Rising Fuel Costs and the 50mpg Car

I read through this week’s Newsweek, but nothing inspired me so I turned my efforts toward the internet. I found an article on Newsweek’s website entitled “Why Cars Don’t Get 50mpg.” It mentioned that technology is not the problem behind the United States' lagging fuel economy, but consumers’ unwillingness to pay more for cars or sacrifice their current safety and power.

I have a tendency to reject the urgency of programs like CNN’s “We Were Warned: Out of Gas,” and to not believe that rising fuel costs spell the end of the civilized world. For the months out of the year that I am at Penn, I don’t have to regularly fill up a car and am largely separated from the costs of fuel. However, I recognize rising costs do have an impact on my day-to-day life even if I rely solely on a bike for transportation. Around a month ago I came across the above sign at Wawa, and I've seen signs at my local grocery store limiting customers to two 20 pound bags of rice per visit. I am aware that rising costs are straining the budgets of lots of people right now. However, due to the fact I am not currently driving, the rise in various costs has been so minuscule that it has had no mentionable effect on me. Six more cents per cup of coffee doesn't impact me, and a small bag of rice lasts me at least a year.