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I read a report today about corn and soybean harvests sitting on barges on the Mississippi. The barges normally would go through the Port of New Orleans, but obviously they can't do that now, and there is not enough rail capacity to move the stuff anywhere else. Do you all know how many of the products we eat every day that have corn and soybean products in them?
Here in Illinois, Nicor is suggesting that they will pass on the $1 per BTU increase they are expecting to the consumer. That may account for about a 40% increase in natural gas costs this winter.
Yikes.
Edit: FG, I'll try and return to this one more often than the others. JW
Posts: 514 | Registered: May 2005
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Everything will go up. Nearly everything is shipped by trucks, which use gas. Hence, everything will go up.
Posts: 9871 | Registered: Aug 2001
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If things can get up and running in the next 60 days, which is fairly likely. The hit won't be that bad.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Do I think everything will be? No. But in the last four days they've gotten the pipe systems that move refined gas across the countries from 0% to 40% capacity.
In 60 days, much of New Orleans will be dry, the fires will be out. And a large portion of infrastructure repair will be made. In the mean time, other ports in the area will increase capacity to take up what cannot pass through LA.
Also 60 days from now, the Navy will have the mouth of the Mississippi cleared, and traffic will resume.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Optimistic would be, the entire city dry and the levees repaired, and all infrastructure repairs made.
I don't think that will happen so fast, but once the refugees are out and housed, the main priority in the area should be, and I have to think will be, restoring the infrastructure so the rest of the country doesn't suffer.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Not only will prices go up as a direct result of shipping costs, but supply will go down on some items simply because they can't get in through their normal channels. I don't remember where I heard it, it's been a couple days now and I wasn't really paying attention to what was on the television, but bananas were specifically mentioned as being something that's going to only be available in limited supply and for a much higher price - the estimate quoted was "as much as a dollar a pound" (the higher priced grocery stores currently sell for 69 cents a pound, i pay an average of a quarter by going to Meijer)
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Heating oil will definitely be an issue. I encourage everyone to donate to their local programs that provide heating oil to the poor in winter, when the time comes.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Forget buying bananas for a while. Gulfport is the biggest banana port in the world, and many of the bananas on the docks waiting to be shipped were destroyed and the docks won't be able to receive any for a bit.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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Hurricanes usually cause an increase in the price of plywood, because even when there isn't a major disaster, people buy sheets to cover their windows in advance.
I would guess that the rebuilding of New Orleans will cause shortages in most construction materials.
Posts: 3735 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Yeah, I just stocked up, about 10 pounds at 25 cents a pound. I'll have to forego having fresh bananas for breakfast soon, but I won't have to give up my banana bread yet.
Posts: 4515 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Coffee. About 20-25% of Coffee comes in through New Orleans, and tons of the stuff is sitting in hopefully dry ware houses as we speak. More is being delayed until the producers can figure out how to get it to your local Starbucks.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Altáriël of Dorthonion:
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: I'm so glad CA grows so many fruits and vegetables.
I was thinking the exact same thing. God I love Imperial Valley when it comes to this.
It won't matter. The price for these goods will increase and just because you live near to where they grow will not make you immune to the change.
Posts: 514 | Registered: May 2005
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I'm hoping buying local will help, too. We have a few great CSAs here.
Don't forget- most dish soaps and all non-recycled plastic products are made with petroleum. I'm sure those things will go up too.
Posts: 2711 | Registered: Mar 2004
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I predict that just about everything will go up, except for wages. That might actually go down a bit, or at least stay flat.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
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