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In this article it explains why we, the consumer, are unable to influence gas prices. The article suggests 3 main reasons: 1) for oil companies it is more profitable to set a higher price and then let the price adjust to the demand. Simply, instead of letting the price adjust upwards, the price is set a higher level to let it adjust downwards. 2)The increasing price over the past two years has not created a drop in demand. Rather, the increasing price is accompanied by increasing demand. 3)For countries, the increase of price and demand are signs of prosperity, so a positive thing. This is an example of where it is hard to achiever a price equilibrium.

The most recent searches by Rabobank say that commercial wine are at their lowest prices in over a decade. Many wine companies globally have had to tighten their supply. The tighter supply situation has eliminated much of the unsustainable competition that had been undercutting pricing. Markets that do not pay much for bulk wine will be outbid by markets that will pay higher prices. Europe will see decline in imports, and therefore also consumption of wine. I found this article interesting because there are quite a few non-price determinants shifting the supply curve and therefore changing the market price equilibrium. This article sums up many concepts that we have learned over the past 6 weeks.

The drought damaged the corn and soybean fields in the U.S. This caused drop in supplies in two crops to below year-earlier consumption levels for the first time since 1974. Prices have rose from 8.49 on August to $18 on September, but dropped again to $15.04 on October 3. This clearly shows both swift in supply, which set a new market equilibrium and price mechanism that adjusts the price of a product the new equilibrium. As the natural disaster swifted the supply curve, the price rose, but because the price was out of equilibrium price, the price dropped..

The recent drought in the pass summer in the Midwest has resulted in a decrease in crops. As a result, not only that restaurants have to struggle with high fuel costs and inactive economy, they also have to struggle with higher food costs with poorer quality. For example, a restaurant used to offer a bowl of pasta at $8.95. However, in the late August, the price jumped to $9.95. Eggs cost 18% more than they did a year earlier. Restaurants need to adjust menus, reduce portion sizes, even consider staff cuts, and also increase prices of their food in order to sustain their businesses.Experts predict that the overall food costs could possibly rise at 5% to 20%. In consequence, customers are less seen out in restaurants. This relates to price mechanism and equilibrium. Lower supply of food shifts the supply curve to the left. This means that the amount being supplied and demanded is different. Producers then must have to raise prices to adjust to higher costs of production. In consequence, amount being demanded at a new price is decreased, setting a new equilibrium price and quantity. This is a downside for the producers since they must increase price to adjust to higher food costs, but because of that, less is being demanded. The restaurants can either choose to lower their price to the original in order to attract customers or remain at the increased price. Either way, restaurants are still affected.

Corn and Soybean prices fell as buyers are moving away from American producers to suppliers in South America such as Brazil and Argentina. Due to the declining demand, there will be allocative inefficiency and supplier's surplus with American corn and soybean. The equilibrium is not achieved, however the price mechanism could perhaps self-right the graph by lowering price and allow the supply to be harmonious with demand.

This article talks about what should be the equilibrium price for a barrel of oil that benefits both the consumer and producer. The OPEC (Organization of petroleum exporting countries) talk about how high prices help the petroleum organization make investments in renewable fuels, but high priceces would hinder consumers as they now have less to spend on other products. The OPEC also talks about the effects of low prices where it would benefit the consumer but disadvantage the producer investing in renewable fuels. Therefore they have come to the conclusion that the price of a barrel of oil should be between 70-80 Dollars a barrel where bothe the producer and the consumer are happy. Saud Arabia ( the biggest exporter of oil) has agreed to the price of 75 dollars a barrel.

It is an opinion article about the real-estate market. This article explain how the people investigate this market to make prediction about the homes prices. " if the inventory of homes available for sale is greater than the number of homes sold in a year, it is probably a "buyers market"; conversely, if the inventory is less than the prior year's sales, it can be considered a "sellers market". This is based on the basic economic theory that when supply exceeds demand, there is downward pressure on prices; and when demand exceeds supply, there is upward pressure on prices." You can find information about what type if homes the people need in Florida USA. Somes places have an excess of single family houses avaible for sale, but they they are shortage of condos and villas. In other places the situation is reversed.

