(ET) Re: New Electrics

[Stephen & Carol Welch <welches paonline com>]

Title: Re:  New Electrics

Can't resist - have to contribute two pennies...

In a nutshell, I'm with Maxo:

"Indeed, to be effective in steering the future you have to recognize the
simplicity of our collective behavior.

That's why you TAX GAS. (Or charge at the pump for security in the oil
producing parts of the globe, yes, John, and other costs.) Make it hurt a
little to burn hydrocarbons frivolously. Bang done."

When you look at extraction + refining + air pollution + 'possible' global climate change + cost of developing replacement for non-renewable dinosaur goo + + +, you find that $1.66/gallon only covers the first two.  The big dollars are found in all the rest, which we can conveniently ignore from our position with heads firmly in the sand.  It's quite likely that the true costs of fossil fuels won't be felt until those who profit from them (many of us + our forebears) are six feet under.  Because of this, there has been little economic advantage to "doing the right thing" by conserving or looking for cleaner lifestyles.  Unfortunately, the almighty dollar (profit) ultimately drives most major decision making.  Land and resource conservation has to "pay" or it will ultimately lose out to basic economic interests.  The only way to alter that is to "handicap" undesirable behavior (fossil fuels) by taxing them so that present day consumers feel the true cost of the use of the resource in question.  

Or to put it simply, find the pain button and people will respond.  When we're dead, we feel no pain, so better hit us now...

Off soapbox, off to bed!

Steve