Rationing Comes to Costco

Nobody gives up much in North America for our troops in Afganistan or Iraq, or for our changing climate. Whether it's big cars, low taxes or water, we defer death and taxes for our grandchildren to worry about (Or at least the next administration). However the reality of the Peak Food situation is beginning to hit us in the face; In parts of the US they are rationing rice.

It appears that Asian rice, flour and cooking oil is disappearing from the shelves in America, as Asian demand outstrips supply. the New York Sun quotes a shopper: “Where’s the rice?” an engineer from Palo Alto, Calif., Yajun Liu, said. “You should be able to buy something like rice. This is ridiculous.”

Costco is limiting purchases to one bag per customer. In New York, bakers are hoarding flour. In the west, an "anonymous high-tech professional" bought 10 50-pound bags of rice, saying “I am concerned that when the news of rice shortage spreads, there will be panic buying and the shelves will be empty in no time. I do not intend to cause a panic, and I am not speculating on rice to make profit. I am just hoarding some for my own consumption,” Yeah, right. That is what causes the panic in the first place. 500 pounds? ::New York Sun