[grabby]

This is no time to make deals
We need 2 dollar a gallon tax on all fuels.
50 dollar per flight airline tax
stop building new highways immediately.
all three lane highways or above have left lane turned to carpool 3 people plus only.
55 mph speed limit.
ban ethanol it uses up more energy than it makes.
If you calculate ethanol production vs gallons/BTU produced it is NEGATIVE ENERGY
if you calculate according to COST and electrical cost it is slightly positive.
in the real world it is NEGATIVE ENERGY you cannot make an ethanol plant that produces ethanol that runs solely on ethanol and no electricity. it cannot be done.

it IS NEGATIVE.

also, we need to tax all cars greater than 2000 pounds 500 dollars a year

that outa do it
or the other option is we will mostly be in serious trouble very shortly.

instead of building new highways, we should start constructing two lane bicycle roads in all cities so you cna get from point a to pioint b safely. can be used for sedgeways also.

[NEOPO]

At this point - I would rather watch the wussies perish

[grabby]

That would make a hot title for a peak oil movie.

[emersonbiggins]

I thought this post was going to delve into the classic bug-out scenario, where the "nerd," as it were, gets his supply cache, home, wife and kids taken away by the "bully." Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed, Grabby, but I like your solution to the incessant oil-based traffic problem that we have in this modern age. So, what happens to the "nerd," then? I think he's buying a gun and heading out to the shooting range. How about you?

[EnergyHog]

What we should do and what we will do are two very different things. Stop wasting time dreaming about using less oil, we will use as much as we can for as long as we can. Oil is economic crack for the U.S. and we won't be voluntarily dropping the habit. Plan accordingly.

[EnergyUnlimited]

"Fix everything by raising taxes." The simplicity is appealing.

What is this thread doing here, anyway?

You are correct.
Once taxes on any activity will reach 100%, the activity will cease.
Once you increase fuel tax up to 100% of transaction value you will no longer have to worry about PO.
When you go to petrol station, you will simply give away some money to government and get nothing in exchange (except of receipt).
This way petrol station will never run of gasoline as well and PO will no longer be relevant.
The same could be done with electricity, water etc.

[rwwff]

This is no time to make deals
We need 2 dollar a gallon tax on all fuels.
50 dollar per flight airline tax

I thought you were of the ultimate doom persuasion... Now it sounds like you actually want to stand and fight.

So lets see what you think of something that might pass.

New taxes:
$2 / gallon fuel (gas, diesel, fuel oil, no exceptions, no exclusions)
1 cent per thousand BTU for natural gas and electricty
$50 per flight airline tax
vehicle tax (collected as a VAT)
1) 0 - 1500 lbs $100
2) 1501 - 2500 lbs $500
3) 2500 - 4000 lbs $800
4) 4000+ $1000

Mandatory appropriation attached to the tax legislation:
40% of revenue to DoD weaponry and ships - earmark bonanza.
10% to reprogrammable accounts within DoD - black ops support
20% to bridge replacement - earmark bonanza mark II
20% to BLM for buyouts of coastal properties after flooding
10% to nuclear energy liability and insurance protections.

Would you vote yes, or would you vote no.

[emersonbiggins]

$50 per flight airline tax

How about just collecting any tax on aviation fuel?

[rwwff]

$50 per flight airline tax

How about just collecting any tax on aviation fuel?

Its not necessarily a bad idea, but it hides the cost from the consumer. The consumer is the problem, not the corporations. I hate the idea of hiding any tax; even the proposed VAT on vehicles should be itemized on the retail sticker.

[emersonbiggins]

$50 per flight airline tax

How about just collecting any tax on aviation fuel?

Its not necessarily a bad idea, but it hides the cost from the consumer. The consumer is the problem, not the corporations. I hate the idea of hiding any tax; even the proposed VAT on vehicles should be itemized on the retail sticker.

Oh, I agree, the tax should be itemized right on the ticket. But, at least having a fuel tax would end a long-standing subsidy towards air travel and allow the market to adjust its travel behavior accordingly. I think the tax has to be routed through the airlines themselves, though, rather than passed onto the end user as they are now. Nothing is more infuriating than finding out your $79 "Super-saver" has ballooned to over $100 after all the fees and taxes were added.

[strider3700]

I'm a huge hater of subsidies and not much of a fan of taxes either. I'd much prefer the government to come out and state all energy subsidies are cancelled. Explain peak oil and state that those subsidies couldn't be maintained forever anyways. Point out which industries are likely to experience severe problems in the future because of this. Point out all of the problems that the population is likely to face in the nearish future.

Then I want them to announce that they think there are some solutions to replace these inefficient industries. Announce that they hope the free market will correct these problems with the development of new companies and ideas.To help facilitate new ideas they will put an end to all patent protection and declair it a free for all on who can develop what and make a profit.

This should cause a major shift towards tons of small startups hoping to make something that will help. I don't think that is the real benefit though. I think that the big companies being forced to be competitive will help and we'll get the rail systems and altenatives that are so desperately needed.


Of course this won't happen, the corportations will never allow the government to change something that would lose them absolute control of the market and we'll instead watch it melt down without anyone having a plan to keep the masses alive/fed/content. CNN should be interesting to watch though.

[fireplaceguy]

To help facilitate new ideas they will put an end to all patent protection and declair it a free for all on who can develop what and make a profit.

This should cause a major shift towards tons of small startups hoping to make something that will help. I don't think that is the real benefit though. I think that the big companies being forced to be competitive will help and we'll get the rail systems and altenatives that are so desperately needed.

Sorry, Strider - this WON'T work. Your proposal would legalize the theft of ideas

Nobody will put time and effort into developing ANYTHING without the ability to reap some sort of reward down the road.

THINK: If your innovation could be taken from you without compensation, then why would you bother?

Also, absent legal protection of intellectual property, how the hell would your "tons of small startups" get the capital they need?

(Answer: THEY WOULDN'T. Under your scenario your little startup would have NO legal rights to their idea and it would be TAKEN from them without compensation...)

PATENT LAWS are the CORNERSTONE of innovation. Let's not screw this up at such a critical moment in history....

[strider3700]

Sorry, Strider - this WON'T work. Your proposal would legalize the theft of ideas

Nobody will put time and effort into developing ANYTHING without the ability to reap some sort of reward down the road.

THINK: If your innovation could be taken from you without compensation, then why would you bother?

Also, absent legal protection of intellectual property, how the hell would your "tons of small startups" get the capital they need?

(Answer: THEY WOULDN'T. Under your scenario your little startup would have NO legal rights to their idea and it would be TAKEN from them without compensation...)

PATENT LAWS are the CORNERSTONE of innovation. Let's not screw this up at such a critical moment in history....

innovation has always been one person taking someone elses idea and improving on it. I'm a firm believer that an idea is rarely worth 2 cents, really really good ones maybe a buck.

It's actually acting on that idea and making a product and selling it that should be worth something.

Remember that America became a powerhouse the same way that china is doing it today. Take the best ideas from somewhere else and then just ignore the patents. This provided tons of raw ideas that can then be improved upon and new ideas came from them.

The reason I would innovate even if the idea is protected is because I can still take my idea and actually implement it and hopefully make profit off of it. If I keep the idea quiet until I release my product then I get an easy first to market bonus.

How much technology that could help is currently sitting in a file cabinet somewhere not being acted on because the patent holder doesn't want to for whatever reason?