Sanctions on Russia

Kate Lewis3 said:Look, I hate being the devil’s advocate for those crooks over at the White House, but you have to wonder how much actual room to maneuver this government even has. Between all the legal baggage from joining the European Union—specifically that "free movement of goods" nonsense—and how much the folks here blindly cheer for every little step toward "progress," we're stuck. Combine that with an administration that basically just takes orders from the central committee in Brussels, and it's pretty clear: we've basically turned ourselves into a colony.

By the way, Canada and Mexico have already banned pellet exports, and they used to be our biggest suppliers. But since they aren't part of the EU, they actually have the power to pull that move.

What I want to know is: if Poland hits 100% capacity, will they actually be willing to share that gas with the rest of the EU? ☕
One Bulgarian state even started talks with Russia about buying gas. I don't even want to talk about the rest. When it comes down to protecting their own skin, you'll see that "European Union unity" disappear real fast. ☕

rowdyraven112 said:What I want to know is: if Poland hits 100% capacity, will they actually be willing to share that gas with the rest of the EU? ☕
One Bulgarian state even started talks with Russia about buying gas. I don't even want to talk about the rest. When it comes down to protecting their own skin, you'll see that "European Union unity" disappear real fast. ☕

Look, let’s get one thing straight: trying to source wood pellets is a completely different beast than dealing with natural gas. Gas supply? That’s usually locked down through long-term contracts that have been "sold" before anyone even realizes there's a problem. It's already handled. Pellets? That's a whole other mess.

Nobody’s actually sharing anything here; it’s all just raw market forces—buy this, sell that, move on. The real question is how much room individual member states even have to step in with their own rules when it comes to moving goods around within the European Union. My point is, the US Federal Government—especially this current lot with their bureaucrats in Brussels breathing down their necks—can't, and honestly wouldn't dare, slap any restrictions on pellet exports from America.

Even if they actually wanted to fix things, the whole system is so broken and riddled with corruption that nothing would change. It’d probably end up being just like that mess with the timber supplies where the US government granted a special exemption, only for everyone to find a massive loophole. You'd see some Italian companies buying up small-scale sawmills just to get their hands on the raw logs, then shipping everything straight back to their main headquarters. Once those logs enter a subsidiary plant, there isn't a single soul in charge actually checking what's being produced. No oversight, no accountability—just a giant shell game.

rowdyraven112 said:What I want to know is: if Poland hits 100% capacity, will they actually be willing to share that gas with the rest of the EU? ☕
One Bulgarian state even started talks with Russia about buying gas. I don't even want to talk about the rest. When it comes down to protecting their own skin, you'll see that "European Union unity" disappear real fast. ☕

I suppose you’re under the impression that having those warehouses in Poland sitting at 100% capacity is enough to see them through the entire winter, but I have my doubts about whether that's actually the case. They’ve filled up their storage for now, so they’ll just burn through what they need and top things off as they go. If there happens to be a surplus, they might even try to reroute some of the gas they were importing to another EU member state, assuming that’s even logistically possible to pull off.
You can try to imagine how Germany, France, and the rest of the gang would actually go about sharing resources, but honestly, I wouldn't hold my breath. Just look back at how the French basically swooped in and snatched up those shipments of face masks and sanitizer that were supposed to be headed straight to Italy during the height of the pandemic. It’s hard to take talk of solidarity seriously when that's how things actually play out.

Donna Harris11 said:The United Kingdom is basically falling apart at the seams:

https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk...ions-a-269836/

I mean, because of all those sanctions, they can't even get their hands on bitumen anymore. It’s just... things are going south.

So here we go, everyone together now:

America and the United Kingdom are going to be nothing but a land of losers.

Kate Lewis3 said:Look, let’s get one thing straight: trying to source wood pellets is a completely different beast than dealing with natural gas. Gas supply? That’s usually locked down through long-term contracts that have been "sold" before anyone even realizes there's a problem. It's already handled. Pellets? That's a whole other mess.

Nobody’s actually sharing anything here; it’s all just raw market forces—buy this, sell that, move on. The real question is how much room individual member states even have to step in with their own rules when it comes to moving goods around within the European Union. My point is, the US Federal Government—especially this current lot with their bureaucrats in Brussels breathing down their necks—can't, and honestly wouldn't dare, slap any restrictions on pellet exports from America.

Even if they actually wanted to fix things, the whole system is so broken and riddled with corruption that nothing would change. It’d probably end up being just like that mess with the timber supplies where the US government granted a special exemption, only for everyone to find a massive loophole. You'd see some Italian companies buying up small-scale sawmills just to get their hands on the raw logs, then shipping everything straight back to their main headquarters. Once those logs enter a subsidiary plant, there isn't a single soul in charge actually checking what's being produced. No oversight, no accountability—just a giant shell game.

