Gotta Unload

[flyangler]

Gas prices have doubled and if $50 bucks a tank (USD) isn't enough to discourage us from fishing locally, then there are the floods, landslides and tornadoes. Can we whine about this within earshot of people who have lost homes or loved ones in the storms?

 

And could we drive north to fish, avoiding flooded areas? No. See gas prices, above. Could we fly to one of our favorite spots in Canada? Only if we want to pay an extra $50 on top of shocking air fares per checked bag. Can we get all our clothes and gear for a two week trip in one carry on? Only if we're nudists! Believe me, Canada can't handle the brilliant blinding whiteness of our bellies.

 

I've planned to use my energies to volunteer for a relief organization that helps with disaster clean up, but even they are waiting. The storm sacked areas in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin have gotten yet more rain, some are still getting it as I write. We can't go help clean up until the water comes down.

 

A gallon of milk is priced just about the same as a gallon of gasoline. Commodity prices are sure to go up as products reflect the rising gas prices. Add to this the effect of a cold spring on corn and soybean development which as put crops behind. Now add flooded fields which may have to be replanted or lost.

 

Water. Love it or hate it, we gotta have it. I prefer mine cold, clear, clean and full of silly-stupid trout. I guess what I'm ranting about is that fishing is my escape from so many of the world's cares and now the world has intruded on this virtual vitamin without which I feel so much worse.

 

Also all my swiss chocolate is gone.

 

Help me out here. Or tell us what's eating you.

[ladystrange]

i'd have to say that gas prices are definately bothering me. $1.33 per liter is 5.02 per gallon costs me about 70CAD to fill, and since the canadian and us dollar about the same, well you get the point. last year i was looking at arounf $45 to fill the tank. strangely my wages have not increased nor do i expect them to any time soon with the hiring freeze.

 

i'm tired of living to go to work so i can afford to go to work. i'm going camping this weekend and the gas alone is going to cost 70 never mind eating. seems kind of silly fo 2 days and then i have to get another tank just so i can get to work on monday. that sucks @$$

 

anyone with 50K want to start a commune??? if we can get 15 people together...

[beedhead]

Indeed the gas price is nuts...I used to go on a fishin trip thinkin about how much food, beer and whisky was going to cost...That stuff seems to be the cheap part of the trip as of lately...Now I mainly think about how much fuel will I use?....Chev 4X4's like fuel...And I love fishin so...I guess I pay the price....Seems everything else goes up in price, but our wages seem to stay the same...Anyone had a raise lately due to inflation???...I havent...

 

My 2 bitts worth...Jeff.. ..

[Guest tallieho]

isn't it somewhat peculiar that the politians can find another reason to give themselves yet another raise,but can't afford to insure that our health care professonals get monies in there satchels to keep the best here .

[Lundvike]

isn't it somewhat peculiar that the politians can find another reason to give themselves yet another raise,but can't afford to insure that our health care professonals get monies in there satchels to keep the best here .

 

Word. Our CBA is up and they are renegotiating it right now. The province offered us a ~4% per year for the next 4 yrs, we countered with 9%, 8% and 8%. Personally I think stelmachs 34% sounds a lot better. In the end we are unlikely to cover the cost of living increases over the next 3 years.

[flyangler]

Thanks for commiserating folks. I knew I'd feel better after airing a gripe or two.

 

Now for something that's not coming off my chest: found a lump yesterday, doc says it's nothing serious today, sent me for ultrasound and mammogram today and YEP, it's nothing serious. So we're not going to do anything about it.

 

Except fish. Apparently these things come and go by themselves, so fishing is as good as anything for a treatment.

 

Be well and happy and carpool to fish.

[Hawgstoppah]

How about us truck drivers who have been at the same wage for about 15 years now. 4000 a month used to be damn good money. Now I can't afford to do anything, really, except pay the bills and sit at home. I guess it's a good thing I got that fishing sim game a while ago... might be fishing on Flysim more than on a real river this year...

[flyangler]

Hawg- yeah, I heard some European truck drivers were holding protests over the cost of diesel.

