I heard a sound last night while listening to the radio. It sounded to me like the distinctive splat of fecal matter violently entangled in a rotary air-moving device.

Dow Chemical announced last night that they will be raising the prices of all of their products, some by as much as 20%, and they are doing it on four days notice. It should come as no surprise that this is the result of rising energy prices, however, what many people do not realize is that petroleum is also a key ingredient in many chemical products. As such, it is a testament to their determination that they have waited this long to raise their prices.

Unfortunately, 20% on four days notice is a bit of a shock to the system. Expect the impact to reach far and wide; these ingredients are in many more places than you expect, and I’m not even sure where to expect the impact to land.