Two Cents Worth
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Our world is trying to tell us something.
A friend made this comment to me the other day. Considering what we are seeing happen around the globe it makes you wonder if the earth is not only it trying to tell us something, but revolting against what we have already done to it. There are many who would agree it’s a sign we are not taking the proper care of what we have inherited.
Revenge is being waged in many different countries including our own. Those fires, many of which were started by lightning strikes, may be the earth’s way of replenishing itself, gutting the damage we have caused and rebuilding.
Most scientists agree the globe is warming and causing lots of issues. The climate has been off for some time now. We often speak of what it used to be like weather-wise. I don’t remember missing much school but I know we had much more snow, ice and sustained cold temperatures than we have had in many years.
Yes, I am that old. I remember vividly when winter was winter all winter long and summer blazed intensely for all the summer months. We didn’t have tornadoes around here or at least rarely and there weren’t hurricane after hurricane even in those areas prone to them. Something is askew.
I know what happens in other parts of the world has an impact on all inhabitants. When something bad happens, natural or man-made disasters, the amount of products from those affected areas will be less available and therefore the prices will increase. We then have the choice to pay the higher price, find an alternative source or product or do without. I get that.
I guess what I don’t get is why prices go up when the product does not come from the affected area as with gas prices since Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. As far as I can gather from much research and reading, we don’t get our gas from Texas. In fact, I don’t think anyone in Canada gets gas from Texas. In fact, Canada has been a primary source of crude oil and refined products imported by the United States. There are 19 refineries across Canada which supply Canadian retail outlets, each with specific requirements - Esso, Shell, Canadian Tire, etc. - according to the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute and the Conference Board of Canada, the biggest in St. John, New Brunswick. All crude oil used in refineries west of Sarnia comes from Canada. East of Sarnia it comes from Canada’s off shore wells or foreign countries such as Algeria, UK-North Sea, Nigeria, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Venezuela, Mexico and a small amount from the US.
I have been told because there is a huge deficit of gas in areas of the United States which do get their gas from Texas. Our Canadian refineries don’t have enough to offset the American’s need, so our prices go up. Although we may not be linked by product, it seems we are linked by pricing.
It’s not just the climate that’s a bit off, wouldn’t you say?
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