AIBU to think my friend is overdoing emergency stockpiling?

[bagpuss90]

I get that we have been advised to stock up on essentials, though I think it will encourage panic buying. I will probably get a few days worth of stuff at some point . My friend however has, at least in my opinion gone ott about it. She’s stocking up a six month supply of food. She’s bought head torches, a camping gas stove and various other stuff. She thinks I’m being naive …Am I missing something here ?

Of course not. Now that would be a crap government not doing their job.

72 hrs of food and water plus a few extra loo rolls is not going to help with sudden unemployment.

I think that i have spent less on my prep this year than a adverage trip to Primark with my teens. Plus how many lamps can you buy? I'm rural so power cuts and water cuts are almost a certain yearly occupancy. But this year I have upgraded from candels to usb lamps. It al gets used and eaten.

Now if they was to say get a EV as petrol will never fall in price, that quite a outlay. Or a nuclear bunker. But I'd guess the vast majority of the population are unaware and doing nothing.

Aside from the message not being limited to this government, the next GE doesn't have to be called until August 2029.

Well Trump has said he's going to ban diesel exports at the UN tonight

Industry experts think this won't solve his problem. And it's very bad news for us. But not as bad as it is for the Australians.

France is now considering lowering fuel-quality standards to increase diesel and jet-fuel production.

This causes higher emissions, reduced compatibility with certain engines and additional strain on emission-control systems.

A graph which highlights levels of fuckedness if the US do have a diesel exports ban. (The Netherlands is the imported for most of the EU).

If they do, rationing of diesel will start very rapidly.

Diesel rationing will only really help states in the gulf area and only for a short time according to oil experts. It will fuck the rest of the world and probably crash the global economy.

But hey Trump is seriously considering it.

He will do it won't he?

Another explainer:

If Trump bans US diesel/gasoline exports:

1. Gulf coast diesel prices go down, and inventories start filling as millions of barrels look for a domestic home. But California which imports a lot of its gasoline, isnt saved by this.

2. International diesel / gasoline goes thru the roof. Mexico gets absolutely shattered as it gets over 1mbpd of Gulf coast products. They know need to look elsewhere, increasing atlantic tanker demand.

3. US storage fills as Americans cant consume the excess supply.

4. US Refiners cut their runs. That reduces WTI demand, resulting in a lower WTI and a bigger discount to Brent.

5. Foreign refiners print money. India for sure ramps up, Asian refiners follow. China likely ramps runs big time as cracks go through the roof. This increases demand for crude oil and Brent is bid up.

6. Then the US benefit eats itself: lower refinery runs + higher imported crude (to match refinery grades) and we’re back where we started.

So the strange end result could be:

Texas gets cheap fuel.
California doesn’t.
Mexico gets squeezed.
Global diesel goes vertical.
US refiners cut runs.
WTI weakens vs Brent.
Foreign refiners capture the margin.
And then Texas fuel prices go back up.

The US ends up exporting more raw crude while giving up the enormous margin from turning it into the products the world desperately needs.

It would effectively be a free subsidy of foreign refiners at the expense of US refiners.

It would be another short term solution which would leave the US worse off than where it started.

But it's probably be popular in the US in the short term where it matters ahead of the MidTerms.

Ryanair announcing their airfares will be increasing dramatically. Even those who are sceptical will be able to see it impacting on every area.

I've had a large delivery of catfood so at least the cats will be fed if we have disruption.

Just been down to fill up car. Lots of unleaded pumps empty with just the expensive unleaded left. Could just be coincidence.

Noticed supermarkets are out of stock of tinned sardines/mackeral. Not all of them but the own brand ones which are cheaper are sold out. I like the ones in spicy tomato sauce and they were gone.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/09/23/white-house-ban-diesel-01089294
‘Dammit, something has to happen’: White House preparing plan for 90-day diesel exports ban

But as high energy prices continue to bedevil Republican candidates going into tough midterm elections in less than seven weeks, Trump is inclined to announce a ban by the end of the week and consider any blowback “a December problem,” said one oil industry executive who has discussed the ban with senior White House officials.

“What has overpowered cooler heads [in the White House] is the absolutely, sky-is-falling, we-have-to-do-something concern about prices at the pump” faction, said this person, who was granted anonymity to discuss conversations with White House officials. “That camp has been swept aside by the political camp, which says, ‘dammit, something has to happen.’”

White House and Energy Department spokespeople did not immediately address specific questions.

“This is another fake news news story from Politico,” a White House official said
.
AND

Wright made a round of calls to energy CEOs on Tuesday night telling them a 90-day ban was likely to happen in the coming days, according to a Trump energy adviser, speaking on background to avoid repercussions. A number of CEOs immediately began calling the White House to push back on the ban, the adviser said, cautioning that “there’s a lot of swirl so it might change.”

“It’s a terrible idea,” the adviser said.

Another industry official said it could come down to the “last person in the room” with Trump when he makes the decision.

An external adviser to the administration said they had received “a bunch of frantic outreach” in recent days searching for alternatives to a ban. They worried the administration would repeatedly extend a ban and establish precedent for government intervention in energy markets — a playbook Democrats could use as well.

“It’s clear that there is a lot of internal opposition to it,” the person said.

I heard that mackerel has been 'over fished' (that was on the waitrose site) and there are tins with Jack mackerel (which isn't actual mackerel at all and isn't as good nutritionally as true mackerel). Sardines are in short supply because of the rising ocean temperatures around Morocco where many are fished. So they swim out further to cooler water and this costs fishermen more to go get them, so there are less. But yes, I just had an Amazon seller cancel my tinned sardine order.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c32l8y8kygdvo

UK military jamming other nations' satellites to defend itself.

The RAF has been using a ground-based system for the past year, which a defence source said had already been used "to deter our adversaries".

It is understood the system could be used to prevent a hostile nation's satellites from tracking the movement of the UK's nuclear armed submarines or other sensitive military operations, such as those involving special forces.

It comes as the head of the RAF said the UK faced "unprecedented threats" from adversaries in space, coinciding with the creation of a new RAF unit set up to defend Britain's satellites.

Javier Blas AT JavierBlas
The whole U.S. energy industry plus two key businesses associations (the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers) have sent a joint letter to President Trump urging him against limits of diesels exports.

Unprecedented for a Republican White House.

We really are exposed to this. Apparently 1 in 5 barrels of diesel in the UK comes from the US.

https://www.elmundo.es/internacional/2026/09/23/6ab411e9fdddff35028b4598.html
The CIA warns of a Russian drone attack against Spain, France or Italy
European foreign ministries are working with a detailed report following the visit of the Agency director to Moscow / Russia would launch the fearsome Gerbera missiles, with a range of 600 km, from ships, according to information obtained by the Lithuanian government.

It is believed that this triggered CIA Director Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow last month to warn Russia against this attack.

Source: El Mundo (Spanish newspaper - this is reputable)