[LynnF]

Gas prices have never really bothered me until the recent hike to $1.34. Sure I bitched and moaned (who doesn't) about it but it's never stopped us from doing what we've wanted to do. With a 28 foot trailer and a pig of a truck to haul it, guess where the trailer is right now? In storage...and it's staying there for the summer. For other reasons primarily but I gotta tell you that I'd be choked if I had to haul that thing this year. Next year gonna be any better? Probably not.....what are we gonna do then? Chances of unloading that (if we wanted to) are...umm....NIL with the current gas prices. When does the price start going down again? Where does it level out? This certainly isn't sustainable so where and when does it end? It's a good thing we only have to pay for, gas and insure one vehicle in our family - there's absolutely no way we'd be able to afford 2 - who can at this rate? Which brings up another interesting aspect to this. Mike has a company vehicle. There are 4 vehicles that the company pays gas for and their costs have increased 40%. How do you think they're gonna recoup that? Same way everyone else is starting to - fuel surcharges. Think they're gonna go away now? Nope...even if gas lowers and levels off, they'll still be there. Think they'll still be relative to gas prices? Probably not....who regulates that action? Case in point - used to be when I booked a flight with airmiles it would cost me just the taxes - $110 for a $450 trip to Vancouver. Now with the fuel surcharges (which airmiles doesn't cover) you might as well buy the friggin' plane ticket outright. It's everywhere and it affects everything we touch - not just our gas tanks.

 

Top it off that we just bought a new SUV which costs over 3 figures to fill up now and we're feeling the rage. It's not so much the pinch - you gotta live within your means and we do. But when other people/corporations are pulling the strings that affect your means it's a real tough pill to swallow.

 

Can't imagine being in Brian's position. When it cuts that deeply into your life it's plain wrong. Somebody will do something real soon...I'm gonna bet.

[ogilvie]

I have to say that for me this is an old story that has frustraded me since the late 60's...in the Mid 70's I was president of a group called Solar Canada...my interests and training was in the High Performance Construction world that soon became defunct because of the industries inability to desire real change and greed. And that hasn't changed to this day...Lip service is all we get and politicians pensions are the main focus.

However,we can take this current focus on fuel costs to a new level of understanding. It can be time to make change in our lifestyles as Canadians and world citizens. Why do we water lawns?and not gardens!! Why do we drive alone to go pick up a loaf of bread or Milk? Ludicrous for sure. How many vehicles do we need?

SO...my fishing adventures are more frugle,shared more often and closer to home mostly! My garden is expanding,wood heat is a new focus,and life will continue as never before. What we do as Humans is most often unrealistic and foolish..but what we do individually will create change.

I wonder why they stopped useing trains for freight??? in this huge country!!and have set-up truck drivers in a false industry!

Wow...I need some cheese

C

[Taco]

Piss on fuel surcharges, it's just another chickenshit way to raise your prices without having to "raise" your prices... same goes for that "mileage"BS. Luckily for me my business is established enough and my industry reputation is strong enough that I'm phrasing in a 15% increase in my base rates. Done.............

...................................................(I hope?)

[PlayDoh]

I think the gas prices are the 'writing on the wall'. Peek oil is here. From this time forward, oil production will be on the decline. Even if that estimation is incorrect, our demand has started to exceed our supply.

 

Watch "Crude awakening", which is a documentary on the subject of 'peak oil'. Check out "the oil drum" website also. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil

"The end of suburbia" is another good peak oil Documentary.

 

Its unreal when you try to fully understand the impact oil has on our lives. They say the worlds population was 1 billion before oil production, and cant sustain more then 3 Billion without a viable alternative fuel source.

 

Because supplies of oil and gas are essential to modern agriculture techniques, a fall in global oil supplies could cause spiking food prices and unprecedented famine in the coming decades. Geologist Dale Allen Pfeiffer contends that current population levels are unsustainable, and that to achieve a sustainable economy and avert disaster the United States population would have to be reduced by at least one-third, and world population by two-thirds.

 

 

Another way to look at it, after my own 'crude awakening' is that even if gas was $100 a litre its still, far and away the best source of energy we have.

