Big fire and explosion in Canada

[Uncle Sparky]

Have you tried it? I have. Riding a bus at -20 sucks so, so much.

I've taken the bus at -40º, though walking is more fun, as long as you're dressed for it ... wuss...

In other news, MM&A has had its licence to operate in Canada yanked, not directly due to the accident, but because it can no longer afford sufficient insurance.

[notyoueither]

They never had 'sufficient' insurance for an event like this.

TBH this would be a large problem for CN or CP.

[giblets]

The other choice is a transition to oil independence.

I thought Canada exported oil? And I thought oil independence meant not relying on foreigners for oil?

[Ben Kenobi]

I've taken the bus at -40º, though walking is more fun, as long as you're dressed for it ... wuss...

Unless there's some emergency where someone is going to die, I am not standing outside waiting for a bus at -40. I've done it at -30, probably about 10 times in my life. -40, no. Stay inside. Stay warm. Stay alive. There's just too many things that can go wrong at -40 and then what do you do?

[Uncle Sparky]

Parka, snow pants, touque, winter boots, scarf, glove/mitts, and appropriate clothes underneath... Hotshots help too. I've filmed outside with a minus 50 wind chill.

And we should nationalize the rail industry... starting with MM&A... I'm sure Harper will get right on it...

[Ben Kenobi]

Parka, snow pants, touque, winter boots, scarf, glove/mitts, and appropriate clothes underneath... Hotshots help too. I've filmed outside with a minus 50 wind chill.

Yeah, I have all that, plus longjohns and all the right layers. -25 isn't bad - I've done that many times. -30 is my personal limit for unsupervised time outside. It's one thing when you're a part of a crew, quite another when you are out in the bush by yourself. And even then I don't like being out more than an hour or so. Max.

I've done wilderness survival and camping for a weekend out at -30, but that was an exception. Did it just that one camp, but I don't count that at all. I can sit by the fire all day, and the nights are difficult but doable if you know what you are doing.

Don't like sitting out waiting for the bus when it's -30, especially when it's dark out and you can't see much of anything before sunrise. I've done it, don't like it. -40 and doing the same? I wouldn't do it. I'd curl up in bed and read a book by the fire.

Two of the places I lived in didn't have proper heat - one had a space heater that was supposed to compensate. I spent most of that winter at freezing during the night. Would wake up with frost on the bed. I didn't realize it was getting that cold until I figured out where the thermometer was on the space heater and realized while it was keeping me from getting too chilled, it was just too cold outside for it to keep the room warm.

The other place - well - where to start? There I had a bathroom to myself, so I could warm the apartment by putting in a tub of hot water and letting the water evaporate. Kept it at 5 degrees in the winter. More bearable than the place with the space heater - but still - not great.

[Fake Boris]

I thought Canada exported oil? And I thought oil independence meant not relying on foreigners for oil?

In ecological terms, it means not to depend on it for anything, or almost.

[The Mad Monk]

So whaling and trapping are back in? We have to replace synthetics somehow!

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Organic and natural FTW! As long as the whales are not genetically modified or given growth hormones.

[Fake Boris]

Life must be such a ***** when people start to care about balance and clean air.

[The Mad Monk]

Whelp, better get started, those pelts aren't gonna collect themselves!

[The Mad Monk]

I suppose we could increase sheep pasturage up north -- how much forest does Canada really need?

[notyoueither]

Looks like CPR could be on the hook for part of this.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08/15/quebec-demands-cp-rail-help-pay-for-multi-million-dollar-cleanup-after-tragic-train-disaster-in-lac-megantic/

CPR (TSE:CP) was included as one of the defendants because, the government said Wednesday, it was the main contractor responsible for the fateful shipment that was supposed to send the cargo from North Dakota to a New Brunswick oil refinery.

It handed off the train in Montreal to the smaller Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd., which then operated the tanker train that jumped the tracks in Lac-Megantic on July 6.

[H Tower]

Looks like CPR could be on the hook for part of this.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08/15/quebec-demands-cp-rail-help-pay-for-multi-million-dollar-cleanup-after-tragic-train-disaster-in-lac-megantic/

CPR (TSE:CP) was included as one of the defendants because, the government said Wednesday, it was the main contractor responsible for the fateful shipment that was supposed to send the cargo from North Dakota to a New Brunswick oil refinery.

It handed off the train in Montreal to the smaller Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway Ltd., which then operated the tanker train that jumped the tracks in Lac-Megantic on July 6.

And now the entire railroad industry is going to be filing motions related to this. Being able to hand off cargo midway through a rail shipment is hugely important for the railroads since they do not go literally everywhere. Being responsible for what another railroad does with the shipment after it is handed off would open railroads to huge liability issues.