Poll: Carbon consumption tax replaces income tax?

[Brainwalter]

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There are over 100 different types of vehicles sold throughout the world that get over 40 MPG, yet only 2 of them are sold in the U.S. and they are the expensive ones.

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Honda Civic is expensive?

[xorbie]

Does anyone have a good source on how much oil is used in private transportation (i.e. cars) as compared to other uses? My hunch is that for all the hooplah about buying a 40MPG car as opposed to a 25MPG car, the difference is minimal.

[adios]

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Does anyone have a good source on how much oil is used in private transportation (i.e. cars) as compared to other uses? My hunch is that for all the hooplah about buying a 40MPG car as opposed to a 25MPG car, the difference is minimal.

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In the long run I would think so for many reasons. I believe that many who want to have higher MPG cars mandated believe that it will by the human race some time to implement shall we say "better" solutions before catastrophe hits.

[adios]

Now that you bring this up. Here's a linky to an editorial in the Harvard Crimson criticising Al Gore but in the article it states the following:

Gore and “Green” Goonies


While these superficial efforts by stars to offset their consumption are admirable, they are not a lasting solution. The average American household would have to buy $276,000 a year in carbon credits to counteract their carbon emissions, a price tag few Americans would be able to afford.

Now if this is indeed the case I can see a carbon tax replacing the income tax as being more viable. I bought TerraPass carbon offsets for $120 that offset my carbon emissions from my gas guzzlers. Obviously my footprint is larger than just my vehicles but not that much larger i.e. the difference isn't $276,000 - $120. So I'm a little confused about that.

As an aside, the local electric company offered to supply me with electricity that is 90% generated by wind but the cost was 10% higher than I normally would pay. If I got a 10% reduction in my electric bill by using wind generated power I would have signed up for it immediately. I'd like to do some shopping for other electric power companies to supply me electricity but I'm forced into making one choice basically. Go with local electric company or go without electricity.

[Luxoris]

[ QUOTE ]
Now that you bring this up. Here's a linky to an editorial in the Harvard Crimson criticising Al Gore but in the article it states the following:

Gore and “Green” Goonies


While these superficial efforts by stars to offset their consumption are admirable, they are not a lasting solution. The average American household would have to buy $276,000 a year in carbon credits to counteract their carbon emissions, a price tag few Americans would be able to afford.

Now if this is indeed the case I can see a carbon tax replacing the income tax as being more viable. I bought TerraPass carbon offsets for $120 that offset my carbon emissions from my gas guzzlers. Obviously my footprint is larger than just my vehicles but not that much larger i.e. the difference isn't $276,000 - $120. So I'm a little confused about that.

As an aside, the local electric company offered to supply me with electricity that is 90% generated by wind but the cost was 10% higher than I normally would pay. If I got a 10% reduction in my electric bill by using wind generated power I would have signed up for it immediately. I'd like to do some shopping for other electric power companies to supply me electricity but I'm forced into making one choice basically. Go with local electric company or go without electricity.

[/ QUOTE ]

The TerraPass offset prices are way off the cost of actual offsets....Ive heard estimates ranging to them being from 5% to 20% of the actual cost.

The average joe would never buy the offsets if they were priced properly and TerraPass would have no business. Its just a scam.

[xorbie]

Interesting article

So 25% of China's CO2 emissions are in creating and transporting goods to Western countries. Hard to say how much of our own CO2 usage is made up of transporting the goods we consume and how much goes into other energy costs, but I think I'm pretty close to the mark when I say that complaining about cars is fairly pointless.

[adios]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Now that you bring this up. Here's a linky to an editorial in the Harvard Crimson criticising Al Gore but in the article it states the following:

Gore and “Green” Goonies


While these superficial efforts by stars to offset their consumption are admirable, they are not a lasting solution. The average American household would have to buy $276,000 a year in carbon credits to counteract their carbon emissions, a price tag few Americans would be able to afford.

Now if this is indeed the case I can see a carbon tax replacing the income tax as being more viable. I bought TerraPass carbon offsets for $120 that offset my carbon emissions from my gas guzzlers. Obviously my footprint is larger than just my vehicles but not that much larger i.e. the difference isn't $276,000 - $120. So I'm a little confused about that.

As an aside, the local electric company offered to supply me with electricity that is 90% generated by wind but the cost was 10% higher than I normally would pay. If I got a 10% reduction in my electric bill by using wind generated power I would have signed up for it immediately. I'd like to do some shopping for other electric power companies to supply me electricity but I'm forced into making one choice basically. Go with local electric company or go without electricity.

[/ QUOTE ]

The TerraPass offset prices are way off the cost of actual offsets....Ive heard estimates ranging to them being from 5% to 20% of the actual cost.

The average joe would never buy the offsets if they were priced properly and TerraPass would have no business. Its just a scam.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the response. Ok let's say they're 5% of the actual cost. Multiply $120 by 20 and I get $2400. I still have a hard time resolving the difference between $276,000 and $2,400. I don't think I use that much electricity for instance.

[Luxoris]

There are ads in California, maybe elsewhere?, that say every household changing 1 bulb from incandescent to compact fluorescents is equivalent to removing 700,000 cars from the road. sounds like cars are pretty minimal.

[Luxoris]

Yeah, it doesnt sound reasonable.

[adios]

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There are ads in California, maybe elsewhere?, that say every household changing 1 bulb from incandescent to compact fluorescents is equivalent to removing 700,000 cars from the road. sounds like cars are pretty minimal.

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Hard to believe but heh. If that is indeed the case then the credits required to offset my carbon footprint is probably mucho greater then $276,000. If this replacement offsets the footprint of 700,000 cars then indeed the amount of carbon emitted from my vehicles is negligible. And if it costs $2400 in credits to offset the footprint of my car.