Economists say that high gas prices triggered the housing crisis in 2007 | Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. - A new study by economists at the University of California, Berkeley, and Oregon State University suggests that the U.S. housing crisis that started in 2007 and eventually led to a worldwide financial crisis was triggered by rapidly rising gas prices. Economic bubbles have a long history - from the Dutch tulip mania in the 1600s to this latest housing bubble - and many factors can cause them to inflate, the researchers say. But little is known about what actually triggers a bubble to burst.