The affects of the flood continue to be felt here at home, across the border and now by our neighbours to the east, but it could have been worse...
This phrase has been repeatedly used lately to describe our situation - "It could have been worse." I can't help but feel like this saying is being used like a bandage of sorts; a bandage that doesn't really allow for much healing.
When something is happening to you it feels very serious. When there is four feet of sewage in YOUR basement it is devastating to YOU and bringing up the desperate situation of the people in Roche Percee, Minot or even China does not offer much solace.
Of course it could always be worse, couldn't it? We could have all been evacuated from our homes and had water up to our ears like they had in Minot, but even that could have been worse...
If the dams in southern Saskatchewan had burst, the people of Minot would have had no warning to evacuate their homes and many could have lost their lives as a result. Of course, it could have been worse...
This June, torrential rains battered central and southern China, unleashing floods and landslides that killed hundreds of people. To the families that lost loved ones it could not be any worse. But when we look at things from a global prospective, it could be worse...
So far this year, widespread natural disasters have caused major crop delays and damage around the globe. Flooding in much of Canada and the U.S. has virtually wiped out many farmers' chances of getting any crops in the ground this season. And those who have gotten crops in the ground risk a hot, dry summer which may kill corn and other crops that were planted late.
In addition, many farmers are now worried that because they got the crops in late they may risk an early freeze before they can harvest.
This will have a far reaching impact on world food supplies. According to a recent Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Report, "Cereal costs may average 20 percent more and meat 30 percent more over the next decade than in the last one." As food costs soar, the poorest of the poor will be the first to suffer widespread starvation.
Sure, it COULD always be worse, but sometimes it is not the most comforting thing to hear when your own world feels like it's been turned upside down.
