The idea of an oil shortage

How will an oil shortage affect me personally?


An oil shortage will impact me and my family significantly.  Everyone in our household commutes 10-20 minutes to work each day.  Collectively, we purchase seven tanks of gas every month.  If the price spiked from $2.70 - $4 / gallon, our average expense for gas would spike from $280/month to $420!  That is almost double!


Additionally, if the price of gas increases, so will the price of: 

• Travel beyond personal transportation -- so if I want to visit my family in California or friends in the Pacific Northwest, the cost will be greater (if not prohibitive)
• Everything I purchase that requires oil for manufacturing and oil for transportation will increase in price.  This would include:
• Food
• Clothing
• Medical supplies
• Supplies to improve my home
• Furthermore, my expenses would increase.  If the price of oil increased, my electric and gas bills would increase.  Because technology is reliant on oil, too, my internet and satellite bills might increase, too.

What most worries me?

I am worried...

• about how these increased expenses will force my family to compromise our quality of life including:
• the variety of food we enjoy eating
• the amount of travel we complete in a year to Denver, the local ski areas, to area campsites, and travel to California, the Pacific Northwest, the East Coast, and internationally to visit family and friends.
• that others will not modify their own lifestyles, which will keep the costs excessively high for me and for my family.
• that the increase in price will not stop at $4, but that it will climb higher

What actions am I taking in response?

Although it feels like an additional expense now, I am purchasing all of my produce from local sources at the farmer's market.

Our family has joined a CSA (Community Support Association) so our meat is local too (our poultry comes from Ft. Collins and our beef comes from Cheyenne, Wyoming).

My husband has started to bike to work.

Days that I do not work, I am attempting to travel everywhere by foot or bike.

We set our air conditioning to a higher setting, and have put up signs around our house to remind everyone to turn off lights when they leave a room.  We are also unplugging appliances that are not in use.

What can the common people do to make things better?

Some of the same actions I am taking and more given where they live and what they do.

Other options include carpooling and public transportation, and also communicating these accessible measures to friends and family.