What if there was a huge tax on all fossil fuels?

the world would stop running...... you would be trapped if you dont have a horse....and.......problemsssss!

The idea of a carbon tax does exactly that. The tax should of course be ring fenced to compensate users who are unable to bear the additional strain. You might then find the economy shifting. The estimated rate of tax is about $50 per tonne of CO2. It makes little difference where you apply the tax, but it is most economic at the source end...less administrative costs. The idea is to keep the tax revenue neutral for the government, to overall the costs to the economy remain neutral.

You might ask how it can be effective if people are compensated for the increased costs? Well, its simple, energy produced using Fossil fuels will cost more, but the consumer has the extra money in their pocket [compensation]. They now have a choice..buy the more expensive fossil fuel energy, or the cheaper renewable energy? Likewise the energy retailers will have the same sorts of choices. They can reinvest in fossil fuel technology or in now relatively cheaper renewable lower carbon intensive energy which is in greater demand.

As to how fast? Well it won't happen overnight, not even in a year or two, but take decades, because it will take that long to replace the fossil fuel infrastructure...It is a massive problem, it will take a long time to change, that is why thinking people are so adamant that we need to start now, because even with full commitment to change it is still going to take a very long time. Thinking people understand this.

Fortunately there are already people moving ahead with far reaching solutions. Eg, bicycles available for free [or nominal charge] throughout Paris to pick up where you need, and drop off where you need. A similar concept with automated electric taxis, that can pick you up and drop you where you want to go, again at nominal cost. Mass rapid transit systems that overcome the traffic jams of cities by carrying larger numbers of passengers more efficiently, in their own dedicated traffic lanes, high rise automated parking towers, combo personal/community vehicles and smart electric grids etc. Concepts that improve quality of life, improve options and choices and reduce city congestion and reduce energy consumption.

Denier nations will be left out of these technological advances. The world will move on without them.

I've had that thought as well (although not quite so extreme!). One would think that if energy became much more expensive that we would use less of it. I think the fuel cost fluctuations have disproved that theory, though, since even nearly-doubling the price does little to change our habits.

I'm afraid that adding a substantial tax (but less extreme than what you propose) would only hurt those of lower economic status who are barely able to survive and rely on the energy to get to work while those of higher economic levels would continue to buy similar amounts of the more-expensive energy.

Since there would be so many affected by the increased cost who are unable to reduce their consumption, the amount of additional needed federal subsistence aid would be staggering.

I think the public would be better persuaded by the scare of lesser-available energy. If utilities could put their greed behind them and tell us "this is how much you can have, and that's it!" I think there's a chance of some actual conservation. If the flow of electricity to our houses stutters and fades if we leave the A/C thermostat on 67-degrees, 24 hours a day, that just might encourage a change. If we're only permitted to purchase a monthly average of 20-gallons of gasoline or diesel per driver's license #, people might decide against driving cross-country to browse at an antique auction or may bike to the grocery store instead.

I do believe we need some sort of restriction methods in place before things get very bleak.

What if there was a huge tax on all fossil fuels?

How quickly would people turn away from fossil fuels?

Not very fast in my situation.

If there was a $100 gallon/tax on fossil fuel, people would be slow to turn away from fossil fuels. The oil companies and the government has made it too easy for us to depend on cheap plentiful fuels made from fossil fuels, that our economy doesn't know how to make fast switches in fuel source. And it too expensive to make a fast change. I myself would love to switch to solar and wind, but I don't have the money to change, so I'm stuck with a oil fired furnace for Heat and hot water.

So the tax wouldn't do anything to help or force me to change. What I need is laons and tax breaks for switching. And I'm not talking about little 'BS' 15% tax breaks, I'm talking about $10000 tax breaks. The type of tax break the government gave to people who purchased SUV's under the Bush administration ( http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=tax+break+for+hea... ).

You are essentially proposing the Carbon tax in a different manner. It is essentially the "wellhead" taxation model.

The thing of it is- those taxes would also carry over to other energy forms and other production. So you would see your heating bill and electric bill skyrocket as well.

That is the nature of taxation.

So the "shock" would be continual.

the clarification is that the environmentalists have been attempting for a minimum of 50 years to hose down down the end results of capitalism. what's humorous is that those comparable persons are against eco-friendly substances of capability because of the fact it additionally will injury the ambience. you won't be in a position to tax one source out of use without permitting something else to take it particularly is place. I even have heard that they do no longer choose photograph voltaic farms interior the Mojave desert because of the fact it could displace organic international and kill desert flowers. we gained't build wind farms because of the fact they kill birds, i will work out them, or i will take heed to them.

"We wouldn't regress back to pre industrial life styles" You're wrong it would push us further back than that. At those prices nobody would bother or could afford to develop any type of alternative energy. If you want to live in a cave I'm sure there are some for sale.

You, sir (or madam), obviously have no acquaintance with the realities of earning one's own livelihood. Try supporting yourself on a middle-class income for just one year -- no sponging off your parents or the government -- and I'll wager you'll be singing quite a different tune.

at a minimum 5 billion people would die within weeks because you are removing the most efficient transportation fuel, gasoline, and the most versitile energy source ever, electrcity.

be prepared for a new lifestyle. Nasty, brutish, and short.

You would not be able to afford food for much more than a week, if that long, and would starve to death within four week, since a person can go without food for three weeks.

"Carbon Neutral" is a marketing scam. Where have you been? Where do you think electricity comes from?