Not until ~we notice~ that our backs are against the wall..

But, OUR BACKS ARE AGAINST THE WALL!

We know that the problem is much larger than just Peak Oil, although that is the immediate manifestation. There's climate change as the longer term aspect and in both cases, there's the tremendous inertia of the system which will impede any serious attempts to address the situation. If we really had those 20 years before Peak Oil to implement Hirsch Report Wedges, things might turn out differently, but indications are that It's Too Late!!

The Senate Bill which Lieberman and Warner introduced last week is now on Thomas. I took a quick look at it and I didn't see where the "allowances" actually get passed down to where the rubber meets the road, aka, Joe Sixpack and his kid, Billy Fourwheeler. The bill is apparently directed toward industry. See for yourself (search: S. 2191):

http://thomas.loc.gov/

These guys want to auction the "allowances", which would result in ever higher prices for the consumer and a perpetual upward price spiral, i.e., inflation. Perhaps worse, there will be another layer of emissions regulations for industry. Having an auction for the allowances means that there would provide another way for the big money folks to play "get rich quick", like the stock and futures markets which produced ENRON, Worldcom and Long Term Capital Management. I think the whole approach shows that the market based approach probably won't work. Take notice the names of the other sponsors...

E. Swanson