1 Barrel of Oil = 23200 Hours of Human Work Output.

 

I think Mankind faces its greatest obstacle yet, in finding a sustainable fuel supply. I also believe our generations will be looked back upon with high regard if we succeed, or there will few left to blame us.

 

I was left with a thought that Oil is our "free ride", in terms that we have used Oil to create phenomenal technologies, and we can use Oil, to find its replacement. It cost 1 barrel of oil for every 6 that were produced back in the 50's, yet all that 'light' high energy oil is almost out, and not only are we facing a future with only half the oil we started with, but its going to be much less efficient to obtain it. I think $1.30 a litre will be looked back on as cheap soon, once the change to our transportation system occurs.

 

Like Hawg stated, think of the Trucking industry? I drove truck myself, and I can tell you their getting the same rates they did 30 years ago, and competing with subsidized immigrants who drive rates down. It cant go on forever. The breaking point isn't that far away either, I'd assume.

 

Wish I had the solution, and as you can tell I've had my big brain cooking on it for a while. lol. Will the 'Crash' happen slowly, or will we hit a brick wall? Oil is still cheaper then water and milk, & when you think of it that way, you can see the room for price increases. With the same point of reference, you can see the end of our ignorance.

[ogilvie]

Piss on fuel surcharges, it's just another chickenshit way to raise your prices without having to "raise" your prices... same goes for that "mileage"BS. Luckily for me my business is established enough and my industry reputation is strong enough that I'm phrasing in a 15% increase in my base rates. Done.............

...................................................(I hope?)

Are you the BC Peckerwood Tako??? Good for you

[Taco]

No, I'm the SA, SK older edition.....

 

cost me over 400 bucks for 300L of fuel this morning, which will last me about 5-6 days, so I was a tad irritated, thank god I don't own a trucking business and go through over twice that per day per truck

[Taco]

 

tryin out my editin skills and i effed up

[flyangler]

Took my own advice and carpooled to fish yesterday. We chose a large-ish river for these parts and gave our fishing buddy some gas money for both the truck and the boat.

 

Although it was a totally gorgeous day, there had been yet more rain the night before and low lying areas near the launch were under water. There was about 6 inches of visibility. My husband caught one small striped bass and that was it for all three of us all day.

 

Sleep was lost, gas was burned but here are the high points: we saw three trumpeter swans, a snake swimming in the river towards us, numerous deer, we got to know a fishing buddy a bit better, stole a fly he invented and shared an excellent picnic lunch at a riverside campground without getting wet. I also got to man the tiller and the electric trolling motor so our generous host could do some fishing. As a first timer on high, fast water I'm pretty proud I didn't dump us.

 

Having fished, regardless of the fish count, I feel a little less "stuck" today. Calmly we await the call to volunteer.

[Hawgstoppah]

Like Hawg stated, think of the Trucking industry? I drove truck myself, and I can tell you their getting the same rates they did 30 years ago, and competing with subsidized immigrants who drive rates down. It cant go on forever. The breaking point isn't that far away either, I'd assume.

 

The breaking point is already past. Trucks as it stands right now are running down the road losing money. Companies are folding at an alarming rate. My advice is... fill your basement with dry food goods and water people. I'd say this world is headed for some catastrophic food shortages, and economic misery, very soon.

 

I'm actually taking my alaska run for what it is.... what might be my last real chance at fishing such a "far away" place. Gonna hire some guides... and get ' er done right

[ladystrange]

opec announced the additional production of 500m barrels a day in hopes to bring the price of fuel down. nice to know the oil is there and they are just sitting on it...

 

we still lack in refineries in north america.

[bowfin]

opec announced the additional production of 500m barrels a day in hopes to bring the price of fuel down. nice to know the oil is there and they are just sitting on it...

 

we still lack in refineries in north america.

[Tako]

The breaking point is already past. Trucks as it stands right now are running down the road losing money. Companies are folding at an alarming rate. My advice is... fill your basement with dry food goods and water people. I'd say this world is headed for some catastrophic food shortages, and economic misery, very soon.

