I don’t think anyone’s suggesting we just immediately pull the plug on fossil fuels entirely, that’s not at all realistic, but heavily taxing them and using the revenue from those taxes to go towards cleanup and green energy would be a step in the right direction. The reliance on fossil fuels might drop considerably if the price of gas increased heavily. To your point, it’s an industry because people buy it, and people buy it because it’s the most cost effective solution in many cases. If it was no longer cost effective, people would gravitate towards green alternatives where possible.
Increasing fuel prices would increase the cost of everything else too, lowering living standards globally. It would effectively be a flat tax for the whole humankind.
I agree this would accelerate the green transition, but there’s currently no direct replacement for diesel/heavy fuel oil (which container ships, heavy trucks and tractors require) and natural gas. Well there is biodiesel but that requires turning fields from growing food to growing oil plants needed for the fuel.
Current battery tech is still only satisfactory for personal transportation.
How much do you think extreme climate change is going to lower living standards globally?
If personal transport and home heating and whatnot were transitioned fully to green energy, and fossil fuels were used exclusively for large-scale shipping, it would be a huge net gain.
I don’t think anyone’s suggesting we just immediately pull the plug on fossil fuels entirely, that’s not at all realistic, but heavily taxing them and using the revenue from those taxes to go towards cleanup and green energy would be a step in the right direction. The reliance on fossil fuels might drop considerably if the price of gas increased heavily. To your point, it’s an industry because people buy it, and people buy it because it’s the most cost effective solution in many cases. If it was no longer cost effective, people would gravitate towards green alternatives where possible.
Personally I’d give them a fixed timescale to stop production. Your don’t pull the plug tomorrow. You just say when the plug will be pulled.
The world will pivot.
Yeah, that’s completely reasonable. Or mandate reductions on a fixed schedule, e.g. 50% of today’s numbers in 3 years, 0% in 6.
Increasing fuel prices would increase the cost of everything else too, lowering living standards globally. It would effectively be a flat tax for the whole humankind. I agree this would accelerate the green transition, but there’s currently no direct replacement for diesel/heavy fuel oil (which container ships, heavy trucks and tractors require) and natural gas. Well there is biodiesel but that requires turning fields from growing food to growing oil plants needed for the fuel. Current battery tech is still only satisfactory for personal transportation.
How much do you think extreme climate change is going to lower living standards globally?
If personal transport and home heating and whatnot were transitioned fully to green energy, and fossil fuels were used exclusively for large-scale shipping, it would be a huge net gain.