Recently, in response to a concern that the federal Highway Trust Fund would run out of money in 2008, an idea to tax hybrid and other fuel-efficient automobiles was suggested to ensure highway funding. Besides the absurdity that Congress's newly passed highway bill would allow for such a shortfall in financing, the concept of punishing purchasers of efficient vehicles is absolutely ludicrous. How can the United States government even consider such a regressive step when it is nearing crisis on the issue of petroleum dependence?
Held hostage by the limited technology offered them, Americans are displaying signs of frustration at the terrible inefficiency of automobiles available for purchase. More than ever, people are turning away from gas-hungry behemoths and toward efficient vehicles, such as hybrids.
While Americans seem to favor reducing dependence on petroleum, against the apparent wishes of their government, their reasons for doing so prove to be an eclectic mix. The array of people's motives for a lessened reliance on gasoline creates humorously odd bedfellows. In one camp, you'll find people who romanticize about a future of zero-emission cars powered by renewable energy. In the opposite realm of thinking, many people's desires for a reduced dependency on petroleum are powered by dreams of a day when the Middle East can be added to a list of regions with which the U.S. is able to forego diplomacy and immediately resort to military action should a conflict arise. Finally, there are those who simply want to ensure they'll be able to get from point "A" to point "B" without emptying their wallets.
All of these people, regardless of purpose, want one thing: a transition by the auto industry toward developing vehicles that are less dependent on gas.
The many Americans who advocate a move away from petroleum dependence are being ignored by their government, but they're not the only thing being ignored. The U.S. economy is sending a gas-fueled distress signal and it is not being received. At a time when the rest of the world is desperately pursuing innovations that will reduce fuel consumption, the U.S. seems increasingly resigned to a gas-guzzling culture that is choking the country economically.
Business in the U.S. is changing. Gas prices are dictating American commerce more than ever, as companies nervously eye changes in the cost of petroleum to determine just how badly shipping and transportation will eat into their revenue. There has even been speculation that Wal-Mart, everyone's favorite profit-rich mega-chain, might face serious trouble in the near future if its dependence on petroleum goes unchanged. Nobody is surprised by the U.S. government's failure to respond to the calls of its citizenry, but when Wal-Mart's problems are ignored, something must be wrong.
Although U.S. inaction on the issue of gas dependence is negatively impacting the entire economy, ironically, the burden is being disproportionately carried by what many see as its cause: the auto industry. In only the most recent episode of an ongoing downward spiral for American automakers, General Motors announced last week that it would soon begin a massive new round of layoffs. It would be easy to fault the American auto industry for its inability to compete with Japanese automakers' efficiency. However, as U.S. consumers purchase hybrids and other gas-efficient Japanese vehicles in record numbers, one wonders why the U.S. government provides almost no incentives for Detroit to develop its own version of this efficiency. It is hard for U.S. automakers to compete with companies whose governments subsidize research of tomorrow's technology.
Beyond an economic concern — the only type of concern guaranteed to appeal to those in power — there are innumerable reasons the U.S. government must reverse its backward policies regarding automotive energy. First and foremost, given recent trends indicating the advancement of global warming, it is essential that the U.S. step up and lead the way with environmentally friendly policies, especially as China continually uses American pollution as an excuse for its own. More specifically, excesses such as greenhouse gas emissions, dangerous and careless oil drilling, and dirty oil refining must be curbed.
The U.S. government has been incredibly irresponsible in its lack of leadership toward reducing the use of petroleum. From this point, it can go one of two ways, either creating new incentives for the development and use of fuel-efficient vehicles, or continuing its regressive path and taxing one of the few efficient options Americans have: the hybrid automobile.
Rob Rossmeissl ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in journalism and political science.
