Ramblings

More on the oil front

It seems I was right after all. We are consuming way too much cooking gas. And here’s the proof: According to a PTI report, LPG consumption jumped by over 9 per cent to 0.83 million tonnes in September 2004 from 0.76 million tonnes in September 2003.
I did some number-crunching and here’s what I found: 56 million LPG cylinders were consumed in September. Now, 56 million is quite a number you know. In fact, according to a New York Times report the United States was home to 56 million foreign-born residents and children of immigrants in 2000. Just imagine, we are talking of the entire immigrant population in the US! Can you imagine an US without Sabeer Bhatia, Phanish Murthy, Sikh taxiwallahs in New York, Tam Bram software professionals in Palo Alto, Antonio Banderas, Arnold Schwarzenneger, your uncle twice removed and that nerd from college who got lucky and a green card...? That’s how big 56 million is.
On the other side, oil prices continued their upward surge. US crude set a record $54.45 a barrel, marking a sixth successive day of all-time peaks.
Heads of government the world over are shitting bricks.
The International Energy Agency today said high prices are beginning to slow the world economy and encourage energy saving measures in China.
Which reminds me that I have still not got around to ordering that solar cooker.