol produced in the U.S. is shipped by rail, primarily from the Midwest to coastal markets, according to the Renewable Fuels Association.

Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, notes that ethanol is blended into much of the nation’s gasoline, and gas prices could jump 35 cents to 75 cents a gallon if a railroad strike lasts more than a few days.

Duke Energy (DUK), one of the biggest electric utility companies, has contingency plans that include relying more on gas-fired power generation where it needs to and trucking coal if a strike were to disrupt supplies.

“Continued rail transportation is a critical component to maintaining reliable operations however, in the event of a strike, we have contingency plans in place to mitigate a disruption,” said Duke spokeswoman Jennifer Sharpe.

The possibility of a strike increased on Wednesday morning, after one of the labor unions said its members rejected the tentative deal its leaders had reached.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, representing 4,900 members, is one of the 10 labor unions that tentatively agreed to a compromise proposed by a presidential advisory panel.

Two other labor unions, the Teamster-affiliated Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, and the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, which together represent over 60,000 engineers and conductors, have not reached agreement.

Representatives from carriers and unions met with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Wednesday, trying to reach agreement and avert a potential strike before 12:01 a.m. Friday deadline, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The unions that have reached tentative settlements with the rail operators have said they would follow the engineers and conductors if they go out on strike.


 
The plot thickens. What do you get when evil marries stupidity? Instead of a potential railway shutdown let`s have a real deal because of pro-activity?! :rolleyes:

U.S. railways to halt grain shipments ahead of potential shutdown -agriculture sources
CHICAGO, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Some U.S. railroads will start halting crop shipments on Thursday, a day ahead of a potential work stoppage, an agricultural association and sources at two grain cooperatives said on Tuesday, threatening exports and feed deliveries for livestock.

With farmers starting to harvest autumn crops that are shipped to meat and biofuels producers, the shipping disruptions could add to already high inflation. Farmers also plan to add fertilizer to fields after the harvest, and shipments of fertilizer are being delayed.

The question I`d like answered is how long is it going to take to get the trains and food deliveries back on track.
 
The question I`d like answered is how long is it going to take to get the trains and food deliveries back on track.
I would like to answer "any time soon" but, those behind courtains know that the longer it's delayed, the more effective for their psycopathic aims of disrupting everything. I imagine that, with only one day of strike/strike of that size, the whole thing will go down like a domino effect.

From Italia:
 
For a moment I thought I had landed on a Babylon Bee or The Onion type site of Italy, but everything seems to indicate that it's no joke.

Psychological, TV support - to remind us that we've always been at war with Oceania, I guess - as well as for transportation and power in Italy.

Before the pandemic and without the consequences of inept government decisions, bonds could be accepted. But to give away lettuce for the impact of the expense that citizens are and will have to make in terms of gas and electricity, seems to me to beyond rude, more like a bad joke.

Bonuses, from transportation to psychologist: here are which ones have been boosted by the Aiuti bis decree

The Aiuti bis decree
On September 13, the Aiuti bis decree was approved by the Senate. The measure allocates 17 billion euros to offer support to businesses and families, mainly to cope with the high energy price and the resulting high cost of living. It must be converted into law by Oct. 8, so it is now expected to be considered by the House. Some of the changes that have been made relate to the Superbonus and other construction bonuses, specifically the rule limiting liability in cases of intentional or gross negligence for the assignment of "asseverated" credits, some measures have been extended, such as smart working until December 31 for frail workers and parents of children and young people up to 14 years of age, and others have been strengthened. Let's see which ones.
Transportation bonus
At its launch, the transportation bonus was a great success, so much so that within two weeks of its launch more than 728 thousand vouchers up to a maximum value of 60 euros were issued, intended for the purchase of season tickets (either monthly or annual) for local public transportation (regional, interregional or national rail). ...
TV Bonus
Among the changes made by the Aiuti bis decree is the increase from 30 to 50 euros of the TV bonus, intended for the purchase of TV sets compatible with the new signal emission standards. It was initially provided for in the 2018 budget law, granted as of December 18, 2019, and confirmed now until December 31, 2022, and its goal is to ensure the reception of the TV signal in those areas, especially in the mountains, where following the switch-off of digital terrestrial frequencies, and with the introduction of the new Mpeg-4 coding, some channels are no longer visible.
It is not yet clear whether the distribution modalities will change, but currently the measure is awarded only once per household and to buy a single device. Any citizen residing in Italy who has an Isee of 20,000 euros or less, or who on December 31, 2020 are 75 years of age or older and exempt from payment of the TV fee under Article 1, paragraph 132, of Law No. 244 of 2007 can apply. It is practiced by the seller as a discount on the relevant sale price.
Psychologist bonus
An additional 25 million euros are allocated to fund the psychologist bonus.
The incentive was activated by the Milleproroghe decree to address stress in relation to the Covid emergency and its economic and social consequences. It is disbursed once in the form of a voucher, is individual and has a maximum value of 600 euros, up to a maximum of 50 euros per session (so for 12 meetings). The psychologist in charge of the sessions must be registered with the Register of Psychologists and join the initiative.
Sports and swimming pools.
Then it was approved an amendment to the decree of aid bis, which allocates another 50 million euros to a fund intended for swimming pools and amateur sports so that they can support the energy costs arising from the management of structures, gyms, fields, medical equipment - sports and businesses. ...

150 euro bonus for 417 thousand Bergamasks. "Good, but we need a cap on gas prices."

Aiuti-ter decree. Contribution in November paycheck for incomes below 20,000 euros per year. Corna (Cisl) and Peracchi (Cgil): "The expiring government has done its part, now it's Europe's turn to intervene."
It is a new "buffer" to drain the advancing cost of living. Among the most eye-catching measures of the Aiuti-ter Decree announced by the government on Friday is a new one-time bonus: a 150-euro contribution in the November paycheck for employees, retirees and the self-employed, with the only requirement of having an income below 20,000 euros gross per year. A measure in line with the 200-euro bonus proposed in the summer, precisely with some changes: in addition to the amount (50 euros less than in the previous measure), precisely the audience changes (the 200-euro bonus had a ceiling of 35 thousand euros gross).
 
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