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The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

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The School Newspaper of Harriton High School

The Harriton Banner

The BAUM

I love snow.  Over the past couple of weeks, heaps of snow have covered our streets, our driveways, and our grass.  It is at times like this when it is cold outside that I love to sit on the couch with a warm blanket and a mug of hot chocolate and stare out the window, looking past the glistening icicles; I become transfixed.  However, after days and days of being sluggish, I finally ventured outside and attempted to battle the icy roads.  At first it was a little scary—okay maybe the whole time it was petrifying—but I drove at an average of about 10 miles an hour and made it to my destinations.  Of course there was a moment when my car started to slide and fight with the snow when I freaked out.  However, it was at that moment when I started to wonder what effect the snow has on us, other than causing difficult driving situations.
Since I have been taking economics for the past two years, I asked myself, how does snow affect our economy?  My quick response was that snow could only hurt our economy: people cannot get to work, people do not want to go out shopping, and everything in the region becomes stifled.  This seemed pretty logical considering I did not leave my house during the storm.  Yet, there could not only be negative effects of snow, it is just too pretty.  After thinking about this for a while, I found another answer: snow causes a reallocation, money is redistributed, which is neither good nor bad.  For example, after our driveways become buried with snow, we need to shovel them or get them plowed.  This is the time when snowplows can make hefty profits.  Also, when local stores fail to draw in customers, they fail to gain revenue; yet, some people alter their spending habits and opt to make online purchases, so other stores benefit.  Overall it appears that everything stays the same, even if at that moment it does not.
But until now I never really realized that this beautiful white blanket affects my surroundings, outside of getting me out of school.  So, next time you are sitting at home with a cup of cocoa, ask yourself: what affect does this have on the region?

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