As a North-American that chart is a terrible embarasment. How are we going to separate our idiots from their SUV's and BFTs (Big F(*^&%# Trucks). If only we could convince the Americans to raise their gas taxes. Even if they only used the money to buy back the guzzlers and squish em we'd be ahead.

Pay now or pay later. I say a 3 dollar a gallon gas tax is just what we need. We should take the steps now, no matter how painful, to rein in our energy guzzling habits. It's just not sustainable in the long run.

Roger: Oil prices are set by commodities traders, not by Big Oil. We're not being "gouged". If there's anything screwy happening in the oil markets, it's from speculators and hedge funds--which to my mind have actually been beneficial. The past few years we've thrown ourselves into alternative energy research and production.

Read this article from Biodiesel Magazine.

I want as little government interference in the market as possible. If we must encourage alternative energy, doing so with tax credits to make biofuels cheaper is better than increasing taxes on gasoline or diesel. We've done this already, and the result is biodiesel is now cost-competetive with petrodiesel at current prices. Beyond that, though, alt energy has to stand on its own economnic legs.

don't worry about pushing up the tax on gas to increase the amount of high mpg cars or suvs sold ect. the price will continue to rise even faster in the future, anyone who says todays high price is down to traders, price gougers, lack of refinery capacity in the US or any other bullshit reason. You are all wrong the reason for high prices is simple oil is running out,
every oil producer is pumping at their max and can not increase production and when demand rises faster than suply you get a price rise i wish some one would tell this simple truth to the american people
but dont take it from me just do a google search on the oil peak

This is a crisis. We should ensure that gas rises through taxes to at least $10 per gallon, but give people some time to adjust. Over the long run, people have choices. I live in a small town without public transportation and I would be significantly impacted. But my impact will be lessened somewhat by the fact that I have planned ahead by buying a Prius.

Some people will have to adjust their living patterns. But this will eventually happen regardless of whether we institute a tax. Just waiting for peak oil to work its magic may result in a situation where people do not have time to adjust.

As far as government interference goes, if the government subsidizes a technology by providing a tax credit or otherwise, that's still interference. If you don't want interference, be consistent. Eliminate all subsidies and government funded research for all fuels.

The objection that this would hurt the poor is a non issue. Transfer part of the proceeds of this tax to the poor. Then they will have the option of making decisions that will actually increase their disposable income. Better yet, provide every one gas coupons which can be bought or sold in the open market. Those who find a way to use less gas can profit from the sale of their excess coupons. Those who choose to consume beyond their coupon allotment will just have to pay the piper.

Two things stick out very clearly.

(1) Americans and Canadians are the No. 1 culprits (highest liter/Km).
(2) We have the lowest gas taxes in all the industrial countries.

The message seems to be easy to read. We use the highest mpg vehicles producing the most GHG because of cheap gas and fuel.

A progressive-adjustable long term carbon tax on gas and diesel fuel may not be politically correct but is the best way to pass the message to car/truck/bus owners. This tax could start at $0.01/gal/month and gradually progress during 5 years and/or until gas/fuel taxes have reached large industrial nations average.

Concurrently, a Federal progressive yearly carbon (or total GHG) vehicle registration fee (based on tons of carbon per year created)should be imposed. Vehicles with less than 3 ton/year equivalent could be exempt and those above 5 ton/year should pay much more. This too should be imposed progressively over 5+ years.

Low income persons could get a tax credit to partly compensate the added carbon tax and increased registration fees.

Part of the revenues from these new taxes should be used to promote cleaner alternative fuel such as cellulosic butanol and the purchase of more efficient vehicles such as Hybrids and PHEV, wind turbines and solar panels.

People and Bacteria

If we want to show that we're actually more intelligent we're going to have to stop eating, breading and polluting our way into a major die-off. I don't think the mindless forces of the free market are going to solve a problem that requires a little thinking. A thoughtfull bit of proding (a slowly increasing carbon tax) might help.

"Low income persons could get a tax credit"

No thank you. Billions of dollars lost to fraud through welfare style systems RIGHT NOW. We don't need anymore of that.

Lower income households may not be able to buy a new car...ever notice the least expensive vehicles tend to have the best fuel economy?

I'd rather give every Low income person the following options:

Low cost housing in expensive real estate areas set to standards and inspected monthly (random units) to insure the living conditions are kept up. This can help to keep them from having to commute from 30 miles away.

Free transit passes. Add federal funding for all mass transit projects in all states. This funding would come from the excess gas taxes.

In the US taxation is not the way encourage conservation. Only rationing together with an Internet based coupon trading system will work. The total amount of petroleum used can be reduced through gradually declining oil import quotas. My goal would be the elimination of oil imports within 3 years. Business interests will see that it's either conserve or produce alternatives if economic growth is to occur. Individuals will find ways of cutting car use through ride sharing and better shopping trip planning. Helping the poor cope has not been seen as important as helping corporations cope for a long time in America so why bother suggesting how to do it?

"Punishment" gas taxes on US motorists will not work and will never pass.

We're better off raising CAFE standards and continuing to improve alternative fuels technology like ethanol, biodiesel and plug-in electric/electric-hybrid vehicles.

Rafael,

Nuclear power already pays for its "environmental damage". A fee of $.001/kwh is collected on nuc power for government waste fuel disposal. This pile of money has accumulated to several $billion while the feds have a Keystone Cops exercise at Yucca Mountain. The point is, however, commerical nuclear power has fully covered its waste disposal costs.

The figures I have seen (see epri.com) show that coal burning with 90% carbon dioxide sequestration is not competitive with nuclear power if there is no benefit to the sequester beyond environmental. (i.e. if the CO2 injection restarts an exhausted oil or gas field it changes the economics)

You notice how both canada and america have the higher numbers... could it be more about them ignoring country to country traffic in europe then anything else? I wonder what the numbers would look like if all the trucks in europe even the ones going from one end to the other and outside and in were combined.

The American people will not allow higher gas taxes to be imposed!
Heck, even the Democrats are talking about keeping gas prices low!
This forum has presented many tax ideas, which is good, but the American people, and its leaders, by promising cheap gas, has made increasing the gas tax another "third rail of politics".
As stated in a previous post, The attitude of the American people must be changed before the politicans get enough courage to do it.