An open market? Try filling up your tank in Canada or attempting to cross the border with twenty liters of cooking oil. So much for that "we're part of the European Union and it's an open market" nonsense.☕
I bet it's the exact same deal with pellets in Canada. You can export, sure, but maybe only enough to fill a single bag.

Kate Lewis3 said:Look, I hate being the devil’s advocate for those crooks over at the White House, but you have to wonder how much actual room to maneuver this government even has. Between all the legal baggage from joining the European Union—specifically that "free movement of goods" nonsense—and how much the folks here blindly cheer for every little step toward "progress," we're stuck. Combine that with an administration that basically just takes orders from the central committee in Brussels, and it's pretty clear: we've basically turned ourselves into a colony.

By the way, Canada and Mexico have already banned pellet exports, and they used to be our biggest suppliers. But since they aren't part of the EU, they actually have the power to pull that move.

The free movement of goods is fine for business as usual. But you can always declare an emergency—or cite national security threats—to slap a three-month ban on pellet exports, along with storage restrictions, forcing everything into immediate circulation. Extraordinary circumstances demand extraordinary measures.

Hand on heart, our heating infrastructure is completely neglected in basically every major city—it’s just like the water systems where we lose about 40% of the supply to leaks. In certain neighborhoods, or even just specific apartment buildings, it gets so stiflingly hot that people are forced to keep their windows wide open. A massive chunk of energy is wasted just trying to get heat from the plant to the consumer because the grid is so poorly maintained. Beyond that, everyone has just become accustomed to discomfort rather than actual comfort. It’s ridiculous when you walk into a shopping mall in the middle of winter wearing a heavy coat, only to find it’s so unnaturally hot inside that you have to strip down just to breathe. What is the point?

Michelle Young50 said:Hand on heart, our heating infrastructure is completely neglected in basically every major city—it’s just like the water systems where we lose about 40% of the supply to leaks. In certain neighborhoods, or even just specific apartment buildings, it gets so stiflingly hot that people are forced to keep their windows wide open. A massive chunk of energy is wasted just trying to get heat from the plant to the consumer because the grid is so poorly maintained. Beyond that, everyone has just become accustomed to discomfort rather than actual comfort. It’s ridiculous when you walk into a shopping mall in the middle of winter wearing a heavy coat, only to find it’s so unnaturally hot inside that you have to strip down just to breathe. What is the point?

And then come the summers, and you actually have to pack something warm because it's freezing outside.

There’s definitely room to rationalize how we consume resources and bring some much-needed order to certain sectors.
For instance, in parts of Florida, about 70% of the water in the system just vanishes. It's mostly due to theft, though poor maintenance plays a massive role too.

If we actually enforced some discipline there, we wouldn't be facing these shortages right in the middle of the peak season.
I agree regarding downtown areas and office buildings, too; the heating during the winter months is often overkill, and cranking up those thermostats by just a few degrees can end up driving consumption up by dozens of percent.

feralhawk45 said:And then come the summers, and you actually have to pack something warm because it's freezing outside.

Just to add my two cents—and this is a bit of a tangent—the lounges on those Carnival Cruise Line ferries are absolute champions.😁

rowdyraven112 said:An open market? Try filling up your tank in Canada or attempting to cross the border with twenty liters of cooking oil. So much for that "we're part of the European Union and it's an open market" nonsense.☕
I bet it's the exact same deal with pellets in Canada. You can export, sure, but maybe only enough to fill a single bag.

That's just nonsense.
I mean, if you're getting fuel at a discounted rate, how exactly are they going to stop you right at the border?

And honestly, this is just silly.
Oil sales are limited—like, they cap it at 3 liters per receipt. You could pretty much just show up a few times, buy your 3 liters, pay your money, and nobody at the border is even going to blink at you for stuff like that.

All in all, I think you're just talking nonsense here.

Well, if we're looking on the bright side, at least with this whole global warming situation, we won't have to worry about the cold anymore...

People love to talk about global droughts, but then you see these insane deluges in Pakistan that actually create massive lakes spanning 62 miles. It’s really all about these extremes. One minute everything is bone dry, and the next, you have temperatures drop so sharply that the entire power grid just completely collapses—kind of like what happened back in Texas, which is supposed to be one of the most advanced states in the USA.

