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I live near an east facing beach south of Sydney. Two images are imprinted on my mind, & I'm sure there are lots of media photos of these, but they each tell a tale.
1. Is of many a cruise ship permanently anchored off the coast shortly after the pandemic was declared. This tells of the uncertainties experienced by those on board, not knowing if they will be permitted onshore. It tells of the staff, many from other parts of the world who don't know if & when they will ever get home. It tells of the potential disasters & mismanagements of those ships docking and the apprehensions of all Australians.
2. Is of only a few weeks later when those boats had disappeared, only to be replaced by fuel tanker boats, also permanently moored.It portrays one aspect of the economic impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, when a barrel of oil was selling at a "negative" $30+ price, which more than unprecedented, would have previously been seen as only possible within the realms of a madman's mind. These ships were backloaded with aviation fuel and sent offshore to park, which not only reflects on the state of the aviation industry but of Australia's demonstrated lack of capability for storage. Our economic dependance on a "just in time' supply system had this peverse result, similar to so many other supply issues - toilet paper ( in a country with so many trees ), and flour ( in a country known for it's wheat production ) to mention just 2 others.
Covid certainly got us thinking. And will we learn from it.
1. Is of many a cruise ship permanently anchored off the coast shortly after the pandemic was declared. This tells of the uncertainties experienced by those on board, not knowing if they will be permitted onshore. It tells of the staff, many from other parts of the world who don't know if & when they will ever get home. It tells of the potential disasters & mismanagements of those ships docking and the apprehensions of all Australians.
2. Is of only a few weeks later when those boats had disappeared, only to be replaced by fuel tanker boats, also permanently moored.It portrays one aspect of the economic impact of the Covid 19 pandemic, when a barrel of oil was selling at a "negative" $30+ price, which more than unprecedented, would have previously been seen as only possible within the realms of a madman's mind. These ships were backloaded with aviation fuel and sent offshore to park, which not only reflects on the state of the aviation industry but of Australia's demonstrated lack of capability for storage. Our economic dependance on a "just in time' supply system had this peverse result, similar to so many other supply issues - toilet paper ( in a country with so many trees ), and flour ( in a country known for it's wheat production ) to mention just 2 others.
Covid certainly got us thinking. And will we learn from it.