This post was brought to you by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers via sheblogs. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers.
Thanksgiving – a holiday synonymous with food and family. In my household, the buzz begins shortly after the beginning of October: who’s hosting? How shall we give thanks? What’s on the menu? Who’s making the cranberry sauce?
And then, before we know it, a flurry of activity takes place…
Preparing and placing make-ahead food in storage containers. Cleaning the home from top to bottom. Strategically placing spice-scented candles throughout the first floor, and pulling out last year’s gold-painted pumpkins. Replacing the soap in the guest bathroom. Sorting through a handful of my favourite CDs, settling on Sam Smith. Putting away the boys’ crayons and diecast cars, with a warning issued to keep the place tidy. Finding the roasting pan from its hiding place in the pantry. Grabbing a pen and notebook to list out exactly what must be done to make this get together a success. Forgiving myself in advance if it doesn’t go exactly to plan.
Wondering about the words in bold above? They’re all things that have been derived from crude oil in some way. In fact, for the majority of Canadians, petroleum is an essential part of our quality of life. We rely on it to make gasoline for cars, trucks, buses, trains, boats and planes. And, as previously demonstrated, it’s necessary for making our Thanksgiving celebration go off without a hitch.
So, other than reaping the benefits of products and services that are made from crude oil, why should we care? Well, for starters, Canada has the third largest oil reserves in the world, with 97% of those reserves in the Oil Sands. This translates to 168 billion barrels with the potential of over 100 years of production. In fact, over 800,000 jobs could be created in the next 25 years alone. Hence, if you are Canadian, and enjoy your current quality of life, you need to understand just how dependent we are on a booming oil industry.
This Thanksgiving, perhaps petroleum will be the furthest thing from your mind. And that’s okay. Just as long as we all realize how we are impacted, day in, day out, by its presence, and how it is an integral part of our lives, our holidays, our celebrations. …
After much consideration, I settled on a lip colour (shimmery peach if you must know). Popping my contact lenses onto my eyes and an assortment of vitamins into my mouth, I felt much more ready to start the day.