This is my proposed "Environmental and National Health Act."
The government needs to tax the sale of gasoline until the price reaches the same price as it is in Hong Kong, around $7.12 a gallon.
Gasoline Prices by Country
This will have many positive effects on society:
1. First off, this will reduce the amount of driving in this country. People will look for other means of transportation, such as public transit, carpooling, or biking/walking. Also, may Americans will reduce frivolous trips, such as driving down to the local movie theater or ice cream shop, or simply joyriding. All of this means far less carbon emissions from driving.
This drastic reduction in carbon emissions will help stem the tide of global warming, one of the greatest threats humanity has ever faced:
Impact of Global Warming on Future Human Life
It would also greatly improve air quality caused by smog and traffic, leading to less cases of asthma or premature death.
2. This will also encourage the development of better, more far reaching, and more well-used public transit systems. In most states, the public transit system is terrible, since car ownership is the norm. Busses run late, light rail only covers a quarter of the city, stops are few and far between, etc. If car ownership were discouraged by $7.00 gas, the public transit system would have to improve in quality and effectiveness, putting us on par with most other countries in the world.
3. This tax on gasoline will help reduce urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is when suburbs spread out for miles on end, hours away from the downtown city they are centered on. Most people who live in these suburbs drive to work, and do not use public transit at all. By raising gas to $7.00 a gallon, we would halt the expansion of miles and miles of cookie cutter houses into what used to be thriving forest and natural beauty
4. The end of the suburbs will lead to decreased racism and bigotry, while increasing tolerance of others. Most racist whites today live either in the countryside or in suburbia, while the people of color they despite live in more urban areas. By making driving prohibitively expensive, these rich sheltered white communities would have to move closer to where they work, and live alongside communities of color. This would get these racist whites out of their little bubble, and force them to interact with people of other races and faiths, thereby encouraging racial tolerance in this country.
5. Let's not forget that the government would make tons of money with a heavy tax on gasoline. This, in combination with the cutting of our bloated military budget, would give the people of the USA enough money to finally implement single payer healthcare, improve public education, make higher education free, and create so many more opportunities for the citizens of this country.
Of course, the opposition from the oil companies would be ferocious. Some oil workers in places like Texas and Alaska would lose their jobs. There would be a brief period of time, after the tax is implemented, but before public transportation is expanded, where it might be hard for some people to commute to work.
But in the long run, the results of $7.12 a gallon gas would be nothing but beneficial. Decreased carbon emissions, increased air quality, a much improved public transportation system, an end to the suburban sprawl which causes de facto segregation of racial communities and contributes to the systemic racism in this country. We will not only save our society, we will save the human race as well.
