This topic has just evolved into something of interest! What we have now is a system of disposable goods created from petroleum products, and ultimately delivered using petroleum products. The next time you're at Wal-Mart, pay a visit to the clearance section - the area where they try and dump the various fancy colored storage cubes, fancy thick plastic cups, cell phone cases, lithium batteries for cell phones no longer in production, plastic lighthouses and hobbit figurines, all manner of junk. It's said that up to 90% of the stuff produced in China and shipped over here ends up in a landfill within six months!
Now think of how that stuff all got made; a collaboration between an American corporation's think-tank and a Chinese manufacturer that together figured a way to milk the dumb American public. A good example: one Christmas I received from a poorish relative a bathroom toiletry set, you know, the tumbler, toothbrush holder, and soap dispenser. I looked at it and knew there was no way I would use it, much less find room for it on my bathroom counter and she in her ignorance said, "look, it's the Jumbo size!"
Thanks, but no thanks. Anyway, it immediately went to the landfill - along with everyone else's copy throughout the United States. The point remains, however, a waste of natural resources occurred; in this case we can assume Oil.
It happened somewhat like this: corporation study indicates that a factory established in China at the cost of x barrels of Oil, to make good at the rate of y barrels of Oil, to be shipped to the American consumer at z barrels of Oil, placed on display in a big box store will profit the Shareholder a certain amount of money - as long as the American lemmings are taught to be dumb enough to be dazzled by the plastic gimmickry!
It's the Oil that drives the economy, you see. Now that Oil is becoming more scarce (expect that in ten years, the only time most people will drive will be for emergencies) the cost of commodities will continue to rise as they recently have begun to. See this article; unfortunately the original referenced is unavailable to the public but its gist is contained herein:
http://www.businessinsider.com/jeremy-grantham-commodity-prices-2011-6?op=1
Recently, Bethlehem Steel has begun producing again since it's become less expensive to pay the higher American wages than it is to ship the raw materials (iron ore, etc.) to China and the steel back home - it is this kind of impact the increasing scarcity of Oil will have. Electronic goods, and other high priced goods that take less room on container ships will of course be profitable to ship, but high tonnage items are now prohibitively expensive.
Don't think for a moment that Shale oil, and the other pie in the sky notions will overcome the overall global decline that we're faced with in the years to come. Some pundits are already declaring that we've entered a 4% global depletion rate - that means that the 80 million barrels per day of Oil will in 20 years be 40 million barrels per day, give or take. That's HALF of what's being produced today - who's going to be the one missing out?
Will it be you? Me? Not right away, we'll let those Somalis hit the ditch first I'm sure.
