Singapore Peak Oil

A new report by Australia's top scientists predicts that the country will be hit by a 10-fold increase in heatwaves and that droughts will almost double in frequency and become more widespread because of climate change...

Yesterday, Australia's agriculture minister, Tony Burke, described the report as alarming and said: "Parts of these high-level projections read more like a disaster novel than a scientific report."

..."If we failed to review drought policy, if we were to continue the neglect and pretend that the climate wasn't changing, we would be leaving our farms out to dry." LINK

Diesel prices in Malaysia have gone up by 63% recently. Naturally, this will squeeze the truckers' profit margins who transport vegetables, eggs and chickens to Singapore. Elsewhere in Asia and Europe, truckers have gone on a strike.

Trucks transport most of the world's food. If truckers go on strike, where will the supermarkets you shop from import their food?

The recent news reports of truckers protesting high diesel prices are a warning to us that we need to re-organise how we obtain our food sources. Depending on farmers who are hundreds and thousands of miles away for our food supplies is a sign of poor resilience. We need to grow more food here at home and intensify organic urban agriculture development. This step is imperative for Singapore to prepare for peak oil. Bear in mind that we import about 90% of the food we consume. As improbable as it may seem, do not discount the possibility of empty supermarket shelves in our "Food Paradise" if oil prices continue to rise. I don't wish to imagine the outcome in the event of food scarcity here in Singapore, which has one of the highest population densities in the world.

The Straits Times - Up prices of eggs and some vegetables

Meanwhile, Malaysian transportation companies have informed importers that they will charge up to 30 per cent more to haul leafy vegetables into Singapore. Last Thursday, Malaysia cut back its fuel subsidies, which increased pump prices for petrol by 41 per cent and diesel by 63 per cent.

The increase has trickled down to wet markets here, which have already been forced to raise prices because of a supply crunch.

Fuel Protests Erupt in Asia As Oil Hits $139 a Barrel

Protests over soaring fuel prices erupted in Asia on Tuesday as truckers in Hong Kong and tire-burning demonstrators in India and Nepal added their angry voices to protests that began last month in Europe.

Truckers' strike clogs highways, causes supply disruptions in Spain

Vendors warned of shortages of fruit, vegetables and meat this week at Madrid's sprawling wholesale market, Mercamadrid, if the strike continues.