My years of math classes (in high school) have left me poorly prepared for the scale of numbers required to get through the daily newspaper. Discounting “infinity”. Let’s look at some of the announcements from the rag, over the last few days. In passing, I can identify with few.
The Harper government (his title, not mine) is completing negotiations for a new trade treaty with the European Union. That’s probably good, except that there are appeasement clauses. An investment (their term, not mine) won’t trigger governmental oversight until the threshold of $1.5 billion is reached. How much is that? The projected budget for PEI, next year, is about $1.5 billion. Pocket change for some, and a way of life for others.
Or, how about the next “server farm” here in the city. With a projected 85,000 machines, the total electrical requirement is equal to a city of 45,000. From my frame of reference, Charlottetown. Again, depends on where you are sitting.
How about the latest pipeline leak in Alberta. Not oil, exactly; dirty waste water, laden with salts, radioactive junk and the like. A minor spill, if you listen to the industry. Only 9.5 million litres. Again, some perspective. My swimming pool (often a source of dirty waste water, albeit without radioactive junk) holds about 25,000 litres, which means that I could refill the chemical pond about 380 times. No thanks.
Since we’re dealing with numbers, the current debt level in Canada (according to one group) has numbers so large I won’t even try to list them here> Look for yourself: http://www.debtclock.ca/ and then go find something to do that doesn’t require sane thinking. You will fit right in with the mindset of the Harper government.
