132 sats \ 4 replies \ @C_Otto 6 Sep \ on: 🚗Cars will get more expensive. Thanks for nothing EU 🇪🇺 econ
We already have way too many cars, EV or not. And reducing CO2 emissions is absolutely necessary, putting a cost on CO2 is something I applaud!
There needs to be something done sure, especially when you look at cities where there is high air pollution (mostly because of old cars etc. see Poland e.g.).
But what doesn't and hasn't worked in the past is putting taxes on it. It's not like the EU will use that money to come up with inventive solutions, people do.
This higher "cost" has little do to with actually helping the environment, it only fattens Brussels pockets. At least they think that that will happen.
But the unintended consequence will be that neither the EU makes more money, nor that the environment will be helped since this will drive people who can't afford a new car let alone an EV, will still use old cars with bad catalysators (or if any at all) instead of driving a new car with Euro-6 or higher.
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Both of you are mixing pollution with CO2. Of all the things that come out of the exhaust pipe, why are politicians so worried about CO2, which is a harmless gas for human beings, while they ignore everything else? Because the CO2 narrative requires "global" solutions, and that means affording them global power.
Please stop buying into that narrative. Yes, pollution is a problem. But they only care about pollution insofar as they can grab more power. Don't equate "CO2" with "pollution"; those are different things.
The money could be used to invest into public transport. There's very little need for innovation in that sector. Just build more trains/tracks, provide more buses, ... Additionally, you could invest into making cities more walkable, and provide better/safer bicycle paths. To the best of my knowledge, walking/cycling/taking the bus is much cheaper than taking a car.
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