Politics are once again the tail wagging the dog in commodity markets. U.S. negotiations with Iran fell apart (again) over the weekend after Iran refused to agree to a permanent end of its nuclear weapons program. Rather than a return to the recent status quo, however, markets are adjusting to the new shock of the U.S. blockading the Strait of Hormuz (SOH) in an effort to cut off Iran’s oil revenue (and the $2 million-per-vessel toll for transiting the strait). The closure of the SOH deprives China of its 1.5 mbpd of oil from Iran and will likely spark a postponement of the Trump-Xi meeting later this spring. In response to the weekend developments in the Middle East, crude oil jumped sharply higher and corn and wheat followed...
The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea.[2] The species is not truly migratory but it sometimes travels large distances to find food and water, especiall...
The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain areas of Africa (and historically, Arabia) and is the largest living species of bird. The common ostrich is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members of the genus St...
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A pika (/ˈpaɪkə, ˈpiːkə/ PY-kə, PEE-kə[3][4]) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.[5] The large-eared pi...
From WPI Consulting
Like all marmots
An adult Vancouver Island marmot typically measures 65 to 70 centimetres (26 to 28 in) from the tip of its nose to the tip of its tail.