Comments on: It Takes an Oil Crisis

By: FPL

FPL — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 03:05:34 +0000

Additional points:
1) There is a difference between price and availability. As soon as availability becomes a problem, the price increases will make the taxes increases you are talking about insignificant. The last availability crisis was 1972-3. The next one will be permanent. Price jumps will be measured in dollars, not cents per gallon.
2) Consumer demand is vastly more powerful than government economic manipulations. A lot of effort is going into new electic cars (e.g. Tesla Motors new car plant in New Mexico) and new Lithium Batteries. This will allow electric cars to displace most gas cars in the next two decades. Bottom line here is that no money needs to be directed by the Government. A lot of businesses are leapfrogging the government, but very quietly.
3) America has little gas domestically, but LOTS of coal. Bottom line here is that CO2 pollution needs to be solved, not necessarily energy availability.
4) Government IS good at getting pollutions standards in place. Companies ARE NOT good at agreeing to standards, but do a rather good job of complying (but bellyaching loudly the whole way.)

My Conclusion is do not tax, but make pollution limits that make sustainability the priority and enforce them. These will in turn drive new industries to make the autos of the future.

My prediction is that 20+ years from now, it will be power plants that are the main concern, not autos.

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:20:49 +0000

Ok what about people who need bigger cars likes v8s because they can not fit into smaller cars what are they supposed to do

By: Harry Boswell

Harry Boswell — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 03:57:17 +0000

It seems the energy used to fight pointless and useless wars could be saved along with the people it maims.

All the energy saving efforts I make in a lifetime are probably negated by one days 'action' in Iraq or Afghanistan.

By: noz

noz — Wed, 30 May 2007 20:59:06 +0000

Perhaps if we didn't piss away over half a TRILLION dollars on war and invested that in ourselves, our technologies, develop new energy supplies, etc, we'd not be in the mess we are in.

I'm amazed how stupid humans are...

By: AP

AP — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:09:32 +0000

A higher fuel tax is the ONLY effective method to 1) encourage people to buy fuel-efficient vehicles, and 2) use them less. Any other way is extra complication and trying to avoid the real problem. I have more respect for someone who burns 500 gallons/year in an SUV than a Prius owner who burns 1000 gal/yr.
Roll a $2 tax at $.10 every three months for 5 years to let consumers and manufacturers adjust, and refund the extra tax revenue as a credit from the IRS. Then consumers can weigh the cost of a more fuel-efficent vehicle vs. the fuel savings and make their own decision w/o stupid rebates and incentives.

By: lindsey

lindsey — Tue, 29 May 2007 01:23:18 +0000

Mars and Saturn and other planets as well are heating even more and faster then the earth. Oh sorry man does not live there. Do you tree huggers understand.
CO2 does not lead heat it follows and comes from the great CO2 sink and source the ocean. The ocean in warming because of underwater volcanoes and the warmer water is releasing more CO2.

By: Lenny From Brooklyn

Lenny From Brooklyn — Sun, 27 May 2007 18:44:57 +0000

Fossil Fuel Taxes are NOT they way to go. In fact the entire global warming “debate” is merley the greatest wealth redistribution scheme ever devised.

http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/G/great_global_warming_swindle/

Clinton was president for 8 years. Did he raise taxes? Did he bash the big bad oil companies? Did he raise the Cafe standards any real amout? Hillary won’t change anything and neither will Obama.

Rudy for ’08. He’s a Republican, but he’s NOT a conservative.

By: michael a.

michael a. — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:14:02 +0000

Until we have 3rd Party, we only have two choices: Democrats and Republicans.

It takes 60 votes (out of 100) to pass a tax increase in the U.S. Senate. The Republicans control 49 seats and they have proven to us that they will NEVER raise taxes of any kind - NOT EVEN TO PAY FOR THE WAR. ("The central ideological struggle of our time" - G. Bush)

Fossil Fuel Taxes are THE way out Global Warming. Fossil Fuel taxes reduce demand for foreign oil and domestic coal.

Any discussion of taxes that ignores the political realities of the Conservative Agenda in American Politics is pointless. Conservative Politicians don't give a damn about climate change and they don't give a damn about our 10 trillion dollar debt.

So if you want change, Vote Democratic in 2008.

And, by the way,I'm an independent, and I voted for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006. He's a Republican, but he's NOT a conservative.

By: ETM

ETM — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:53:14 +0000

Vote with your wallet?

By: Branden

Branden — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:05:48 +0000

The gasoline prioces are outrageous. I cannot afford to drive anywhere. I think there should be a vote on the gasoline prices.