In NL the petrol price (currently EUR 1.80 for 1 liter) is already 70% tax. For diesel this is 60%, which may have something to do with the fact that diesel is more efficient.<br>People are complaining, and reducing their consumption because of that. <br>
<br>Poor people are already being crushed, although I haven't seen reports yet of people freezing to death because they can't pay the natural gas bills. That is, in NL, and I expect that to happen within a few years. I think I have seen those reports in western Europe.<br>
<br>A tax on cows should NOT be based on the cows weight, but be put directly on beef, milk and leather if at all.<br><br>As for choosing one form of renewable energy, don't bet on one horse. You'll need every watt you can get.<br>
<br>Gijs<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2012/7/24 Richard Stallman <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rms@gnu.org" target="_blank">rms@gnu.org</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div class="im"> The same concepts could be applied from the government, tax cars and<br>
oil? tax products transportation? educate the people? only allow<br>
biodegradable packaging.<br>
<br>
</div>These policies can really make a difference.<br>
<br>
If a few people buy less of something, the price will go down a little<br>
and that will encourage others to use more of it. However, placing a<br>
tax on it will encourage everyone to use less of it.<br>
<br>
It is not practical to tax the actual burning of fossil fuels since<br>
that is done by millions of motorists as well as thousands of<br>
factories. Instead I recommend a tax on fossil fuels, and a few other<br>
things which, when used, will result in greenhouse gas emissions. For<br>
instance, there could be a tax on cows, collected annually based on<br>
the cow's weight.<br>
<br>
This tax implements the principle that the polluter pays the cost<br>
imposed by the pollution. As long as this is not the case, there is<br>
an economic incentive to dump greenhouse gases into the air and let<br>
others suffer the harm. Users influenced by that incentive are not<br>
interested in investing in increased efficiency of their own<br>
operations.<br>
<br>
If the tax rate starts from zero and rises gradually over a period<br>
of a few years, that will avoid transients.<br>
<br>
Part of the tax money could be given back to every person equally, so<br>
that poor people would not be crushed by the added tax. Poor people<br>
would, however, feel the pressure to conserve on fuel; those that do<br>
will have more money than before. Those that are profligate with fuel<br>
will have somewhat less than before, until they learn to conserve.<br>
<br>
This tax will encourage all forms of renewable energy, but they will<br>
still compete with each other. Thus, the state won't need to choose<br>
between solar panels and solar thermal power (and other methods); the<br>
market will choose.<br>
<br>
A feed-in tariff, allowing everyone to sell electricity to the grid,<br>
is a good policy too. But that alone won't do the job. It won't<br>
affect emissions from transportation, for example.<br>
<br>
Educating the public about global heating is essential so that they<br>
will understand the need for action; however, that alone won't<br>
deal with the problem.<br>
<div class="im HOEnZb"><br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Dr Richard Stallman<br>
President, Free Software Foundation<br>
51 Franklin St<br>
Boston MA 02110<br>
USA<br>
<a href="http://www.fsf.org" target="_blank">www.fsf.org</a> <a href="http://www.gnu.org" target="_blank">www.gnu.org</a><br>
Skype: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.<br>
Use Ekiga or an ordinary phone call<br>
</div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">____________________________________________________<br>
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