General Discussion

NickB79

(20,294 posts)

7. You are actually 100% correct: gas prices are far too low

Fri Oct 30, 2015, 04:07 PM

Oct 2015

Cheap gas means more gas consumed globally, which means more carbon emissions driving climate change.

The drop in gas prices is already visible in American auto purchases, as we buy more trucks and SUV's, and fewer hybrids: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cheap-gas-fires-up-big-suv-sales-slows-electric-cars-hybrids/

In reality, if we REALLY took climate change seriously, one of the first things that would have to be done is to establish a lower limit on how far gas prices could fall. $4/gallon seems about right (though it would have to be increased over time to create even more carbon cuts). Whenever gas fell below $4/gallon (such as now), the difference would be put into a fund for building mass transit and subsidizing hybrids and electric vehicles.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

65 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Gas prices are too low. [View all] Aerows Oct 2015 OP

I'm not sure that's the reason. CJCRANE Oct 2015 #1

They won't Aerows Oct 2015 #3

Whatever the reason... CJCRANE Oct 2015 #5

No, we are not the ones pulling the strings Aerows Oct 2015 #8

They have to pump it while they can TexasBushwhacker Oct 2015 #62

Saudi has no debt. Even at current burn rates, with a fully funded war, they have five years of cold Fred Sanders Oct 2015 #2

It is a great problem to have Aerows Oct 2015 #4

Not only that, but they've been snapping up gold for decades Warpy Oct 2015 #6

Pride. Aerows Oct 2015 #25

Enough for Saudi princes to buy every hooker in the Western Hemisphere. cherokeeprogressive Oct 2015 #57

You are actually 100% correct: gas prices are far too low NickB79 Oct 2015 #7

Yeah no thank you yeoman6987 Oct 2015 #11

Well if we coupled investment in mass transit and tax breaks for fuel efficient cars with liberal_at_heart Oct 2015 #14

Well get some mass transit going and maybe it would work yeoman6987 Oct 2015 #19

It's the chicken and egg. You have to get voters to be willing to invest in mass transit and liberal_at_heart Oct 2015 #20

Yeah I live in a democratic stronghold and when Annapolis was asked to yeoman6987 Oct 2015 #24

Mass transit will never be an option for everybody. Travis_0004 Oct 2015 #29

Mass transit actually can work very well in suburbs. liberal_at_heart Oct 2015 #47

"We love the freedom and independence ..." former9thward Oct 2015 #59

I'm not saying we should take the freedom away. What I am saying is if we are going to liberal_at_heart Oct 2015 #60

Being in a large college town I am around Millennials day and night. former9thward Oct 2015 #61

As I said the majority of Millennials are passionate about global warming and yes they are liberal_at_heart Oct 2015 #63

Global warming, left unchecked, will kill billons by the end of this century NickB79 Oct 2015 #54

Poor people finally get a break on something and someone wants to put a stop to it. n/t PoliticAverse Oct 2015 #16

Yeah and it is the ones that have a huge income and healthy investments who scream yeoman6987 Oct 2015 #22

Is he right or not? The2ndWheel Oct 2015 #48

What break do the poor in Bangladesh get when the rising seas flood them out? NickB79 Oct 2015 #53

Right?!?! bigwillq Oct 2015 #55

I paid $1.89/gallon yesterday Mosby Oct 2015 #9

Where do you live? oberliner Oct 2015 #12

Phoenix, that's the current costco price as of yesterday Mosby Oct 2015 #35

1.999 lots of places in Tucson yesterday Kali Oct 2015 #51

Good for you! Still paying around $2.50/gal for reg in CT bigwillq Oct 2015 #56

I paid $1.78 for mid grade today but I had 30 cents off a gallon with my Kroger plus card SammyWinstonJack Oct 2015 #58

Could be. It definitely would not be the first or last time that thousands or millions were killed GoneFishin Oct 2015 #10

As an environmentalist, I wish prices were a lot, lot higher TransitJohn Oct 2015 #13

Yes but we need to find a way to do that without going to war. liberal_at_heart Oct 2015 #15

As an environmentalist, I wish alternative energy prices were a lot, lot lower KamaAina Oct 2015 #21

I wish you would band with like thinkers Tommy2Tone Oct 2015 #31

Sorry, TransitJohn Oct 2015 #33

Greater good and collateral damage? Tommy2Tone Oct 2015 #34

Sadly you're tone deaf. TransitJohn Oct 2015 #36

Okay..I'm old and sometimes forget things Tommy2Tone Oct 2015 #50

I agree TexasBushwhacker Oct 2015 #64

Said no one, ever. KamaAina Oct 2015 #17

Funny thing, I was reading that the MENA nations will be broke in 5 years if gas prices don't go up. Rex Oct 2015 #18

Indeed, my friend. Aerows Oct 2015 #23

The price of oil is too low Capt. Obvious Oct 2015 #26

Blame lies in Riyadh. roamer65 Oct 2015 #37

Cuz why have health when a handful of people can have boatloads of more money? nt valerief Oct 2015 #27

Isn't that why Bush lied us into Iraq? KansDem Oct 2015 #28

It was a smart strategy... CJCRANE Nov 2015 #65

Well they own Fox News Tommy2Tone Oct 2015 #30

I find it anything Aerows Oct 2015 #40

I find your post alarming. And I thought wrong. Tipperary Oct 2015 #32

It will end when the Saudis and Iranians start head to head war. roamer65 Oct 2015 #38

I'm sensing some sarcasm here, LOL. GGJohn Oct 2015 #39

I thought it was so patently obvious Aerows Oct 2015 #42

I was 99.9% sure it was sarcasm, GGJohn Oct 2015 #45

Rap me on the knuckles. Aerows Oct 2015 #46

What about the poor? meow2u3 Oct 2015 #41

I edited to include the sarcasm tag. Aerows Oct 2015 #43

Watch as Saudi jamzrockz Oct 2015 #44

Didn't gas prices drop similarly last year? That Guy 888 Oct 2015 #49

Probably Travis_0004 Oct 2015 #52