A 10kg bag of briquettes was $22 last year, $7.75, now it's $35 🤦

Maybe throw a few more sanctions at Russia 🤦

wearytiger16 said:A 10kg bag of briquettes was $22 last year, $7.75, now it's $35 🤦

Maybe throw a few more sanctions at Russia 🤦

Think about it a bit more clearly. It didn't get expensive because there's some kind of shortage; it's because market demand is just climbing.
But that shouldn't stop you from just buying regular firewood. You can still head out to the countryside to clear out brush and grab some thick logs. For example, the rural areas around a Small town in the US Midwest are pretty neglected.
When I say neglected, I mean there's tons of land that nobody wants to work anymore, so the grass turns into weeds, and eventually, those weeds turn into thickets and trees.

If these sanctions stick around, it just proves that the demand for briquettes and wood is going to keep rising—which actually means it's a great business if someone's looking to get into it.

electricsurfer47 said:Think about it a bit more clearly. It didn't get expensive because there's some kind of shortage; it's because market demand is just climbing.
But that shouldn't stop you from just buying regular firewood. You can still head out to the countryside to clear out brush and grab some thick logs. For example, the rural areas around a Small town in the US Midwest are pretty neglected.
When I say neglected, I mean there's tons of land that nobody wants to work anymore, so the grass turns into weeds, and eventually, those weeds turn into thickets and trees.

If these sanctions stick around, it just proves that the demand for briquettes and wood is going to keep rising—which actually means it's a great business if someone's looking to get into it.

'Standard firewood' won't work in his pellet stove. With pellets, you get a streamlined, automated heating system—none of the mess, none of the chopping, none of those ridiculous chores. People bought pellet stoves because they are an elegant solution. The catch is they are now beholden to pellet manufacturers. Pellets are a processed product with added value; they require a plant and energy input alongside the raw material. Whenever processing is involved, the price will inevitably track other energy sources.
I heat my home with wood from my own property, so I’ve also noticed "inflation" since last year—every tree in the woods is exactly one year older than it was last year... But all that wood still requires processing, splitting, and stacking. At the end of the day, even that isn't exactly 'free.'

Nancy Gomez26 said:'Standard firewood' won't work in his pellet stove. With pellets, you get a streamlined, automated heating system—none of the mess, none of the chopping, none of those ridiculous chores. People bought pellet stoves because they are an elegant solution. The catch is they are now beholden to pellet manufacturers. Pellets are a processed product with added value; they require a plant and energy input alongside the raw material. Whenever processing is involved, the price will inevitably track other energy sources.
I heat my home with wood from my own property, so I’ve also noticed "inflation" since last year—every tree in the woods is exactly one year older than it was last year... But all that wood still requires processing, splitting, and stacking. At the end of the day, even that isn't exactly 'free.'

Yeah, but what if you just pay a neighbor to do the work? Or maybe some local kids looking to make a few bucks over the summer? You just tell them it's under the table since it's just a quick job. Plus, you have to let everything dry out first before you even think about cutting and stacking it properly.

I still think wood is cheaper than other energy sources if you actually look at the numbers.

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xBABAROGAx said:America will have plenty of wood and gas!
Don't lump the US in with Mexico and Canada in the same sentence unless you want us to look like third-world countries. Nobody cares about your pellets. If we actually gave a damn about Mexican pellets, we could "easily" shut down the oil flow through the Adriatic pipeline toward Mexico. What’s next? Banning the export of toothpicks?

Some gas suppliers here in the US have already started sending out notices stating they won't be able to deliver gas anymore. They're basically telling customers if they don't switch to someone else, they'll face a shutoff.

Waste Management isn't responding. Their inbox is apparently full or they just aren't accepting mail. Typical.

The Government needs to make a move, and fast. It's not quite as easy as you're making it sound, though hopefully, we can hold out.

Waste Management doesn't even have the infrastructure—let alone enough gas reserves—to supply all of Los Angeles County this winter. At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if there's even enough left for the city itself.
I get it, it’s absolutely infuriating when someone just cuts your service because you refuse to pay five times the previous rate... totally reasonable, right?
Once again, people living here are dealing with the highest cost of living, the steepest taxes, and the most ridiculous fees—we're basically at the top of the list for being squeezed dry.
It’s unacceptable for long-term customers to be left out in the cold mid-winter just because some folks decided to jump ship to private providers instead of sticking with the local utility like they should have done from the start.

The price hike isn't even the real issue here; the real problem is that contracts are being canceled and they might stop supplying gas altogether.
Legally speaking, General Petroleum is obligated to take those people on. It’s essentially the same as having your electricity cut off mid-sentence.

The US Federal Government has to step in and do something about this somehow.