“If this is so valid, then how come we are not able to use all the oil in Alaska instead of Saudi Arabia? Who stopped us from using the plentiful Alaska energy? It definitely was not the Bush Administration. Ted’s screams still echo in my ears.

*To the tune of “The Macarena”*:

“Heeeeeeeeeeey, you’re a fucktard (aaaa-AAAH!)”

I really think the best way to get people to conserve oil is to tax it. If taxes caused the price to double, then people would use less.

But my opinion doesn’t seem popular on either the right or the left.

Abigail-
I’d prefer to enact a sales tax on gas-guzzling cars: the lower the gas mileage on the car, the higher the sales tax. This way, people have more incentives to consume less oil *and* working-class people who have to drive to work won’t be hit with a cost of living increase.

Everyone can conserve gas, even working-class people. Sure, a tax on gasoline is regressive, but that can be counteracted by lowering other taxes.

Only if EVERYONE conserves gas can we significantly lower our gas consumption.

Well, you’re right that a direct tax on gas would be more efficient at cutting consumption, but politically it’s something Republicans will hammer us with (and Christ, Democrats already have enough problems trying to reach working-class midwesterners).

You also have to consider that most cities in this country have virtually *no* public transportation infrastructure. If you use money from (among other things) the SUV tax and plug it into public transport you’ll give people a viable alternative and they’ll use their cars less.

Why I support a tax on fossil fuels

Via Sadly, No, I came across this post at TheRant.us which is an evil conservative blog. Lee Ellis, who runs TheRant.us, apparently supports unfettered use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels pollute our environment and make us dependent on the

Brad, my further thoughts on this issue are posted at my blog.

Abigail, Brad R., as a Brit (expat) I can say that the solution to the crunch in oil supply and the prospect of congestion in the UK has been both to price up the road tax rates for cars that emit too much fumes and/or consume too much fuel, and to hoik up the gas taxes a bit (gasoline’s way more expensive in the UK, and most of it is tax, but it does seem to be working). But Brad, you’ve a point that more public transportation ain’t a bad thing. Problem is how to fit it into cities or other habitations already designed around the car and not the person on two feet…

Brad, re. your first post, I hear that Alaska doesn’t really have that much oil – not enough to pique the interest of the big oil companies, anyhow.