'Perfect Storm' of Factors Driving Up Oil Prices, say Experts (3/3)

"Twenty-five percent of the increase in oil prices is strictly due to the fact that the dollar has gone down by 25 percent, because oil all over the world is priced in dollars."

Taken together, Hanke says, these and other factors have made for a "perfect storm" that relentlessly drives up oil prices with no end in sight.

What can be done about it? Hanke says oil prices would moderate if supply were increased and world demand leveled off or subsided. He says prices would also be lower if oil-producing nations reversed the trend towards state monopoly control of their petroleum sectors, if the U.S. government stopped stockpiling emergency oil for its Strategic Petroleum Reserve program, or if the U.S. dollar were to strengthen.

For that last suggestion to become reality, however, U.S. interest rates would likely have to rise, something America's central bank is unlikely to tolerate so long as the U.S. economy remains weak. Ironically, many economists blame America's anemic economic performance, in part, on higher fuel prices.

参考译文：

“石油价格上涨了25 ％，严格来讲是由于美元贬值了25 ％这一事实，因为全球的石油都是以美元定价的”。

综合考虑，汉克认为这些因素及其他因素形成了一个“完美风暴”， 不停地推动石油价格攀升，看不到尽头。

对此能做些什么呢？汉克说，如果供应量增加，全球需求平稳或减弱，石油价格就能平缓。他说如果石油生产国扭转国家垄断控制自己石油部门的趋势，或者美国政府停止为战略石油储备计划储存紧急石油的措施，抑或美元能坚挺的话，石油价格也会降低。

然而，要使最后这个提议变成现实，就有可能需要提高利率，而这是美国中央银行不可能容忍的，因为美国经济依然疲弱。具有讽刺意味的是，许多经济学家都把燃油价格走高部分地归咎于美国的经济表现。

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