Energy prices

Posted by David Roberts at 4:59 PM on 09 Jun 2008

Conservatives want to terrify voters at the prospect of climate policy raising energy prices.

Meanwhile: "Wealth Evaporates as Gas Prices Clobber McMansions."

How long will we stay on this sinking ship?

For story: Energy prices
6 Comments | Post a Comment

I got off of that boat about a month ago

And I'm not looking back!

I just need to get somebody to buy my truck and I'll be scot-free! We'll be a 1 car, 2 bike family.

zach
pennywise-poundfoolish.typepad.com

by zach at 9:13 PM on 09 Jun 2008

Idiot Tax

Those who drive gas guzzlers and who live in McMansions in the suburbs they can't afford are now paying an idiot tax: http://www.maxgladwell.com/2008/06/idiot-tax-the-penalty- ...

Shareholders of GM and Ford, companies that didn't see the writing on the wall and failed to prepare for this (letting the dumb market dictate their products) are also paying idiot taxes (idiot losses).

There are so many repeated themes with the energy and mortgage crisis. They bought vehicles that they could only afford when gas prices were low; and they bought houses that they could only afford when money was cheap and easy to get. Now economics are catching up with everyone.

Unfortunately, these taxes are going to foreign governments as oil profits, which they use to purchase US assets like banks, which were distressed from the mortgage crisis. It's an ugly and vicious cycle.

MaxGladwell.com The Nexus of Social Media and Green Living

by maxgladwell at 12:04 AM on 10 Jun 2008

Energy Crises

How incredibly intelligent of so many who lived through previous energy crises to live their lives based on the premise that "Whew, that was terrible. Good thing it can never ever happen again!"

I like to see folks get what's coming to them, but I feel a little bad for those who have been duped into believing that their lifestyle is sustainable. If our society were honest with itself, we could have seen all this coming a long time ago (i.e. previous energy crises)

by Kenny B at 6:40 AM on 10 Jun 2008

'Bout time the McMansions took a hit...

by Tasermons Partner at 7:17 AM on 10 Jun 2008

I agree

about the McMansions and SUV's, Hummers, etc. It's the rest of us lower income folk living in northern climates I'm worried about. It's true the handwriting has been on the wall for, well decades now. And I was doing what I could to point it out to those who would listen (not many obviously), but I'm afraid I can't get all chuckly and snide now when I'm in pretty much the same boat - minus the McMansion and the gas guzzler (mine's a Honda which isn't too bad as far as cars go). Big difference is I don't have money in the bank to pay for my heating oil this winter and though we "only" use a bit over 300 gallons, it's still too much as far as my pocketbook is concerned. We also "only" used 2 1/2 cords of wood, and that has gone way up in price as well. And people are amazed when I tell them our gallons and cords. Most around here use more than twice that. It's not unusual for a farmhouse to use 8 to 10 cords of wood plus some oil. I can't imagine. Something has to be done. We can't all move south.

by SMLowry at 10:46 AM on 10 Jun 2008

by SMLowry at 10:50 AM on 10 Jun 2008

ADVERTISING POLICY

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