Truckies have been protesting throughout New Zealand this morning. The single issue cause is the lack of warning about road user charges going up with immediate effect despite an assurance by transport minister Annette King that she would not do that. There are always a larger bunch of pressures which feed into a decision to protest on this scale, and the rising fuel prices which are driving truckies to the wall economically do seem the likely wider issue.
The oil crisis is threatening the livelihoods of truckies (truckdrivers). It is threatening their ability to feed their families and pay their mortgages. Of course they could find a new job, start a vege garden and become low fuel users and committed locavores. Kind of like finding God, but instead of going to church, they will devote themselves to lowering their footprints on this precious earth and reflect each day on the myriad ways in which they can serve the 'God' of the light footprint.
I'm not surprised that there are truckies all over the world protesting. Why should they go gently into the 'new world', give up their wordly possessions and starting sprouting alfalfa to sell on the roadside? Many of us who have an interest in the issues surrounding the increasingly limited supply of oil have indeed made changes. I and most people in my country, not to mention the rest of the world, lean heavily on the services of truckies.
I was pleased to see our democratic right to protest enjoyed and upheld on such an impressive scale throughout New Zealand this morning. Equally the right of citizens in a democratic country, some people have found this protest offensive and said so. I think it is the very tiniest reminder that such a radical change in society as some peak oil enthusiasts predict will not come about by people all finding their environmental 'God' and their peace beads and gently transforming our society.
The pain is not all about big business.
The oil crisis is threatening the livelihoods of truckies (truckdrivers). It is threatening their ability to feed their families and pay their mortgages. Of course they could find a new job, start a vege garden and become low fuel users and committed locavores. Kind of like finding God, but instead of going to church, they will devote themselves to lowering their footprints on this precious earth and reflect each day on the myriad ways in which they can serve the 'God' of the light footprint.
I'm not surprised that there are truckies all over the world protesting. Why should they go gently into the 'new world', give up their wordly possessions and starting sprouting alfalfa to sell on the roadside? Many of us who have an interest in the issues surrounding the increasingly limited supply of oil have indeed made changes. I and most people in my country, not to mention the rest of the world, lean heavily on the services of truckies.
I was pleased to see our democratic right to protest enjoyed and upheld on such an impressive scale throughout New Zealand this morning. Equally the right of citizens in a democratic country, some people have found this protest offensive and said so. I think it is the very tiniest reminder that such a radical change in society as some peak oil enthusiasts predict will not come about by people all finding their environmental 'God' and their peace beads and gently transforming our society.
The pain is not all about big business.
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