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Originally Posted by Astronouth7303
My econ class came up with better reasons. I thought you guys were smart!
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Tisk, tisk. Energy and politics isn't so easy ... think of side effects and consequences and the mid term. E.g.,
Everything becomes more expensive, economy slows down. A lot is dependent on gas ... how do goods move across country to your grocery store? Think about the effect on the airplane industry.
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This would encourage consumers to by higher efiecency cars
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If such options are available. It was recently reported (don't have link now), that the mileage for a hybrid car was way overstated than what it actually got. Hybrids aren't so great. Further, they have a limited niche, they aren't for the family that needs to transport 4 kids across town multiple times per day. (And surely they aren't for shipping good cross country!)
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This causes corporations to spend more money on R&D. First with better mpg, then to different technology all together
So even more money is spent on the same (similar) thing that the new tax goes to.
Technologies researched (Hydrogen, electric, solar, etc.) reaches market faster.
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Well, you could look at it like that. Or you could look at it like this: since price of gas went up and economy slowed down, less people are buying new cars, especially big beasts like hummers and SUVs. Also, in general, the businesses are hurting. So they don't have so much to spend on R&D. The question -- can they research something and take it to implementation before their funds go kaput? Well, you seem to be vastly oversimplifying the whole issue, implying that more money means a quick solution -- *but* if you've studied the issue, it is very complex, and even with more money, a "solution" (which word I use tongue-in-cheek), is far off indeed. And even given research proves fruitful in ten years, it would take 5 or more years to get it implemented and a couple more years for noticeable penetration. So technologies never reach market, industry fails, we plumet into a dark age.
Moral of the story -- there are multiple sides to an issue, and actions have consequences ... if the future were so easily predicted and so easily controlled, the present would be a lot better, you can bet on that!