John Kerry's Energy Policy

[reason]

I can't bring myself to vote for Bush, but just listening to yet another Democrat presidential candidate make hash of reasonable economic thinking, I'll probably yet again vote for the most nonsensical candidate I can find on the ballot (last time it was the guy from the Natural Law Party).

I've not heard all of Kerry's energy policy, but one little blurb I read has me scratching my head. According to Kerry, we should have stricter fuel efficiency laws for automobiles, as this will decrease demand.

Not as I see it.

Make a car more fuel efficient and it becomes cheaper to drive. As long as driving a car is kept cheap and convenient relative to other transportation modes, we will continue to use the automobile, use it more, buy more automobiles, buy bigger automobiles.

The way to decrease demand for fuel is to make the fuel more expensive, make cars more expensive, make alternative fuel efficient transportation modes cheaper and more convenient. It's that simple. Europe does that rather well.

This is the same Kerry that thinks raising our taxes will generate more income. Ugh. That's a discussion for later.

[travelinman]

I have no problem paying high fule costs when my bike gets 45 miles to the gallon.

Jack up the cost to $5.00 a gallon and let the rif raf ride busses.

<font color="#000002" size="1">[ May 28, 2004 03:33 PM: Message edited by: travelinman ]</font>

[jumper69]

I would love to see prices for a gallon of petrol move towards $4 or $5 per gallon. Then you'll see a veritable mad dash to trade in SUV's. They'll be worth pennies on the dollar.

HAHAHAHAHA

[reason]

Originally posted by Jumper69:
I would love to see prices for a gallon of petrol move towards $4 or $5 per gallon. Then you'll see a veritable mad dash to trade in SUV's. They'll be worth pennies on the dollar.

HAHAHAHAHA

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Exactly. Kerry's policy actually encourages us to upsize.

Not that I have anything against fuel efficiency. I'm all for it. But calling for fuel efficiency as a means to decrease demand ignores what has happened in this country over the last 30 years.

[Piña]

Originally posted by reason:
Make a car more fuel efficient and it becomes cheaper to drive. As long as driving a car is kept cheap and convenient relative to other transportation modes, we will continue to use the automobile, use it more, buy more automobiles, buy bigger automobiles.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't know what blurb you're referencing but it seems to me that making a car more fuel efficient would increase the price of the vehicle. This is historically how it seems to work, at least until the technology becomes standard.

[reason]

Originally posted by Pi?a:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by reason:
Make a car more fuel efficient and it becomes cheaper to drive. As long as driving a car is kept cheap and convenient relative to other transportation modes, we will continue to use the automobile, use it more, buy more automobiles, buy bigger automobiles.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't know what blurb you're referencing but it seems to me that making a car more fuel efficient would increase the price of the vehicle. This is historically how it seems to work, at least until the technology becomes standard.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I had thought of this, but I am not sure how much more expensive this would be. I guess it depends on the technology. For example, hybrid cars are more expensive, but one could argue that smaller, lighter cars with smaller engines are less expensive.

Whatever the case may be, history tells us the drive for fuel efficiency has made automobiles the inexpensive and desirable mode of transportation. Otherwise, we would not see the incredible rise in popularity of SUVs over the last decade.

If you really want to see car manufacturers significantly increase fuel efficiency and you want demand for gas to fall, make gas prohibitively expensive. I don't recommend this, but I guarantee you that by making gas $5 a gallon, consumers will be racing to buy the most fuel efficient mode of transportation possible.

(edited because I was making no sense. The disadvantage of conversing online while working.)

<font color="#000002" size="1">[ June 01, 2004 02:04 PM: Message edited by: reason ]</font>