Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
The only costs that I know of that are not included into the price of fuel is the subsidies that are paid to oil companies. An enormous unrelated cost at the pump is taxes, much of which is used to maintain roads. Taxation will need to change as electrics and hybrids become the norm and gov't revenue declines.
I see a vague connection between outsourcing and this topic, but the problem isn't outsourcing itself, as the alternative is extremely inefficient. The real problem discussed in the OP is pollution caused by shipping products. It seems the solution then would be to develop shipping vessels that pollute less while not costing more money.
Ultimately alternatives will arrive due to the increasing scarcity of petroleum and the inevitable price increases.
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It's fairly simple to me. The lost cost of shipping allows us to export all our manufacturing and farming overseas. The subsidies to profitable oil companies to develop their sources are only one small aspect of the costs not reflected at the pump. What about all the military resources required to keep shipping lanes open and governments in place to secure the markets worldwide. Ever notice as soon as any of the petroleum exporters have any instabilities, oil prices shoot up? And of course the cleanup costs for spills and damage due to pollution from refining and burning petroleum have never come out of the oil companies. Here in Colorado, we are having earthquakes from fracking natural gas. Our taxpayer dollars are propping up this petroleum economy in a big big way.