Re: (3467) Comments on a few topics...

> From: [email removed]
> Subject: (3467) Comments on a few topics...
>
> 1. For all of the tonnage  stats based on Earth states, were the
> tonnages for oil tankers excluded? For most Terran nations oil
> imports(or exports) form a significant fraction of the total
> tonnage. I doubt if a similar situation exists for Traveller worlds
> unless the data represents total tonnage including insystem traffic
> which for a significant part could be hydrogen fuel tankers
> resupplying all starports. My understanding was that the numbers
> were trying to represent intra-system or jump traffic (paralleling
> intra-nation trade on Earth). I think a significant portion of the
> imports for Bangladesh and US (tonnage wise) will be oil.
> Especially considering the average displacement of an oil tanker vs
> a container ship.

It didn't say, since it was a just a summary chart.  I would agree that most
trade would not be of bulk materials in most circumstances.  In fact, I'd
think that we should look at the trade on the basis of most planets being
90-95% self-sufficient, with the imports being divided between critical
technology (military, power, communication) and luxuries (Coca-cola, video
games, hand carved statuettes of walrus ivory...)

Rob Dean