Kevyn

The world is close to filling up its oil storage capacity and S&P is expecting oil prices will drop to ten bucks a barrel by summer. This means we will likely see gasoline prices below a dollar a gallon soon. While lack of demand is great for the environment it has its downsides that should be addressed. Americans are terribly short sighted and with gas this cheap many will forget when it cost $150 to fill their gas guzzling SUVs with gas at 5 bucks a gallon. How many are going to take their McConnell welfare check and use it for a down payment on a needless monster gas guzzler? Some of the cost of the two trillion corporate give away could be clawed back by raising the federal tax on gas to bring the price to where it was last summer.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Or requiring all new vehicles to have higher standards like many of the nations in the world...

Kevyn

Europe increased fuel economy and the use of good public t***sit by charging higher taxes for fuel and using the money on a world class rail system. In the US we rely on Corporate average fuel economy standards. these standards have been dumped by the Trump administration. The problem is that cheep gas has many Americans buying huge trucks they don’t need. If tradespeople who needed trucks were given tax credits to offset high fuel prices and fuel was taxed to improve infastructure and encourage conservation we would have fewer people taking trucks designed for contractors and farmers to the grocery store and soccer games. This is likely the biggest impact I have n the environment. I love to drive and often relax by taking long drives in the country to clear my head. While I continue to do this I bought a very efficient car and also a motorcycle so I can do so at a lower cost to the environment. I am considering an electric car that can be charged at night when the grid has excess capacity, sadly the range is limited for my needs so a hybrid is likely a better choice.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

How'd those gas taxes work out for France?

Asia is very similar though... Lots of public t***sport, excellent railways, and restrictions on fuel standards...

Kevyn

In the time I spent in France I found that I got around fine without a car. The subway system in Paris could get you within a couple blocks from anywhere in the city quicker than driving and for little money. Small towns were well served by regional rail as they were at one time in the US. I rented a car to tour Spain a small very efficient and comfortable VW on one occasion and a Fiat on another, fuel was expensive but both cars got exceptional mileage. I would assume fuel taxes were similar around the EU. The one thing I noticed is that the roads were in excellent shape none of the broken concrete and potholes that destroy tires and front end alignments in much of the US.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Guess those Yellow Vests were just full of it...

Yep... Europe has great roads... Better than Canada's too...

Might be because we are young nations with little sense of history..

Kevyn

The yellow vests are right the tax burden is too heavy on workers and too light on the uber wealthy. Like us France has a very wealthy leader who wants to increase retirement age and cut benefits in order to benefit the rich. Unlike us the workers in France stick together and can strike shutting down the entire country until they get justice.