In praise of high gas prices
By Marc Perton
He’s absolutely right. Time and again, American consumers have shown that the marketplace rules all. People will sacrifice almost anything for lower prices, and they’ll also bail on anything that’s too expensive. The fact that high gas prices haven’t reduced demand or caused a spike in hybrid sales shows that prices just aren’t high enough. If gas has to go to $5 a gallon for people to trade in their SUVs for hybrids or start carpooling, then that’s a price worth paying. I, for one, would be proud to pay a $1 per gallon gas tax if I knew it was going to fund alt-fuel research or, better yet, mass transit. For now, though, I’ll just have to hope that, by enriching the oil companies, I’m also helping to solve the problem we’ve all created.
I’ve stopped grumbling about paying more at the pump. Sure, I don’t like it, and I would rather be spending that money on other things. But I have to agree with Adam at TerraPass, who points out:
1. Gas prices should be higher, not lower.
2. No one is “gouging” consumers.
3. The problem is oil consumption, not oil companies.This is pretty simple. You can’t simultaneously fight for low gas prices and fight climate change. These are opposing policy objectives.
He’s absolutely right. Time and again, American consumers have shown that the marketplace rules all. People will sacrifice almost anything for lower prices, and they’ll also bail on anything that’s too expensive. The fact that high gas prices haven’t reduced demand or caused a spike in hybrid sales shows that prices just aren’t high enough. If gas has to go to $5 a gallon for people to trade in their SUVs for hybrids or start carpooling, then that’s a price worth paying. I, for one, would be proud to pay a $1 per gallon gas tax if I knew it was going to fund alt-fuel research or, better yet, mass transit. For now, though, I’ll just have to hope that, by enriching the oil companies, I’m also helping to solve the problem we’ve all created.
