As the ice caps around the world melt, it means some good things and some not so good things. The tops of the worlds are melting and this eventually means sea levels will rise and climate changes. It also means in the north shipping can go through the north west passage. Ever since Europeans discovered the wealth to made from spices in the east or South China Seas, people have been looking for a quicker route. Since at the time few people knew about North America, but every one on the Atlantic and Pacific Coast could see water; few knew what was there. Eventually Columbus went to the Caribbean, and others found a land mass known as the Americans. Explorers being explorers tempted to cross the land, it takes time and no water goes across; they tried going north and south around the land. The north was the north west passage and books such as Silk, Spices and Glory by Margaret Macpherson, Fifth House, Calgary, 2001 are written about the adventures. The names of Frobisher, Hudson, Parry, Franklin and Amundsen come though and they are grand adventurers most realizing too late the Arctic was not very hospitable to people.

If we think about today’s civilization, living in the North East, during winter the winds comes from the Arctic and it is cold – thank goodness for oil and gas to heat the homes. If you were an explorer in the 1500’s or 1600’s and went to the Arctic would you have the correct gear? At the best of times on a ship it had to be damp and cold; going into the Arctic was something else, for many had to be freezing all the time. An interesting comment in the book was many explorers died from scurvy.Even in summer, which is short in length, the Arctic is not short’s weather. In reading about the explorers, it was great adventures, but my goodness. It took to 1903 for a ship to go through the northwest passage, at the time it was on a scientific journey rather than a merchant journey.

Linking to dividend paying stocks,  the adventurers pave the wave to successful companies. If the adventurers had discovered a quicker method around North America, costs would have been cut and profits increased. Other riches were to be found, but not the ones the investors wanted. Every dividend paying company has to constantly find new methods to cut costs and increase profits or to be adventurers that actually can be successful. If they do not, they risk not making profits. Risk happens at all dividend paying companies, it just means not needing a great return to keep the company in business.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions