Quote:
Originally Posted by Norrin Radd
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Brazil, Germany and Spain have all made the investment for their future, why is the US lagging behind?
We are allowing energy corporations to control us.
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The US is a former energy exporter, where energy producers still hold significant influence over the political process.
Over the years, political decisions have favored the use of more energy.
While energy importing countries slap high taxes on motor fuels, encouraging mass transit use, small efficient vehicles, and efficient rail systems.
The US invested in a highway system that produced an infrastructure that relegated rail to bulk transport, and encouraged large automobiles.
While energy was cheap this made short term sense, US auto manufacturers made most of the large cars in the world, and didn't have to compete with small cars, light rail systems were replaced by bus lines, suburban living the most energy costly was promoted with massive subsidies for roads, urban centers were allowed to decay.
All of this benefited the oil companies.
The best energy policy America could institute would be to announce a gas tax that would increase annually over the next 10 years, starting at a low level so as not to shock the market, but letting every purchaser of a new vehicle know that cheap gas was never going to return, and that Grand Cherokee was going to cost $200 to fill up in ten years.
This would encourage energy conservation on a large scale, and the US demand for oil would lessen, this would cut into the oil comapnies bottom lines, and so you can expect the the usual suspects to denounce it.
But it's what every rational country in the world does that imports petroleum.