by Jennifer E. Brown

Created on: September 15, 2008

Here's the basic lowdown on how the product comes to the shelf for the consumer to purchase. First, it must be manufactured by a factory distributes the product onto the semis. The truck drivers, in turn, drive cross country to deliver the product to the stores and the sales associates unloads the boxes. Finally, the customer sees the item on the shelf and takes it to the register. The person using the most gasoline in this seneirio is the truck driver because diesel gasoline is more expensive than regular fuel, and if gas keeps spiking, will products keep making the shelves?

One important consideration Americans like to forget is this: When the price of gas goes up, so does everything they're buying. Have you noticed milk is now almost $3.50 from a year ago? Cereal is almost $6.00 and bread has increased, too. Farmers are losing crop due to more rain, so those prices are rising also. All of this is affected by the gasoline prices. It's more expensive to get the product to the store and distribute and hope they come out even.

However, America is doing one thing right so far. We don't seem to driving as much as we have in recent years. We're taking public transportation more often, carpooling more, and getting into less auto accidents. we're becoming aware of global effects that these gases have on our environment, and are becoming more alert as to what we can do about them. For example, those that can afford it are driving helium-operated vehicles. Another option is to solar-panel your house, but if you can't go that extreme-just turn off your lights in the daytime and use them at night.

If you're not going far and don't need your vehicle, leave it at your residence or ride with a friend. I have recently transferred to a 4-year university and I take a shuttle to my classes. If I am on campus late at night or working, that is the only time I take my car with me to school. Gas is $4.09 where I am, and with Hurricane Ike, it's expected to rise again. I'm better off walking or bike riding than using my vehicle, although at times it makes me feel safe to have it.

It's going to cause our economy to slump because America is made up of America working class for the majority part. Millions of us are young, raising kids and/or in college and aren't able to afford gasoline. It's the debate of do we put food in our car or do we put food on the table? Do we give our kids medicine or do I do drive them to soccer? Americans face these decisions every day, and it's harming our pocket books. How can we afford nearly $5.00 a gallon for only ONE gallon of gasoline? When will people stop going to the pump? When will this gas war stop? How bad is it expected to get? These are all questions on Americans' minds as they constantly look at the rising or fall price of gas.

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