@Mr. Zorg - due respect, amigo, not seeing anything which changes my position.
I do hope I've misread the signals.
No offense taken Sarge, and none intended to be given. Can you share a link on the CO2 shortage? I found this one now from the CGA dated April 11. But nothing in response.
https://www.cganet.com/industry-warns-risk-of-carbon-dioxide-shortage-in-us/
I also see the government is finding diverting ethanol production to use in hand sanitizer more difficult.
https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/04/30/us/30reuters-health-coronavirus-ethanol-sanitizer.html
FWIW, the last CO2 shortage in Europe a few years ago put stopping making soda fizzy way, way before impacting anything nutritious and frozen (meats, fruits, and vegetables). A tiered approach to handling the situation. So far the domestic carbonated beverage industry seems not to be impacted.
https://www.bevnet.com/news/2020/amid-production-drop-beverage-co2-supply-chains-steady-for-now
But there evidently some areas that depend on CO2 to produce potable municipal water. That's a bit odd in my experience and potable water is manufactured without using CO2 in many parts of the USA so maybe alternate technology approaches can be used.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/20/carbon-dioxide-shortage-us-food-water-coronavirus
So hard to say where this really sits but industrial CO2 can and is manufactured and recovered outside the ethanol fuel mandate production system. Even if petroleum refinery hydrogen demand drops to zero, the hydrogen plants can be run on their own solely to manufacture on-purpose CO2 where recovery facilities exist, by burning the hydrogen as part of the massive fuel demand for the endothermic reactions that convert natural gas (methane) and water (steam) in the presence of special catalysts that lower the energy requirements. It won't be very economical relative to pre-COVID-19 manufacturing since normally hydrogen is the desired demand product with CO2 a byproduct but it would be available. As with everything else, "How much is it worth to you?" is a big question, and who gets to be in line first. Inexpensive (say 2019 basis) industrial CO2 may be at risk but there are ways to get CO2 that still exist and have existed before MTBE was banned as gasoline oxygenate blendstock in the USA.
HEB grocery stores continue to have their reinstated meat item limits, and well-stocked meat departments here in San Antonio, with no signs of frenzy buying when I went mid-morning on Sat to pick up a script and a few items. HEB seems to have calmed their (large if not largest) market share in the local populace by re-instituting item limits on meat purchases. The local media has been noticably unhelpful in the degree of fueling these things.
Walmart and Sam's Club have no item limits on meat purchases, well stocked meat departments, and no panic buying frenzy on Thu last week. TBH, since the initial panic buying of toilet paper, canned foods, eggs, and meat begain in March the meat departments once restocked several weeks ago have remained so except last week's run that prompted meat item limits to be reinstated at HEB. I don't have a Costco membership so I have no idea what's going on in their stores. And I normally don't shop at Whole Foods or Sprouts but they've had commodities like eggs and dairy products available sometimes while the other retailers haven't in this area anyway.
I can't speak for the packing houses, but since they're now essential businesses I suppose military could be an option for a temporary labor force there. Expertise and equipment for protecting personnel from nuclear, biological, and chemical threats at least used to be important there. Today, I really don't know.
I'm in good shape as long as electric power is available. I have a pre-owned commercial upright freezer in the garage larger than most folks' combination refrigerator / freezer in their kitchen, currently filled with beef, pork, and venison (some of which I shot) primarily large cuts for the beef and pork. Plus one combination refrigerator / freezer in the kitchen and a second combo unit in the garage. Those aren't full but are readily available if need to fill them arises.
If electric power supply goes out for any significant period I have 4 BBQ grills and smokers, including a 24" ID combination horizontal offset + vertical mounted on a trailer and a great supply of solid fuel. I'll run the chuckwagon on our cul-de-sac!
