Originally Posted by
Drew Wiley
Nearly all plastics, paints (including water-based acrylic), synthetic fabrics, and modern packaging, our vast road surfaces and majority of rooftops, is petroleum derived; all organic chemicals - pretty much everything that goes into film too, except the silver. Refiners are not charities, or very much concerned about additional layers of hardship under trying times. They're out to make a buck, and every extra penny they can squeeze out of us if they can, is exactly what they'll do. But now that we've gotta keep a sizable chunk of Europe afloat with energy, due to the war, I don't expect much drop in petro-related prices. It affects everything - manufacturing cost, distribution expense, point of purchase markup, just when we're trying to climb back up the ladder after the worst of a pandemic. Yell as loud as you want, but the only sound energy execs hear is the music of "ka-ching" of their own cash register. It can only be modulated on a competitive supply and demand basis, which they know how to game far better than we do. One less road trip for me this year.
Certainly not everything is sinister. At our huge local Chevron refinery complex, for example, a massive amount of R&D money is being spent on alternative energy sources; in their case, especially hydrogen fuel cell technology. I have a friend who works in that division, and it's expanding. Practically everything we touch and do iin modern society s somehow petro chemical related. As as for those who glibly say, "I'll just hand coat my own film" .... onto what, and with what??? - all that is still gonna be 90% petro industry dependent.
And I'll simply be more conservative shooting 8x10 color film, and shoot more 4x5 and 120 roll film instead. I never was a machine-gunner anyway. The other big hit to me personally is the current very high price of museum board. But I meter that out too. Where there's a will, there's a way.
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