> Andy F:
> " That such pricing would be hard on the not-so-rich sounds like a problem
> of economic equality, not carbon policy."
>
> [WS:} I think this supposed hardship on the poor is a red herring. We are
> talking a few bucks here and there, not thousands of dollars. If someone
> can afford $150 snickers or a $300 ipod, he can certainly afford a $5
> fluorescent bulb.
>
> The whole point here is to make pricing a mechanism of change - which means
> that it needs to be felt to matter, but it cannot be prohibitively high.
> $6-$10 for a gallon of gas is certainly felt but it is not prohibitive - in
> fact this is the price of gasoline in Europe! - so it is precisely the right
> mechanism to encourage people to drive less and use alternatives more (car
> pools, transit, bicycles, etc.)
I dunno about that, and I'm not talking about lightbulbs. I'm not that bad off, and I feel the pinch when fuel gets expensive. And I'm more into not driving than most Americans I've known.
Euros also have well-kept public transportation. We mostly don't.
-- Andy