Hey Dan

I have a slight propensity to make radical statements. This is a failing of mine. I should work on this at some point. This point will not be today. This is my current favorite heated debate starter:

Higher gas prices make me happy. Gas at $2 a gallon brightens my day. I do not work for or own any oil company stock. It is because, the higher gas prices go, the greater the benefit of conservation.

We have had reliable electric cars for more then ten years. Hybrids and bio-diesel are available today. The resistance to adopting these clearer technologies is cheap fossil fuel. Bio-diesel cost about $50 a barrel to produce. When gas goes above $60 a barrel then Bio-diesel becomes economically viable. Better yet, if gas prices went above $4 a gallon, hybrids become cost effective. Who knows, at $5 a gallon we could get quality public transportation. At $7 a gallon we could have high speed rail.

I understand that our economy will tank at some point. The reason I not really worried about keeping that from happening is that it is going to happen either way. So let’s force the hand of fate and raise taxes on gas by $4 a gallon. Say good bye to traffic jams, hello high speed rail from here to Las Vegas!

There is a slight chance that whole Mad Max/Road Warrior thing could happen…