<DrumBeat: December 15, 2008 The Oil Drum DrumBeat: December 16, 2008>

156 comments on The Case for Higher Gas Taxes (and Lower Income Taxes)

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VK on December 15, 2008 - 11:39am Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

How to mitigate peak oil

1) Compulsory education in High school and University on NET energy. 101 Energy and Thermodynamics.

2) Compulsory education about fertilizer. NPK 101, textbook by author Bob Shaw (Totoneila). Have you hugged your bag of NPK today?

3) Increase Efficiency across the board through strict regulation.

4) Raise consumption taxes of items that require more energy to produce through the roof. Items should be priced according to the energy they use!

5) Raise Gas taxes globally (Sure it'll guarantee a depression but do you want a depression now or a global collapse later?)

6) Make it patriotic to use less energy, to use less in general! Society should reward less.If women rewarded less, men would oblige with using less. The mess that got the world into this in the first place is competition for mates.

7) Use the taxes gathered to create a sovereign alternative energy fund and keep Robert Rapier and Nate Hagens in charge.

8) Invest in comprehensive public transport

9) Trains

10) Cut the working week to four days. Less time and energy wasted in commuting.

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jokuhl on December 15, 2008 - 4:59pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

VK;
I appreciate the intent here, but the tone of all your suggestions comes off as some form of 'combative policy solution' It sounds like it's just gunnin' for a protracted congressional and cultural battle, of which we've seen so much already.

I think the strength in RR's proposal is that while focused and clearly directed, it is also proportional and gradual. The way you've worded some of those sounds like you're telling consumers and citizens that the 'they' in the economy is the enemy, not that we need to all join in an effort to improve our priorities.

"Compulsory, Compulsory, Tax high energy items Through the Roof"

In a time of extremes,sometimes 'Diplomacy and a Conciliatory approach' are regarded as ineffectual, weak or even a betrayal. Nobody wants to compromise.. and we don't get anywhere. Push too hard and it only inspires resistance.

Best,
Bob Fiske

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156 comments on The Case for Higher Gas Taxes (and Lower Income Taxes)

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