Anyway, much as we might not like it there is an argument for high tax on fossil fuel as an attempt to reduce it's consumption as it is believed to be a major cause of global warming.
Sadly that will only work when ALL countries adopt the same policy. Given the lack of buy-in to Kyoto by some countries that are both high in fuel consumption per capita and also very low in fuel tax, then I think the future is bleak.
Ok, is this discussion about high costs of fuel, or about the ecological impacts of fuel, or both?
Seems it started out as fuel costs. I guess discussions are dynamic that way.
Concerning reducing consumption, that'll only happen when there is a viable alternative, regardless of which country is being discussed, or slammed. Tax never really has reduced consumption, nor is it (reducing consumption) really a government's reason for its high taxation of fuels. That, I believe, is too altruistic of a country's governing body's motivations.
As regards fuel costs themselves, every country has its own mixture of reasons the cost is so high. Some countries rely more on imported fuel than others. This affects cost greatly. Also, many/most of the oil producing countries have a stranglehold on its cost. Most of those countries' own residents cannot afford fuel either.
The relatively few "families" that control oil are unbelievably wealthy, all the while their own countrymen do without certain things we all take for granted.
It is not so, though, in every oil-producing country. Argentina for example has laws ensuring their country's inhabitants are not gouged for fuel costs. Mere pennies on the gallon (in comparison to even the US). Still below 20 cents US a gallon last time I bothered to look (which was a little while ago). Should they be penalized? Should they join some multi-national effort to reduce something that may have an effect on global warming and raise their taxes against their own people in order to reduce consumption? Or is this "solution" only for the wealthier nations to do?
The US produces a lot of its own oil. Much of it goes into reserves to cushion rises and production issues, if the leaders that be choose to dip into them, which they do from time to time.
The real issue regarding costs is, with each country paying about the same for crude oil, why is it that some people pay so much at the pump? It was stated early in the thread. Taxes mainly. Which gets me full circle in this response.
It would be good to determine what each of our own country's motives are for the taxes before we point the finger at other countries and declare they are a global "problem."
Taxes penalize the least able to pay them. Taxes are rarely a solution to any problem. Taxes to lessen consumption will never work in the larger scheme of things. It may lessen how much you or I drive for personal reasons. It will only increase the cost of living in every other area of living. Again, this will hurt most those that cannot afford it.
Ok, now I'll go away. I should stick more to the really important things in life. Things like, should I cut pins first, or tails?
Mike
