solve the world's rnvironmental problems is to increase the cost of fuel .?

Question

The best way to solve the world's environmental problems is to increase the cost of fuel . To what extent you agree with or disagree ?

Answer 1

So to solve the worlds environmental problems you would:-
+ hold the world's poorer countries and peoples to ransom because they would be unable to afford the fuel costs. This would have little or no effect on the richer people and countries but cause poverty, starvation and resentment amongst the poor;
+ increase the cost of just about every product bought, sold, grown or manufactured
+ create a situation where illegal dealing and smuggling of fuel would be a profitable criminal enterprise as drug smuggling is now and as alcohol smuggling was during prohibition

During the Oil Crisis the cost of fuel went up enormously but fuel consumption didn't decline, what declined was industry and the economy. A vibrant and strong economy is needed to finance alternative greener fuels; recession benefits no-one, least of all the environment. The price of fuel in the UK is already held at an artificially high level through taxation but this has had no impact on car usage and pollution levels but has all but crippled the transport industry on which our economy depends.

Answer 2

Sure. Well, at least in a way. Fossil Fuel (F.F.) is only the tip of the iceberg. What you really mean is Fossil Carbon F.C.)
Raising the price won't directly save the environment but it will slow the impact. We don't just use F.F. out of the F.C..
Our whole technological society, in every facet, is based on the store of F.C. world wide. The price is going to go up-and up, naturally. Look around you, everything you see is dependent on F.C.; even this contraption I'm typing on. The technological nations are especially vulnerable, but the whole global system will be disrupted. THE BIG PROBLEM is that that carbon store is something saved over millions of years and we are drawing it out as fast as possible. It's like if you have a bank account with $500. in it and you keep making withdrawals but no deposits. Soon it's gone (maybe you even over-spent)- then it's payback time--- and there's no more to pay with.

Answer 3

I agree partly. Global warming in not the only environmental problem. Not all environmental problems are caused by fossil fuel. But if you want people to buy more expensive wind, solar and bio energy, you need to make cheap oil expensive enough, or make those other sources cheap enough, so that consumers will choose them. Only technology can make alternative energy cheaper. Only taxes can make oil more expensive. But the price is poverty. Any increase in oil price causes a recession. This has been proved over and over. Every time oil goes up, the economy goes down. People loose jobs, incomes drop, investments fall in value. It is bad. Like it on not, our wealth rests on a foundation of cheap energy. Take that foundation away suddenly at your (my)(our) peril.

Answer 4

Definately NOT! Simply increasing the cost of energy would stifle economic growth and hurt average people.

We need to focus on developing alternative energy sources--and in implementing the ones we already have that are practical now (solar, wind, etc). And public policy needs to be refocused on energy-saving technologies (improving efficienc of automobile engines, public transportation).

That kind of approach actually reduces fossil fuel use . In addition, instead o facting as an economic drag, these kinds of things generate new jobs and tend to REDUCE energy costs, helping consumers--and giveing them both the incentive (lower cost) and the opportunity to switch away from fossil fuels.

In addition, these approaches provide choices. Just raising energy costs doesn't do that.

Answer 5

That's one way that would help, if the extra money went for development of alternative sources and not into the pockets of oil industry people. As long as they control as many governments as they do though, progress will be slow as they stretch out their profits regardless of environmental damage.

Answer 6

It wouldn't help at all. Artificially raising prices creates one of two things: a black market, or inflation. Inflation is the most likely since fueling stations are hard to hide, and everything requires fuel to make, to transport it, and to use it.

Answer 7

That's utter bullcrap. The cost of fuel in the UK is astronomical, and car use is still increasing.

Answer 8

agree
we are a very spoiled country,therefore we are spoiling the earth.go back to the horse and buggy's.