This article talks about an increase in the excise duty on soft drinks which are already subject to a 23pc VAT rate. With this measure the government is trying to reduce the obesity and to increase the revenues of the government. I think that this is a good idea because the problem of obesity is very concerning. Also the costs of treating the obesity are very high (in Spain the government is paying 37 million each for treating the obesity) Many doctors says that the obesity is the epidemic of the XXI century. The fat tax has been introduced in some countries in Europe. The problem is that these taxes are very unpopular because the food is a necessity product. The biggest impact of a tax increase would be felt by the young and lower income groups who are the biggest consumers of soft drinks.

It is an article about the recession and unemployment in Spain. The unemployment is a very serious problem in Spain because the rate of unemployment is about 25% or more so is a lot. This article report that the Spanish situation is stabilizing but we can´t assume that is the end of the recession and the start of the new business cycle. The business cycle is the periodic fluctuations in economic activity measured by changes in real GDP. Output cannot continue to fall for ever as there will always be some people with jobs to maintain a given level of consumption, foreigners will demand exports, governments will continue to spend by running budget deficits, and people will be able to use savings to finance their consumption. Additionally, the low demand for money for investment will result in lower interest rates. Thus, aggregate demand will pick up, the economy will enter the recovery phase, and the cycle will repeat itself. So after the recession the national economy of Spain will suffer an economic growth, the amount of the goods and services produced by an economy over time will increase.

This article talk about the supply elasticity and try to answer the question: "Should scarce resources go to those who are willing and able to pay the most for them, or should they go to those who manage to get in line soonest?" It explain us that the mayor part of oil is going to the military use because the priority is to win the war, and civilians are making due with a fixed supply. With the hurricane the good where supply is inelastic is probably hotel rooms because they can build more hotels and rooms it is impossible. The hotels will increase the price because the demand for the hotel room is increasing, as a result there will be a movement along the demand curve. It try to explain that there should be a fixed price for the emergency products because with the huracane the transport is more difficult and the prices rises. That results in an overall more brittle system in which local supplies aren't very resilient to disruptions in transportation.

It is an article about the important of fiscal policies in the emergent economies, where the fiscal policies remain very conservative. The fiscal policy would be very helpful to continue the economic growth and create jobs. The fiscal policy is a very good method to encourage greater consumption or investments, and as when know, when there is an increase in investments or consumption there will be an increase in the aggregate demand. Axa Framlington fund manager Julian use as example the Mexico's economy that is demonstrating a strong economic growth because they use efficiently the fiscal policy.

Scientists in Alberta have found evidence that oilsand operations have been sending toxins into the atmosphere for decades. Also, levels of toxins in Namur Lake have tripled since 1960. Critics have raised serious concern over the rising pollution in our atmosphere and lakes. This relates to our lesson for the week because the atmospher and lakes are common access resources. They are open to the common. These resources are becoming depleted because of the overuse of these resources.

It is a very interesting article because it is a very recent theme. In the last week I read that the soot is three times more polluting than the scientist though. It is a very good example of negative externality of production. The toxins in the atmosphere are negative externalities for third parties. The company will produce at q1 concerned in their own cost. The MSC is higher than the MPC and there is a welfare lost from Q1 to the equilibrium point. I think that commons must be protected and to achieve it the government must intervene to save the atmosphere and the lakes because it is our planet and we must save it.

This article comments on why there is a rise in food prices due to the lack of harvesting and the growing population. Due to this if there is a short fall of 5% for example the prices will double (China). But in the USA the USDA says it would take a 25% increase in price for a fall of 1% in consuption. Food is inelastic.

This article indicates how economists measure demand and supply changes in prices or income. It also points out two extreme cases where the price will get the extreme values. They are Perfectly price elastic and Perfectly price inelastic. I think these are pretty interesting informations that we can go further in order to understand more about economics and its systems.

According to this articles, which indicates pretty clearly what is Price mechanism. The author shows the facts of petrol price: How it relates to economics and has the influence by the systems; and also shows why petroleum differ from other products.