Global oil power grabs, a plant accident, and big decisions needed

While America is focused on Iraq, Russia cut off oil to Germany and Poland today, showing how vulnerable Europe is.

The nutty part is that Russia did it because they are mad at – Belarus (not the Germans). But when you cut a pipeline you cut off all consumers, not just a few.

In Venezuela today, Hugo Chavez declared plans to nationalize the electric industries.

Here in Sugar Land, our day’s surprise was a strange, white cloud that filled the blue sky over a NALCO plant. The news had us wondering if we were breathing toxic fumes. The wind was from the north so it blew over highway 59 -- towards neighborhoods with lots of kids. Many elderly live on highway 90 near the plant. If the wind had been from the south it would have blown “whatever it was” over my offices in the Sugar Land Business Park. Traffic was blocked off on the highways in SW Houston.

I wondered what would happen if motorists were caught in noxious fumes from a plant in this or a future accident? I had planned a trip to Richmond, the county seat, on highway 90 but that would require going next to the plant spewing an unknown substance.

So I went another direction. (Bush may or may not be about to do the same in Iraq).

Other than global oil power grabs, a plant accident, and big decisions needed on Iraq, Iran, Venezuela, Russia, etc., it was a beautiful blue, cool, Texas day…