Fuel prices have increased dramatically over the last ten years and for some the reasons are obvious. Many point to the current war in the middle east while some blame big oil executives. Some believe that our dependence on gasoline, coupled with our large SUVs, trucks and Hummers is a major contributing factor, causing the usual supply and demand problems. All of these things combined could be
. the cause. Looking back on the last five years, it is easy to spot the usual rise and dips in fuel prices that occur seasonally. For example, when summer begins, fuel prices will increase due to the many road trips people will take when they go on vacation. The demand obviously goes up during this time of the year. The same can be said for late autumn when drivers will be going to visit family for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hannukah. However, examining a timeline of large events over the last twenty years, paired up with a timeline of fuel prices with similar dates, will show how many of these events had a marked effect on the cost of crude oil that is used to make petrol or gasoline for vehicles. In the last ten years, however, Americans seem to have seen an even bigger leap in fuel costs due to a few big events or disasters. Hurricane Katrina is a superb example of how quickly fuel costs can rise given a major event. In September 2005, the storm's aftermath left several offshore refineries in ruins, causing fear for millions of American drivers, causing some to hoard fuel while several fuel station owners doubled or tripled the price per gallon in an attempt to cash in on the disaster. Fortunately, federal authorities stepped in and were able to prosecute those who continued to "gas-gouge" American consumers. For more information, please visit these links: http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuel/fuel-price-archive.html http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2005/fcvt_fotw367.html http://flowingdata.com/2008/08/08/watch-the-rise-of-gasoline-retails-prices-1993-2008/ http://gasbuddy.com/gb_retail_price_chart.aspx or http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/fuel/fuel-price-archive.html
