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The UK’s biggest wholesaler has begun rationing beer, cider and soft drinks as rising demand amid the heatwave and England’s World Cup campaign comes up against a shortage of food-grade carbon dioxide gas (CO2) which is hitting supplies.
Booker, which supplies thousands of convenience stores including the Londis, Budgens and Premier chains, as well as restaurant chains including Wagamama and Carluccio’s, is limiting beer and soft drinks purchases to 10 cases per customer and cider to five cases. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/jun/26/beer-rationed-as-uks-food-grade-carbon-dioxide-runs-low
This is a serious problem as it reads as if they're limiting stores and restaurants. Not individuals though most would not need 10 cases. Unless there was a run on beer :)
Somehow, can't we fix climate change and the beer problem at the same time?
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday June 27 2018, @07:34AM (5 children)
and not unique to the UK
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-06/orica-closure-could-lead-to-soft-drink-shortage/3761750 [abc.net.au]
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 27 2018, @10:50AM (4 children)
Where are all the SN "free market solves everything" posters? Shouldn't a shortage like this be immediately filled by the market??
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 27 2018, @11:51AM
Define "immediately". If any problem were as simple to solve as clicking the fingers, humanity would have no problems.
(Score: 2) by Spook brat on Wednesday June 27 2018, @12:47PM (1 child)
I think they all recognize a situation with high barrier to entry and low margins. No one is obligated to provide low-cost CO2 to the beverage market. if the current supplier won't provide the product at the price the customers are used to, the customers will need to find a different supplier at a higher price, if one exists.
If any immediate solution exists, it will be passed on to customers as an increase in the cost of beer.
Travel the galaxy! Meet fascinating life forms... And kill them [schlockmercenary.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 28 2018, @08:46AM
An increase in price is probably preferable to "no beer".
I am quite sure that with the worldwide recovery of CO2 from fractionating columns, we should be able to spring off enough for England to have some beer.
My guess is the biggest cost will be the logistics of getting it there.
In these days of mass production and economies of scale, logistics seems to be the last cost driver thats tricky to get rid of.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Thursday June 28 2018, @11:59AM
Free markets don't prevent people from making mistakes. They do reward those that can anticipate the future correctly. For example [theguardian.com], there was a brewer less susceptible to the shortage because they recycled and stored their CO2.