High Gas Prices - One Way To Reduce Global Warming
As we head into the first real (family day in February doesn't count) long weekend of the year I shudder at the cost of gas. Hovering at around $1.27 a litre depending on where you are in this city, it is becoming prohibitive to most people to drive far from home. I suspect the regular Friday night exodus to cottage country will slow down. I know myself as I filled up my tank for $80 that doing this every weekend as we have in years past may not be possible. Of course that will reduce the amount of emissions and that's a good thing, but what about all the businesses in cottage country, small towns with small populations, that depend on cottagers for their income? What will happen to them, will they close up and do what? Go on welfare or move to cities for employment?
And where will they work. Figures out show that people are spending less money, everyone is so worried about the fallout from the American mortgage fiasco that they are tightening their belts so the speak. I'm not an economist, in fact my mathematical abilities suck but even I know that purchasing and travelling stimulate the economy and keep things humming.
So higher gas prices = less money for other things = less production or import = less use of electricity = less coal fired plants to produce electricity = ...you get the point. Where are we headed here. Am I looking at this too simplistically, will this all work out in the end?
Today it cost me 80 bucks to fill up the gas tank on my ridiculously inefficient vehicle, oh yes I already said that. Then there's this little gem, a carbon tax, that the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition wishes to impose on us if elected in the next federal election; just what we need. It has been estimated that a carbon tax could add up to 50 cents to a litre of gas. Just what the economy needs.
Stephane Dion...read my lips, we don't need a carbon tax, meanwhile we're heading out to play with the blackflies...shudder.
THE DION TAX
Would Dion's Carbon Tax Save The Planet ?
Total Votes: 2333
And where will they work. Figures out show that people are spending less money, everyone is so worried about the fallout from the American mortgage fiasco that they are tightening their belts so the speak. I'm not an economist, in fact my mathematical abilities suck but even I know that purchasing and travelling stimulate the economy and keep things humming.
So higher gas prices = less money for other things = less production or import = less use of electricity = less coal fired plants to produce electricity = ...you get the point. Where are we headed here. Am I looking at this too simplistically, will this all work out in the end?
Today it cost me 80 bucks to fill up the gas tank on my ridiculously inefficient vehicle, oh yes I already said that. Then there's this little gem, a carbon tax, that the leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition wishes to impose on us if elected in the next federal election; just what we need. It has been estimated that a carbon tax could add up to 50 cents to a litre of gas. Just what the economy needs.
Stephane Dion...read my lips, we don't need a carbon tax, meanwhile we're heading out to play with the blackflies...shudder.
THE DION TAX
Would Dion's Carbon Tax Save The Planet ?
| Yes, we Canadians can save the world (300) | 13% |
| |
| No, he's crazy as a bed bug (1916) | 82% |
| |
| I don't know, tough call (117) | 5% |
|
Total Votes: 2333
posted by Rositta @ Friday, May 16, 2008
8 Comments:
It is insane that these prices keep rising, while the companies keep making record profits, and no one is stopping them.
Yeah, scary, isn't it? Super unleaded is at EUR 1.50 where we live right now - that's about CDN $2.30 and it looks like it's going to keep going up.
Oh don't get me going....in a country which is the next largest producer for gas next to Saudi and we have to pay the prices we do....I am guilty I do drive a large vehicle...just out of curiosity I wanted to see how much it would cost to fill the tank hold your breath...@1.32/lire it cost me $135.00....ouch is right. What I found amazing this long weekend were all the motorhomes on the road and at camp grounds...I too question how they could afford to do that...those monster homes on wheels....
As for the carbon tax..the is going to be introduced in our province next month....yup the wonderful carbon tax...but guess what they say they are going to send us $100 cheque to get us started in buying more efficiently....ok...is that crazy or what....the money first of all that is being spent to set up a section of the government to administer this tax and then to send a cheque to every British Columbian....personally I plan to send the cheque back to my politician and tell them to use if more efficiently...it's an insult
Just my two cents, but higher gas prices will likely do nothing to discourage people from driving. As an example, I offer Europe. Christina mentioned it's 1.50 where she is. Where I am in Greece, it ranges from 1.35 to 2.00 EUR (or 3.07 CDN, so more than double Canada and the USA) a liter. That's an incredible amount of money when you consider how small liters are.
And yet, Greeks drive as much as ever. Just like they got another car when they instituted the odd-even rules in Athens. Totally pointless.
Also, there are those out there who still believe that global warming is a theory. What do you do about them? Can't punish them, they'll be dead long before the Earth burns up and turns to deserts.
A large part of our higher gas prices is the free trade deal with the U.S. We can't have cheaper gas than what we export it for. Kind of unfair in my mind. I acknowledge that gas is Europe is way more expensive and Canada and U.S. are bigger and colder. You (Europe) get your oil and gas from Russia I believe, and they have become very rich and powerful. Actually just watching a documentary on the subject.
Kat, Greeks will always drive which surprises me, you have the cheapest public transit. Not the most comfortable for sure, but the cheapest. But again, generally, the distances are not so great. There are people here who commute (drive) up to 100 km a day for the jobs. That's a lot of gas...
I was whining when I put 94 dollars worth of gas into my truck, to go to the cottage.
What struck me, and this is kind of a stupid comment, but after Hurricane Katrina, when gas prices went up, were they not supposed to come down?
Addled has a commute to work. We spend now around 600 per month on gas (just to and from work). 210 km's a day.
To buy a hybrid, you are looking at a smaller, less safe car (with all the bad weather here). Plus, are you going to make that money back balancing vehicle cost and gas consumption? Now, bio diesle, is a good idea, but you have to keep it warm in the winter months. We have winter half the bloody year.
We might produce a lot of oil, but I think we should give the finger to the States and keep it for ourselves. That is my irrational rant for the day.
Lisa, it's the people who have to drive to and from work these great distances that I feel most sorry for. Europeans think we are wasteful but they don't have to drive those distances just to work in fact they can't even fathom it. You know that once prices go up they never come down again and I don't think bio fuels are the answer. That will just cause more world hunger. Buy oil stock, Imperial Oil went up 4 bucks a share today...
Rositta,
I have decided this year to NOT put my car on the road. My son travels to Ottawa for his 'heavy equipment operator' course, so he brings us whatever we need at the hospital in Ottawa. Also I can buy bustickets...5 trips for $9 to get around the city..(Shopper's, mall, etc)...(10 tickets for &9...and 2 tickets per bus ride...and I love people-watching anyways!
Simple choice for me....gas or cafeteria food!
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