How strange. Despite the effect the recent spike in oil prices had on efficiency of new cars? Despite the European example? Well, good luck to you with the soft paternalism of "education".

I would change 'lifestyle' by directly limiting consumer choice. Nobody has a 'right' to the mistake of buying an inefficient car. It impacts society at large.

The Europeans pay a lot in taxes for passenger cars that get average of 44 mpg which is a gain of 20% over the last 30 years. This is not tremendous progress. Instead it shows that under the heaviest taxes the economic impetus to improve efficiency is weak at best.

Now sure, it may be easier for the Europeans to do this. The continent is more densely populated, and development has historically been more clustered in towns. Public transport is undeniably better. But whether this is a result of their high taxes is debatable.

Schipper said the European gas taxes were instituted in the 1920's, primarily as a luxury tax on automobiles, which were then mostly toys for the rich.

The relatively vast network of rail lines were already laid, and gasoline tax revenue was directed to general state coffers. Even today, gas taxes go to the state's general budget and are not specifically marked for mass transit or other environmental projects.

Still, he believes the high taxes have encouraged people to live closer to city centers and to buy cars that get better mileage.

"If gasoline was always expensive, you have to conclude that some of that had an impact," he said. "What Europe realized is they could steer consumption, not just raise money."

Others aren't so convinced.

Denny Ellerman, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, also noted that the rail lines were already built before the gas tax. He also pointed to the terrible auto congestion in cities like London and Paris, and that Europeans don't appear to be deterred from heading out to the suburbs, which require a longer commute.

Ellerman said urban sprawl, while not matching the extent of the U.S., is increasing. He said it has yet to reach American levels - not because of higher fuel prices- but due mainly to higher land prices and lower income.

As far as instituting a bigger gas tax in this country goes, he wasn't for it.

He said most everyone has to use gas, and taxing it would hit the poor the hardest.

Ellerman also thought there were too many other variables for a gas tax to result in lower wholesale prices. Supplier nations like OPEC could simply cut production, or other nations could take advantage of falling demand and prices in the U.S. to use more themselves.

So could a gas tax result in lower wholesale prices and the resulting transfer in money to the government from oil companies? "That's absolutely fantastic thinking," he said.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/21/news/international/europe_gas/index.htm

Have the politicians lower other taxes with the same amount. It's up to you, the people.

Shirley, you must be joking.

Because all politicians are bought by the Big Oil?

THEY don't need to buy ALL of them.
Maybe some of them are too stupid to demand bribes/campaign contributions(yeah, right).

With punitive prices, demand diminishes and lifestyle changes are accomplished.

You have a libertarian perspective: miraculous but simplistic laws of supply and demand ruling human behavior.

I can see why you can believe in unlimited atomic power.