 

I'm actually taking my alaska run for what it is.... what might be my last real chance at fishing such a "far away" place. Gonna hire some guides... and get ' er done right

 

There's always BC. And a willing accomplice to help you find some big azz salmon on some not very well known rivers. Far away places are only far away if you don't know someone.

[Hawgstoppah]

There's always BC. And a willing accomplice to help you find some big azz salmon on some not very well known rivers. Far away places are only far away if you don't know someone.

 

Will there be anything in the Prince George area when I'm coming back through? (July 6-10 or so?)

[wtforward]

A positive for high fuel prices is that some watersheds may see less pressure

but seriously we had our chance back in the 70's to get off the oil

addiction and we cast a blind eye and now we pay the piper. I don't think technology

is going to bail us out on this one for one very important reason. Time.

Anything that can ease the burden of fuel costs cannot be brought on

stream fast enough and don't forget India and China are all trying to achieve

our unstainable standard of living. There is nothing that we have that does not

have some imprint of oil on it. How many things do you buy that are made overseas

and what do you think they cost in freight (oil) to get here. At some point you

would think the labour savings is being offset by the freight costs. So much for

the global economy. Things we can do. Drive less, car pool, walk, bike etc.

Think local economy say within 60 -100 mile radius. Reduce the love mile

travelling. Consume less, if possible move closer to work. You don't want

to be out in the Burbs..you can't afford it long term and you are going to take a hit

on the value of your digs. Quite supporting the bottled water community. It takes

1/4 the volume of the bottle in oil to make the damn bottle and the water comes out of a tap.

Oh and don't forget to get your firearms permit.....just kidding. The oil driven economy

in Alberta really warps the optics of what is really coming down and it really should concern

ever person living here.

[reevesr1]

we still lack in refineries in north america.

 

Can't build anymore of those. They are always in someone's back yard. NIMBYism, and regulations (and not just Environmental) run absolutely amok almost guarantee no new ones will be built anytime soon.

 

I'm no economist, geologist, environmentalist or any other ist for that matter. I do know that the world doesn't really go round and round, it really just swings back and forth like a pendulum. The pendulum right now is swinging to the over-reaction to the pending (and hasn't it been pending, for I don't know ALL OUR FREAKIN' LIVES?!), "Peak Oil" event(though there are economists out there who will tell you there is no such thing. If it is worth enough we will always find more. I'm not saying I believe that, just stating a viewpoint). It's like if we hit "Peak Oil" the whole damn world will just cease to spin. If we really do hit peak oil soon, it does not mean that we are going to run out tomorrow for cripes sake.

 

So next, we will all over react to the price of oil. We will all be driving Prius's and bitching about lack of room in the car. People will be living in Suburbans, or Lynn's 28 ft trailer. Demand will drop, over supply will be the norm and the price will plummet. Now, it will never plummet to $25.00 again. But to think it will stay at $135, IMHO, is crazy.

 

Next, when oil prices bottom out, people will buy big cars, other presently third world countries will start to industrialize because of cheap energy, price of oil will go up, people will speculate that we are running out, price will skyrocket ........ and the pendulum just swings back and forth. I think I've seen this story before, haven't I? Oil embargo, anyone?

[126barnes]

Can't build anymore of those. They are always in someone's back yard. NIMBYism, and regulations (and not just Environmental) run absolutely amok almost guarantee no new ones will be built anytime soon.

 

Two 300, 000 barrel a day refineries (would be biggest in NA) are in the works in Canada right now (Irving in St. John NB and Altius in Placentia NL).........I'm guessin first to get there sh1t in order wins......Money is the problem for the NL one they are blaming the weak US economy for lack on investing into this project...............fed Environmental is complete and Engineering has been going on for the last year or so................The Irving refinery is still seeking enviro approval......................1976 was the last time a new refinery was built in North America................Come by Chance, NL............currently owned by Harvest Energy from San A, Texas.

[bhurt]

I just find it funny that not long after the NEW OIL REVENUES were put into effect how our gas prices went soring....... Hmmmmmmmmmm.....................