Implications of snow on economy and life in general

[Atilla]

Hi everyone,

1. I was pondering the implications of all this snow on sales and markets.

2. Loss of electricity, gas or petrol is likely to destory our creature comforts within a matter of weeks.


Two different subjects but reflecting on it, I reckon with falling sales and recession - company profits are likely to take a dip - maintaining labour costs whilst taking reduced revenue. Bottom line is likely to be bleak for next quarters results.

Secondly and more importantly - we had one power cut down here in West Sussex and basically life support systems fail. No electricity and no boiler even though that is gas. The control mechanism is wireless & electrically controlled.

Is technology becoming a real benefit, feature or design flaw in sub zero temperatures?

No heating and no hot water coupled with -5C and that's it we are well and trully stuffed.

Supermarket deliveries will soon likely to start suffering. Flights and trains cancelled or running with distruption and severe delays. Schools closed.

At first I thought what's the fuss? Take few days off. However, now it seems to be going on forever and another full week in the wind...

News keep going on about salt and gritters. Here we are in a snow storm - once in 30 year event (up until now) and we are caught out. How can anyone blame anyone else for mother natures turn. I think it is fool hardy to think we can counter weathers impact.


Life suddenly seems very precariously balanced indeed.


Feeling humbled by caveman's survival to our modern era... :cheesy:

 

[Splitlink]

I hope that this is a not going to be the norm every winter because, if it is, the social services are going to break down under the strain.

Here, in Barcelona, we have been very fortunate to date, but Spain is getting, if not UK conditions, certainly, a "bellyfull" for the average Spaniard. No energy supply problems, though, around here.

I'm watchng Arsenal-Everton. The stadium seems full.

 

[chilltrader]

Lets ask the Scandinavians how they survive...

Speaking of which, if we had as many hot blondes, I wouldn't mind the freezing weather all year round - who needs heating!

 

[dealer911]

Hi everyone,

1. I was pondering the implications of all this snow on sales and markets.

2. Loss of electricity, gas or petrol is likely to destory our creature comforts within a matter of weeks.


Two different subjects but reflecting on it, I reckon with falling sales and recession - company profits are likely to take a dip - maintaining labour costs whilst taking reduced revenue. Bottom line is likely to be bleak for next quarters results.

Secondly and more importantly - we had one power cut down here in West Sussex and basically life support systems fail. No electricity and no boiler even though that is gas. The control mechanism is wireless & electrically controlled.

Is technology becoming a real benefit, feature or design flaw in sub zero temperatures?

No heating and no hot water coupled with -5C and that's it we are well and trully stuffed.

Supermarket deliveries will soon likely to start suffering. Flights and trains cancelled or running with distruption and severe delays. Schools closed.

At first I thought what's the fuss? Take few days off. However, now it seems to be going on forever and another full week in the wind...

News keep going on about salt and gritters. Here we are in a snow storm - once in 30 year event (up until now) and we are caught out. How can anyone blame anyone else for mother natures turn. I think it is fool hardy to think we can counter weathers impact.


Life suddenly seems very precariously balanced indeed.


Feeling humbled by caveman's survival to our modern era... :cheesy:

I guess for investment/trading purpouses this weather would be sector specific..

Buy
Energy
on-line retailers
Durex!

Sell
Transport

 

[Atilla]

Lets ask the Scandinavians how they survive...

Speaking of which, if we had as many hot blondes, I wouldn't mind the freezing weather all year round - who needs heating!

Hmmm.... begs the question why suicide is so high in terms of statistics in these scandinavian countries...

In my limited humble opinion - I reckon its more likely to be the snow than the hot blondes...

 

[Atilla]

I guess for investment/trading purpouses this weather would be sector specific..

Buy
Energy
on-line retailers
Durex!

Sell
Transport

Very interesting - as this could mean a baby boom for the month of September perhaps...

Buy Mothercare???

 

[chilltrader]

Hmmm.... begs the question why suicide is so high in terms of statistics in these scandinavian countries...

In my limited humble opinion - I reckon its more likely to be the snow than the hot blondes...

er... not really, its just that it gets too dark and the blondes can't be seen properly.

