This news release about spiking gas prices --$5 by Labor Day-- caught my attention. Why? In January this organization correctly predicted that gas prices would spike to $4 a gas by the summer season:
"Most Americans now expect gasoline prices to hit $5 by Labor Day and favor bold energy- and climate-related fixes, according to a new national opinion survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute (CSI) think tank and its Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN) project (www.cleanenergyaction.net).
In another finding, energy prices have jumped substantially since January 2008 as the top worry of Americans – ahead of fears of joblessness, recession/economic downturn, and the mortgage foreclosure crisis.
For the first time, the CSI survey finds that a majority of Americans are now more likely to buy a hybrid or other fuel-efficient vehicle than they were six months ago.
The new CSI/CLEAN survey looks ahead to expectations about Labor Day 2008, gauges the level of anger among Americans about today’s gasoline prices, and assesses how gas prices/energy policy will impact the thinking of voters this year.
In an earlier January 2008 ORC survey conducted for CSI/CLEAN, 71 percent of Americans correctly forecast that gasoline prices would hit $4 by this summer."
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Don't hold your breath; gas prices are $11 a gallon in the UK and Europe, and I haven't noticed any signficant drive to hybrids here compared with the US. Ok, we've been buying smaller cars than the US for years, but that has more to do with a lack of room to park anything much larger!
ReplyDeleteCan't remember the last time gas was $4 a gallon here ... it's got to be more than 20 years ago.
In Australia, its been nearly $6 per gallon for a long while. Fortunately, public transport is excellent so getting around isn't too expensive. If only Ft Lauderdale (my hometown) had great public transport . . .
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