#AtoZChallenge - 4-18-2017 - Letter O

#AtoZChallenge - 4-18-2017 - Letter O

O for Oil

For something that is so well known for easing things along, as in oiling wheels, oil itself is a much- maligned component as far as food is concerned. For decades it has been the bad guy in our diet. It has been charged with giving us cholesterol and heart attacks. Its rich cousin, ghee, or clarified butter was seen to be even more villainous. But now, redemption has come in the form of a declaration by the FDA. Oil and the like have been taken off the baddies list. Not least for the role cholesterol plays in the absorption of the Sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D is so necessary for the health of our bones. So, diet-wise, oil literally has been poured on troubled waters.

However, this particular phrase brings to mind another type of oil: spilling on the seas and slickly spelling trouble for marine fauna. The images of whales, dolphins and turtles covered in petroleum are very chilling. As for gulls and other sea birds, they seem to be actually tarred and feathered by this aspect of human negligence. Still, it is termed black gold, influencing world economics and politics ever since man struck oil.

Economics and politics may not always mix well; we could say they are like oil and water! I would need to burn the midnight oil a lot, in order to understand the intricacies of these games. Even then, it might sound like pure banana oil. As it is, politicians are no oil paintings themselves!