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Russia and Bulgaria Gas Dispute - Coggle Diagram
Russia and Bulgaria Gas Dispute
Economics
Taxis which run on methane gas, were largely off the roads. Drivers of trams were ordered to turn off heating on public transport
The transportation services are an important part of people's daily life and they are responsible for people going to wherever they need to go. By themselves they aren't important to the economy but a lot of businesses rely on them as otherwise their workers wouldn't be able to come to work.
Glass, steel, beer and metal producers were forced to shut down
The impact of these industries affects Bulgaria's exports as not only does it affects important products that include metal but also refined metals and alloys that are some of Bulgaria's main exports.
Electric heaters were brought into Sofia zoo to ensure the survival of its animals, particularly the elephants, monkeys, reptiles and fish.
Zoos account for a small part of Bulgarian tourism and it would be a blow to the economy if the bigger ones went bankrupt. This issue poses a threat for the animals in the zoos and the zoos have to waste a lot of funds to keep those animals healthy until the gas comes back. In some cases, it might even be needed for the animals to be transported to other countries so they don't perish, which requires a lot of funds as well.
Politics
Bulgaria is almost 100% dependent on Russia for energy, and has no access to any alternative gas routes or suppliers," said Ognyan Minchev, a political analyst
It becomes apparent that it is not acceptable to be entirely relient on Russia in this aspect. From the problems this issue caused, it would be best that we find a way to supply ourselves with it. In a worst case scenario Russia could even sabotage Bulgaria by stopping the gas.
To the alarm of the European Union, President Georgi Parvanov's populist reaction to the crisis has been to suggest firing up a mothballed reactor at the Kozloduy nuclear plant which was shut down amid safety concerns
The issue could also serve as a reminder that we need to focus our efforts on making a power source withing Bulgaria. We can't know for certain whether the closing of these reactors was a good idea in the long run but they would've made the situation in Bulgaria at the time of the gas crisis a lot better.
Society
Huddled around an electric heater with his wife and baby daughter, Krasimir Ivanov admitted he never thought much about politics. "But that was before it entered my own living room."
The cold gives way to a lot of diseases and families will be unable to deal with medical bills as electrical bills pile up as well. Families with small children are in even more danger as small kids are more susceptible to disease.
And yet the flat is warm compared to Pavlina's place of work at a TV ratings company in central Sofia, where there is no heating at all and staff keep their coats on at their computers.
Companies might not be allowed to use up methane gas or decide to save on money as gas becomes more expensive when it is not supplied by Russia. People likely won't like having to work in such conditions with some workers noting that it affects concentration.
"Who will pay for this?" asked Irina Bankova who runs a small bakery production line in eastern Sofia which has seen a slump in trade this week as businesses she provides with breads and cakes have been temporarily forced to close.
As if the cold wasn't enough of a problem, bussineses that rely on methane gas such as bakeries can go bankrupt as their job becomes impossible. Their disappearance likely won't have a big impact on Bulgaria's economy but will make the shop owners and certain loyal customers very unhappy.