[allenwrench]

On the news they reported that Meals on Wheels is having problems meeting its demands due to high gas and food costs.

They said that 2 persons died from not having deliveries of the meals due to volunteers not being able to afford the gas.

These may be some of the first deaths attributed to PO.

[Jenab6]

They said that 2 persons died from not having deliveries of the meals due to volunteers not being able to afford the gas. These may be some of the first deaths attributed to PO.

A distinction. But probably not an honor.

[blukatzen]

On the news they reported that Meals on Wheels is having problems meeting its demands due to high gas and food costs.

They said that 2 persons died from not having deliveries of the meals due to volunteers not being able to afford the gas.

These may be some of the first deaths attributed to PO.

Having delivered Meals On Wheels myself for several years (not lately though) I would say that this sounds false. The hospital that runs the operation is well aware and there is a cadre of social workers, etc. that are charged with NOT letting something like this happen. In mid to larger cities, there are also Senior centers where seniors can get a hot cooked meal for little to no charge.

If there was a case where 2 people died, it may have been from natural causes, especially since many of these folks have multiple other problems, the people I delivered to were in many cases, in their 90's, or had diabetes (they were amputees), and it could have been attributable to the illness instead of starvation.

Do you have a news source for this please? I cringe when I see things like "they said"...WHO said? (yes, BESIDES the news reporter....)

Blu
who has done senior care for members of her own family.

[VMarcHart]

Alas, the correlation of high gasoline price and peak oil is weak. Gasoline/oil is high-priced because of the highly-correlated high DEMAND. The last barrel of oil could cost a penny, if there's no demand for it.

[RedStateGreen]

They said that 2 persons died from not having deliveries of the meals due to volunteers not being able to afford the gas.

That's quite a few missed meals.

[Dreamtwister]

Some would argue that the "first deaths attributed to PO" happened a long time ago.

[BigTex]

Congress murdered them with their gas tax and prohibition of hydrocarbon drilling on over 10,000 miles of US coastline.

I disagree.

This was clearly an act of terrorism.

[mommy22]

I actually do this for my job...delivering meals to the elderly. I work for the county and the meals are free to the elderly.
I would have to say that, while many of the elderly really look forward to the meal, they often have family looking in and making sure that they have additional food. Plus, we have quite a few social workers who visit them regularly.
It's not happened to me (yet) but several of my co-workers have had the experience of delivering a meal, and finding someone who has passed on. The good news is that they did die in their home, rather than in an institution.
I would question whether this is really PO related.

[bobcousins]

Two down, 4,999,999,998 to go...

News source CBS: High Gas Prices Deadly For Sick & Elderly

Hmm, a couple of old people died. Not really news.

[ushoys]

First deaths where? Worldwide, one would expect that many thousands have already died as a direct result of peak oil. The poorest of the poor countries, whole populations now barely holding on, will be the next to go. "Meals on wheels" recipients, as a whole, are probably well down the dispatch order.

[girlscout]

Sadly, I'm sure there will be many deaths this winter as some will not be able to afford to heat their homes. My brother has a job delivering oil, and last season he delivered to a house where an elderly woman was living in a converted chicken coup in her backyard because heating the house was too expensive.

[slesh]

Sadly, I'm sure there will be many deaths this winter as some will not be able to afford to heat their homes. My brother has a job delivering oil, and last season he delivered to a house where an elderly woman was living in a converted chicken coup in her backyard because heating the house was too expensive.

girlscout, you are dead on with this post here. My mom and dad had home heating oil, hell, roughly 20-25% of homes around Niagara Falls, Buffalo, New York still have fuel oil heating systems.
Last year families were forced to shelters or donations to keep the heat flowing and that was when oil was much cheaper. My father paid (in this area, Buffalo never really grew so this should be an eye opener to people) 800.00 a month to fill a 200 gallon tank.
This year he estimated that if he had kept his fuel oil furnace he would have paid almost 2,000.00 a month. How can the low income families even remotely touch this number. No, I agree with you, this winter is truely going to tell the tale. Thanks for the post.