 

[Trader333]

Is technology becoming a real benefit, feature or design flaw in sub zero temperatures?

How else would you keep 61 million people warm ? Without technology there would be a hopelessly inadequate supply of coal or wood to burn as the only viable alternative to keep people warm in my view.

Hmmm.... begs the question why suicide is so high in terms of statistics in these scandinavian countries...

More than likely the very short days at key times of the year. I have noticed quite a few people who seem quite low when there is a lack of Sun.


Paul

 

[Splitlink]

I don't think that life in Sweden is all that great. We went up there, once, in January and had to wait for an icebreaker to come out for us. Someone was standing fishing in the cracks left by previous ships and there were one or two other ships stuck in the ice, probably their cargo wasn't important enough to be considered urgent. We were carrying fuel for the power stations and that had to get through. Our plating got corrugated at the waterline and the engineer rang the bridge to ask what the noise was as we moved through the ice.

What a voyage! We had horizontal icicles on our rigging because of the bitter wind and the mercury on the bridge thermometer was right down in the bulb.

Considering that that was part of a normal winter I'm not surprised with the high suicide and emigration rate.
They didn't have decent beer there, either!

I wonder if they are having an immigration problem?

 

[Atilla]

How else would you keep 61 million people warm ? Without technology there would be a hopelessly inadequate supply of coal or wood to burn as the only viable alternative to keep people warm in my view.



More than likely the very short days at key times of the year. I have noticed quite a few people who seem quite low when there is a lack of Sun.


Paul

Multiple dependancies implies multiple failure points.

Also, technologies and improved transport facilities and speed has entailed the mass congregation of popullations. Whilst it may make economies of scale sense to densely pack humanoids - when things fail like lack of access to heating or water supply the impact is that much more magnified for events to take a turn for the worse.

As climate changes hot and cold takes its toll I think these so called freak events will become much more common place and people will need reconsider their disaster recovery and life continuity policies... :cheesy:

At such times technology sucks big time. We are not geared for power or water cuts as they have them in some countries...

Need to reappraise life support systems and technology is not the answer imo.

Mass deflux of people from cities is imo.

 

[Atilla]

I don't think that life in Sweden is all that great. We went up there, once, in January and had to wait for an icebreaker to come out for us. Someone was standing fishing in the cracks left by previous ships and there were one or two other ships stuck in the ice, probably their cargo wasn't important enough to be considered urgent. We were carrying fuel for the power stations and that had to get through. Our plating got corrugated at the waterline and the engineer rang the bridge to ask what the noise was as we moved through the ice.

What a voyage! We had horizontal icicles on our rigging because of the bitter wind and the mercury on the bridge thermometer was right down in the bulb.

Considering that that was part of a normal winter I'm not surprised with the high suicide and emigration rate.
They didn't have decent beer there, either!

I wonder if they are having an immigration problem?

I've always wanted to travel around the Scandinavian countries but never got there as it happened. Southern Europe always seemed far more attractive destinations in the end. My brother once tried to go to Petersburg via Finland and he got his visa declined by the Russians so he didn't bother going to Finland either (back in the 80s).

I think they are very low on popullation sizes (2-5 million) but I do admire those countries, the people and what they have achieved considering the weather...

We sometimes think about one of those Nordic cruises and then decide to postpone it for another time... I think it is the sort of trip worth doing one summer perhaps when we have a heat wave on here in the UK.

 

[Splitlink]

Yes, I think that I saw Sweden at the worst time! The islands off the coast must be fantastic for a cruise as must be the fiords on the Norwegian side.

Still wouldn't like to live there, though!

 

[Atilla]

Germany suffers more snow misery

Germans were advised before the weekend to stock up on enough essential supplies to last up to four days and to equip themselves with a battery-powered radio to hear weather reports.

4 Days???

Now this may have been good advice prior to the snow storms but with the benefit of hind sight they may have missed that shopping opportunity.

However, with all the rich food over Xmas I'm sure there is enough blubber to last... :cheesy:

 

[Trader333]

Need to reappraise life support systems and technology is not the answer imo.

OK so what is the answer ?


Paul