I filled up my car with diesel for the first time since early April today and finally got a taste of the dramatic rise in the price of fuel on UK forecourts. Where crude oil prices will be in a few weeks or months time is pretty hard to forecast in a world where prices move by several dollars every day. But how would our world change if crude oil climbed to $200 and (more importantly) stayed there for a decent length of time? Martin Zimmerman has this interesting piece in the Los Angeles Times which covers issues such as the impact on global shipping prices, the number of people choosing to take early retirement or work at home to avoid the commute; rising demand for services available in close proximity and an increase in energy-related crime.

“Envisioning a world of $200-a-barrel oil - As forecasters take that possibility more seriously, they describe fundamental shifts in the way we work, where we live and how we spend our free time.”

Here is the full article